Day -1

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Day -1 ~ the day you call yourself an idiot for what you will be doing on day 1. 



Day -1. Your last day at home. It's the day you give up on your plans and want to lie in bed and watch netflix. And so, you give up on your plans, you lie in bed and you watch netflix - at least until your mother discovers your guilty pleasure, drags you out of bed and reminds you that you still have 4 suitcases to fill with only 1/10 of your actual wardrobe and even worse - 1/20 of your shoe collection. Speaking of procrastination and hoarding disorders.

Day -1. Your last day in a civilised world. Because, up there, who knows what you will find? It's the day you still have an appointment at your GP to do a last "check-up", an other at your physiotherapist to check if your body will be able to bear all the luggage you will drag along and in between, you run to the pharmacist to buy as much painkillers as possible. One for every day of your stay. Because after all, you expect it to be painful.

In fact, on day -1, everything is painful and all that will follow just as awful. Your stay is doomed. You are most certain you will have an awful time. You already know you forgot loads of things, but you can't remember what. You are doubting yourself, your academic skills and worst of all: your social capabilities. On day -1, you are sure that you will never make friends and be alone for the rest of your Erasmus-lasting live. 

Talking of friends, Day -1 is the day they come over to the battlefield that has become your bedroom, paying their respects at your social funeral. Because after all, you will be socially dead for the next months. At least to them. You are leaving them behind to go and party with your new friends. 

This pretty much sums up what most of your friends think you will be doing during your Erasmus exchange. And admit it, that was your perception of Erasmus too. Until day -1. The day you realise you are not going on a long Tomorrowland-themed holiday, but actually going to study and live abroad. Alone!

Luckily, you are used to living alone, right? You are used to going to your student city every Sunday, packed with 2 lasagnas, left-overs from Saturday's barbecue and some frozen vol-au-vent which 'you have to put back in the freezer before it defrosts'. 

At the end of the week, you proudly take back a full bag of laundry, which you insist needs to be washed and ironed before Sunday eve - it has your favourite T-shirt in it. Your mother, as all mothers, nods her head and happily obbeys your orders. And as if that's not enough, every month or so, she comes over to clean your room -just in case you were unconsciously hosting any illigal roommates. She won't let the bed bugs bite you! And she's meaning it. Thank you mother!  


Yes, on day -1, you are so well prepared for your Erasmus adventure. 





PS. I hope you booked your mom a room too.



Happy Day -1! 








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