Well, I remember I was preparing for my bachelor thesis, when I heard this words: ‘European Solidarity Corps’. Hmm sounds interesting! Thesis is forgotten and Arpi is ready to the new adventures 😀 I was so excited and so busy with finding the right project for me and writing the motivation letter. Something new was coming, something exciting and I was full of inspiration and imagination what is going to be, which kind of ‘world’ it is and where I am gonna get to.
4 beautiful seasons in Salzburg, Austria, 365 wonderful days and unforgettable moments.
I was working in Youth Centre, with children and youngsters, who were spending their time there after school. It calls ‘Insel’, which means island. Yeah, it was island, where you would like to be stucked forever, small island with great people.
The activities we were doing there were really cool. We were organising and doing every day new activities for children trying to make their days happy in Insel, activities like handcrafting, gardening, dancing, singing, board games, sport and so on.
Every day after work you feel you are so tired and at the same time so energetic, cause you get a lot every day, you learn, you develop yourself and learn on your mistakes. Every day was another experience and it was hard and enjoyable at the same time. I remember the first difficulty was that one lovely child was crying, because I couldn’t understand what was she telling. And yeah, it was really hard with the language, cause German is not known as an easy one, but everything new needs time. And that was great time to learn the language, to get acquainted with new people and to be involved in the culture.
Everyday entering Insel and seeing lovely children was making me to smile and I was trying to give them that smile back with my ideas making their day more fun. The people with whom I was working there are great and amazing too. They have supported me in every little detail and if I needed help I knew there is someone with me.
Before coming Austria I needed to make a decision to live alone and to have my comfort private area or to share apartment with a lot of people. I am glad that I chose the second version. Yeah, living with 9 people in one apartment was not that easy, but was really funny, sometimes strange, sometimes annoying, but also lovely. We spent really good time together. I can’t forget our long and dangerous hiking, when after them I was always telling it is the last one for me, discovering the world and every new corner together, our group big shopping, our talks about how the day has gone and sharing our feelings and fears, hanging out together, annoying and loving each other, learning from each other and being a help, when there is need.
That was great experience! And if you want something new in your life, if you want to be useful for society with your ideas and to share creativity and just your love with people, to explore new cultures and to be a part of them, if you feel you want to discover this wonderful world and to see its colours, just GO FOR IT! THIS IS YOUR TIME!
