With this report I want to thank to both my sending and receiving organizations for giving me the opportunity to live and volunteer in the country of my dreamsJ. I am volunteering in an NGO named “I.D.E.A.” which has operated in Greece since 2007 and is directed to support people in need. Before coming, I was ready to face simple and less motivating tasks but it turned out to be the opposite. I have been here for five months and I am glad to say that my receiving organization takes into consideration my area of expertise, job skills and interests and occupies me with tasks I really enjoy doing. Currently, I am working on the statistical analysis of the organization as well as conducting research on crowdsourcing for the business plan of one of their projects; something that I really enjoy and consider as a great experience. The atmosphere at workplace is friendly enough and I have managed to love my colleagues. We keep meeting our deadlines responsibly without serious tensions. Although the disagreements are inevitable, the healthy atmosphere doesn’t suffer from that, as we always prioritize the importance of team-working and cooperation and try to find a solution.
Living alone is also an amazing experience for me, since I have never had such a situation in my life before. The first days were quite tiring. On the one hand, I considered myself a 23-year-old girl who can overcome everything. On the other hand, lack of experience in managing the household made me get overtired and disappointed sometimes. I wasted food, left my laundry on the rope for three-four days, sometimes even under the rain. Now, I try to be more organized and I will be even more when I come back (although I still keep cutting my fingers while cookingJ)))). I share the flat with a Polish girl who adores making soups; Polish soups. During those five months I have tasted more soups than in my whole life (by the way I hated soups, but people change)J If more seriously, it is amazing when two strangers of different nationalities start to care about each other, tell jokes, share daily funny stories and make tea when the other is sick. You become more than flatmates. You become a family.
My life in Greece is not confined to working and coming back home. I have always had special love towards Greek language, culture, history and music. One of the reasons is that Greek was my second language during my bachelor studies and it made me have the desire to explore this country as much as it is possible. So, I have been here twice for language courses and managed to travel around and make really good friends with who, now, I enjoy my temporary stay.
I am sure this is going to be a lifelong experience for me with unforgettable memories, new friends and with a good experience in my area of expertise.
