MY ESC STORY
Hi! My name is Ania, I come from Poland and in a few days I am finishing my long-term ESC volunteering project in Armenia. I will soon say goodbye to this place that has been home for me for the last 6 months and it makes me feel a whole range of emotions.
But from the beginning – I arrived in November, with no specific expectations, but a lot of curiosity. Many things have happened since that moment: slow accommodation at the place, meeting new people, visiting places, making connections. Lots of short trips and longer travels, cultural events and extra activities. Working in the office in Yerevan and joining Erasmus+ Training Courses in Abovyan, on-arrival training in Bakuriani and a couple months later mid-term meeting in Lagodekhi. Thousands of photos taken.
On a daily basis I was working in the FIOH office, managing social media pages, publishing articles, supporting project writing and documenting Erasmus+ activities. My evenings after work I was spending with the ESC volunteers from other organizations.
I stayed with a host family of three sisters and I cannot even express how lucky I am to have become the fourth sister. Not only did I have a chance to interact with Armenian culture from the inside, but also I simply had lovely friends in them. I could easily feel like home.
I also traveled a lot during my stay here and that was surely the highlight. Seeing the beautiful landscapes of Armenian mountains was a real pleasure. And as a person who loves hiking I found a lot of peace in just wandering around.
Of course my experience here was not all peaches and cream. There were moments when it was very difficult for me, when I felt overwhelmed or drained. But this is as important part of the journey as those joyful moments.
I feel it is time to go back. It makes me feel a bit nostalgic, a bit sad, but also very excited for what is ahead of me. I still have one more adventure to experience here. And then I am open to see what comes.
