“Crossing the borders in Europe, turning the crisis into opportunities”

After having read rivers of ink about the consequences and threats of the international financial and economic crisis we are living, I would like to show a ray of light in the darkness. Therefore, I would like to share with you a story and some thoughts to illustrate how jumping the borders in Europe can change your life for the very best and give hope for a prosper future. In a single sentence: I was born again in a much greater parallel life, which I could only dream of before.

This is about opportunities created by ourselves, but supported by something real that many citizens already have in common. It is something out there, which probably you have heard of, but luckily you are a part of. Guess what, I am speaking of the European Union.

I come from a small city of Spain located in the central land of “Don Quixote”, where I studied at the local public school and also started the university. However, even if I was aspiring to doing many different things and living great personal experiences, I could not really expect much of that, considering the scarce options for young people in there.

Nonetheless, thanks to finding out my way, having invested the resources available to me and profiting of the possibilities offered by the European Union, in the last eight years I have transformed my life and progressed personally and professionally in an overwhelming way.

During my academic years at university I crossed the borders to participate to an Erasmus exchange in The Netherlands, a one year international double degree program in Germany, a six-month traineeship and Postgraduate Master Studies in Belgium. Consequently, thanks to European law, I have the right and the possibility to work in four different countries of the European Union.

Since some years I work for an international company in the European capital, performing a real job, using and developing my skills and enjoying fair conditions according to my level of studies and qualification. Moreover, I hope to continue creating my own professional path and fulfilling new objectives and expectations.

Additionally, I now work and continue learning in four paramount languages: English, French, German and Spanish…and others are still on the way.

As an added positive effect, I awakened my interest for knowing better the rest of the world, increasing the awareness of important matters in different fields such as politics, economics, culture etc, while reading the international press or watching TV, thereby being able to contrast different perspectives and stimulating my own points of view. Otherwise, I could also cultivate new hobbies like reading books and watching movies in other languages.

With regard to my personal side, I just need to mention that I recently got married to my girlfriend from a Baltic country after eight years, since I met in The Netherlands during my Erasmus. What fact can be most revealing of the greatness of this Europe than being able to find love at the other extreme of the continent and afford living together?

In summary, concerning my life experience thanks to the European Union, I can just express it in this way: nobody may take away all what I have already danced… and what I still have to keep on dancing!

From a general point of view, the exposure to diverse environments enriches a lot at personal level taking the best from each culture, providing tools to deal with many different situations and the ability to undertake cross-over activities.

Even if there are many initial boundaries and challenges at each step when jumping a border, in the form of foreign languages, local preferences, distinct resources and values, etc…the need to adapt to the environment and successfully tackle every situation, gives strength reinforcing self-confidence to achieve targets at every stage and create new chances. Each step opens new different doors and ways, gives motivation and reasons to undertake new projects and accomplish them.

On the other hand, jumping the borders allows comparing advantages and disadvantages of each place and shows how to better value and enjoy the sources of satisfaction available respectively. After all, a distance or movement may only be measured between two different points or positions of reference.

Free movement of people, capital, goods and services lie at the core of the European Union, for its citizens to possibilities to turn around the crisis into opportunities.

I have heard that the Schengen Treaty and the European Erasmus program for university exchange have achieved more in European integration than any other community initiative. Besides confirming that fact, I also believe that the fifth element required to reach the European well-being status and sustain it lies ultimately on us.

The globalisation and the European integration make barriers and borders fall everyday as the Berlin Wall did more than twenty years ago. Well, if this seems to be known as the “Ninja Generation” (No Job, No Income, No Assets) thereof we could turn into the “Darwin Generation”.
This famous scientific theory says that those who adapt to their environment shall better survive. Hence, while the former live with what is available them, the latter steer their own destiny, creating opportunities and enjoying the benefits.

The key to pass from one generation to another is simple (even though it may seem hard at the outset), it just requires bringing down the walls and boundaries that exist in our minds, taking the initiative and leveraging the resources made available to us.

The European Union cannot step backwards, nor break up. Thereof it must go forward, as nobody may forget that its main purpose is to guarantee the peace in Europe.

Furthermore, in the era of globalisation and with the world chess-board being re-set, size matters and namely a lot. Moreover, it is very important to mention that the advantages and fundamentals of European diversity, which are manifold, are not enjoyed by the Americans, nor the Japanese, nor the emerging countries like Russia, Brazil, China etc.

European students, workers and the entrepreneurs should think of jumping their national borders: for their education, professional experience, or diversification and international expansion of their businesses, in order to ensure their own viability and growth.

Does anybody have a better idea than going out to the rest of Europe to work and learn for a while, and take over the best of every country and culture? It is not only convenient now, but what is required and the best that can be done per se.

The EU needs us and we need her, for the world economic and social model is changing and we cannot lag behind.

For we are the lever, we can show the will and the strength to lift and sustain our welfare over this great place to stand, called the European Union.

Let us be the leaders of our own destinies.

Let us dream our future and build it together.

Let us live and enjoy Europe.