Dear EMCY,
Evaluating this year is it not so easy. Putting in words the emotions and feelings of a year is always difficult. For this reason I took in consideration the two main parts of my experience, the social and work life to show you the best.
At first, Munich, the Capital of Bavaria, this amazing city gave a lot of things to do and discover also in a difficult year full of COVID-19 restrictions and regulations. The city itself is a place full of life to visit and live, the lakes, parks and mountains around it connected me with nature and let me appreciate a healthier lifestyle. Thanks to this international place, I got to know a lot of new people that I can call friends, which made me discover new cultures and ways of living. The German culture gave me a lot and the international people that surrounded me gave me new perspectives from which I could look at things.
This experience was for me a transitional moment that was in between the university world, in which I gained a lot of theoretical knowledge and the work in which I could practically build upon my skills. In this way I experienced the work of a non-profit network, where I learnt a lot, I improved my way of working and thanks to you EMCY I participate in a lot of different European projects. The organisation of activities and the implementation of those projects was always a new and constructive experience. I appreciate the work we implemented, because it made my year full of new people, places to discover and MUSIC. Working with youth and their non-formal education was a truly great experience that I will keep with me and hopefully use it in my future career.
My advice to all the young people who would like to start the European Solidarity Corps service is first of all to try it out, to not be scared and to be open to new cultures and environments. To all the volunteers that are about to start I would like to say: “Since this volunteer year will be your own project, give yourself realistic and useful objectives before starting, because this experience will give you the time and ways to achieve them”
Thank you for this amazing time and experience.
Sincerely yours,
Sara
