I am one of the people who were always better at Maths in school than in the language lessons, but I will just start writing whatever comes into my mind. So, I am Kerstin (aka Kristin for the Italian inhabitants – Kerstin seems to be impossible to memorize), I am from Austria, 19 years old and I just graduated from school. Even though I am rather a numbers person, it was my childhood dream to go abroad and experience something I will remember for a lifetime. Perhaps I can find a new passion and perspective in life. Kerstin Kreuzroither
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I am Nika from Georgia, 18 years old, an undergraduate student at Duke Kunshan University. You can learn more about who I am and what my expectations were about volunteering in Italy in my previous article (https://bitisi.org/2021/05/18/you-will-never-know-what-you-might-miss-just-because-you-are-afraid-of-the-failure-nika-tatoshvili/ )
The day of my departure from Georgia to Italy was terrifying. I was feeling excitement, fear, stress, and joy all at the same time. Because of the complicated flight schedule, I did not sleep at all. On my way to Rome, I was reminding myself that volunteering was the choice that I made, and I would not let anything screw it up. I will not lie, not everything turned out as I had imagined. The first day was rough. I arrived in Roccantica by train. I realized that my life had just taken a turn that completely put my comfort zone upside down. I was the first volunteer to arrive. The house was perfect, the landscape - breathtaking. It was way prettier than I thought it would be. Despite such environment, I felt very insecure. I was super tired because of the long flight and sleepless night. Even though I was exhausted, I could not go to sleep. I realized that I was very vulnerable and weak at that moment. I felt disappointed by myself. The next day was different. Other volunteers arrived and we connected to each other very easily. It made a huge difference. Step by step, I was feeling more comfortable. In the next few days, I got introduced to the hosting organization, the work that they do for the community and local youth. By getting to know the “ALA,” I was figuring out what my role could have been within the project as well. It has already been a couple of weeks that I am here. I got to know so many amazing people, taste Italian cuisine, see different places around Sabina region and discover so many opportunities that I have within “ALA.” I know that there will be some challenges on this 8-month journey, but I also know that I have to face them with an open-mind and a bit of patience. Now, as I got introduced to the local community, the organization and the culture, I feel more confident in my choice to come here. I have a freedom to make mistakes and learn from them. I have a freedom to try out different roles and explore what I really want. With ALA, I have a freedom to be myself. |