22 January 2030. Today is my birthday. What a big day!

I just woke up. My suitcase is ready. My dream is about to come true. Outside I hear the crispy sound of rain falling on dry leaves. I live in a small flat on the first floor of an old building in the centre of town. I am exhausted, I remember when I was younger I used to get really excited on my birthday. Things have changed since then… In the hallway I bump into Diana, my front door neighbour. She always seems so happy and smiley. The corridor is filled with the delicious aroma of her cooking, as usual. Judging from the smell, Diana must be an excellent cook. She learned to cook from her mother, or so she said. They used to live in Romania. Her mother was a nurse. Ten years ago, Diana’s parents decided to move here, where they could benefit from better working and pay conditions. Many other doctors and nurses did likewise at the time. As a result, the Romanian heath care system is now crumbling due to a shortage of specialized medical staff. Diana once told me that in some mountain villages in Romania, there were no more general practitioners; all of them had left to go to other countries where they could earn salaries that were sometimes up to ten times higher.

Outside, the air is cold and heavy. Grey clouds are hanging low above our heads. There is a lot of noise in the town centre. As I walk I cannot stop thinking about my dream or the story of Diana’s parents, which is also the story of so many other people. Why did the EU not try to intervene at some point? I mean, everyone was conscious about what was happening…

Suddenly, I bump into a crowd. They are speaking a foreign language. Nowadays, the streets are bustling with many different languages. I can barely understand any conversation.

Twenty years ago, many people from Southern and Eastern Europe left their countries to come to Western Europe. The economic crisis had caused high rates of unemployment in the South among highly educated people and the youth. At about the same time, in Eastern Europe, in the education, research and medical fields, the wages were so low that many teachers, doctors and nurses, such as Diana’s mother, left their countries.

I remember that at first the “brain drain” was a gain for the receiving countries. But this quickly became a nightmare. Masses of people had lost hope in their countries and were on the move in search of “greener pastures”. Mobility. Only this time it was creating huge pockets of inequalities across Europe.

I feel the full weight of my suitcase now as I lift it to climb into the airport bus. I am on the way to Spain. I am a medical doctor. I am on the move. This is my dream. It is coming true.

Everyone had told me that I was crazy, that Southern countries did not have any future. But those people are all wrong. They have not understood that instead of fearing those countries, they should go there. Help to improve something. Today, I am walking alone. Maybe, I will be an example for many others. I hope. A future Europe must be a true Union of solidarity. As one important man once said, “One person can make a difference and everyone should try”.