Hello, my name is Thanakorn Milintanuch, a 4th-year student majoring in Business English at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mahasarakham University. I participated in the Erasmus+ FRIENDS Student Boot Camp 2022 at Varna University of Management in Dobrich, Bulgaria.
At first, I was really excited to find out that I was going abroad for the first time. I had always dreamed of flying and visiting foreign countries since I was a child. This was my first time traveling abroad on my own, and I was lucky enough to go with many friends. The first thing I did when I found out about the trip was research Bulgaria—things like cost of living, lifestyle, weather, and food. After looking into it, I realized that it was very different from Thailand, and I knew I had to plan and adapt in many ways before I left.
On the day of the flight, I was even more excited. My friends came to see me off, and there were staff from the International Relations Office to help, which made me feel reassured. My big adventure had begun! It started with checking in at the airport, which turned out to be the longest wait I’ve ever had—about 3 hours just to check in before the flight. The airport was very busy, and the flight was huge, but we managed to get through it. Once I was on the plane, I was very comfortable, though I was unlucky with my seat—it was in the middle, so it felt a bit cramped. The service on Qatar Airways was excellent, both going and returning. It was a full-service airline, and everything was impressive and memorable.
When we arrived in Bulgaria, we had the chance to explore the city center of Sofia. The city was very well-organized, and the buildings were very traditional. What impressed me the most was how people drove so orderly. In Thailand, it’s common for cars not to stop for pedestrians, but in Bulgaria, cars would immediately stop to let people cross the street, no matter how fast they were going. This was a culture shock for me, and I really admired it.
After that, we traveled to Dobrich, a small, peaceful city in the eastern part of Bulgaria, where I would be studying. The weather was great, and the city was very quiet and green. Once we arrived, we had classes 5 days a week, and on weekends, we had free time to travel and explore. The program organized trips every weekend to visit various places, such as castles, palaces, beaches, and botanical gardens. The most important part of the experience was the friendships I built with students from 5 different countries—Bhutan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Thailand. We exchanged cultures and became very close, something that’s hard to explain in words.
Even though the program lasted only a month, the experiences and memories were so valuable and meaningful. I hope that future generations of students will have the chance to join similar programs to open their eyes to new experiences abroad. I want to thank the Erasmus+ FRIENDS program, the staff from the International Relations Office at Mahasarakham University, and everyone who made this journey possible. Also, thanks to my friends who traveled with me. This experience is unforgettable, and I am truly grateful. Thank you so much!
