No byebye
Hi,
It’s Andrea. I was a volunteer from January 2020 to March 2021 and I am still here (¿wait, qué?).
My story is long, probably one of the longest volunteer stories ever. I came before the pandemic, spent a few months online, went for a break back to my country and returned again in October 2021.
I lived in three different apartments, in Quart de Poblet and in Silla and I had 5 different flatmates.
A life changing experience. Lessons I’ve learned: how to live with others, communication is the key, how to be alone, how to open up and trust life. I’ve changed so much during this period.
I witnessed a pandemic, a lockdown, a fire in the flat…and as if that wasn’t enough, I also had the experience of seeing a thief trying to enter our flat. I lost a family member and I wasn’t able to travel home due to covid restrictions.
There was a solution in every situation, there were neighbours, roomies and helpful people just a phone call away, so I never had to face things alone. These experiences brought us together. We faced things with a clear mindset and with an incredible amount of sense of humor..
I am extremely lucky. For all the friends I´ve made, all the places I´ve seen, all the support I’ve received. Being an ESC volunteer helped me to live the life of my dreams. After finishing my project, I am still here, in Valencia, working as a teacher, thanks to all the help I got from the Amics Family. My story didn’t end in January 2021. I stayed. I am doing what I always wanted to do and I wouldn’t have been able to be where I am right now, if it wasn’t for the lovely people I met along this journey.
That’s why I am writing my last volunteer blog post now. I don’t believe in goodbyes and after all this time, I feel like our paths are going to cross again in the future, so there is no need for “despedidas”.
I am here to say thank you to: Quart Jove, to Enrique and Antonio and all the Amics team, to Giada, Dimitra, Alex, Bianka and Zeynep, to Europe.
Thank you Valencia, for the sunny days, for cheering me up, for your beautiful views, for the rainy days, for allowing me to take a break when I needed it.
I just want to say:
“Sea you soon…”
