Among the three iconic houses, was a special place called the 'ghetto house.' It wasn't your typical home - it was an apartment with a street view, one of the reasons for it got the name. The members of this house all had characteristics that (almost) perfectly fit into this house. With five and a half members, this house had a fascinating dynamic. These five people were: Nicolas (French, the little brother of the house), Joosua (Finnish, the uncle of the house, somehow got sick every week), Clémence, (French, “the second mom”, has a signature “spaghetti” dance), Camilla (Dutch, the mom of the house), Emma (Estonian, the ADHD art child), and the ½ member, me (Georgian, the neighbors kid, comes over uninvited). This said, I’ll try to describe the dynamic that formed in the house. 
 

It wasn’t a usual house dynamic, like most have. The first week, every volunteer was supposed to be distributed into different houses, but it happened that almost everyone’s original house was the “ghetto house”. There were 7 people sleeping in this tiny apartment, this for some was a bonding experience. Special mention goes to Emma, who initially lived in the retirement house but decided to move to the ghetto house in the first week and shortly after, unofficially but firmly I “moved in” as well. The house nickname originated based on the quantity of wine drank by the inhabitants of this house, by the Skelton related decoration, by the Led lights surrounding the dinner room ceiling, and plenty of others little details. For example, the house was the only house looking over at a street and somehow it happened that all of the smokers out of a group of 13 were living in this exact house (which of course wasn’t good when everyone collectively decided to quit *spoiler alert* it was a fail). Other than these physical details that influenced the name, the people themselves had also played a big part in the name. The members of the house were “chill & flexible”, a quote invented by these exact people is what describes them so perfectly. 

​Despite the name of the house there was actually a very homey vibe. We spent most dinners together, that often turned into three-hour deep talks about communism, psychology and many other interesting topics. It felt like a real house, with occasional disagreements, tears and laughter, sickness and parties, and most importantly the love that we between us. With two couples in the house some members unintentionally turned into occasional third wheels. Throughout these four months together we have had big sleepovers, parties until sunrise, family dramas, lice removals and “cube sessions”. Ironically, everyone in the house has now mastered the art of solving a Rubik's Cube. Originally it was just Camilla and Clémence that knew how to solve it but overtime we have been colonized by the smart people of the house and now we all share this nerdy love.

​Surprisingly enough this was the house that went on the most trips together, the first one being Napoli. Where (of course) Joosua spent most of his time sick and Camilla was organizing the whole trip like a true mom. A lot of couple trips followed after this point that bonded us together even more. However, in my opinion, the most bonding moment of the ghetto house was that we spent Christmas together. While all the other volunteers spent their Christmas at home, we spent Christmas with each other (which felt like home). Together we cooked traditional food from our countries, played Christmas Santa and face timed Camilla (the only member not physically present). The house was always filled with laughter, inside jokes and deep convos. I am beyond grateful that the people took me as their own to this house and that little by little it became my home. Saying goodbye to the house, where friendships, relationships, and unforgettable memories began, was a very difficult moment for each of us. As we had to close the door of the “ghetto house” we had to part ways with the home that we created. The warmth of shared meals, the comfort of familiar faces and the echo of laughter will forever stay in our hearts and the heartwarming memory of our time here will forever bring a smile to our face. 

​Upon arriving in Italy, I was put into a house with four other girls and this is how the story of the “Retirement house” began. Why the “Retirement house” you might ask? Because we are the literal resemblance of an actual retirement facility. 13 of us (volunteers) were distributed in three different houses, which after time got the iconic names that they carry to this day. The so called “Rich house”, “ghetto house” and “Retirement house”. The names got their inspiration from many different aspects of each house, the location of the house and the people living in it. The story about the two other houses will be brought to you soon.

​The so called “Retirement house” consisted of four girls- one with hip issues (Nanna from Denmark, ironically Nana means grandma in Italian), one with a broken toe (Pauline from Germany, always reading), one with joint issues-popping knees (Mia (me) from Georgia) and one with respiratory issues (Jeannette from France, always sleeping). These four amazing but struggling people are the inhabitants of the house. Since all the us have some kind of health issues that resembles an old person+ the house itself is very old and we like old people activities, the retirement house got its name. The house now has another inhabitant, moved from the so called “ghetto house” and does morning runs which is quite unusual for the people from my house, nonetheless a new member of the “Retirement house”.

Surprisingly enough the house has been a house to many. The queen sized bed that used to lay in the living room as a chilling spot was a bed for many stray volunteers that for whatever reason couldn’t get to or in their house. Many stories of people staying on our mattress because of being too drunk to go home and many visitors of each of us coming over have made the vibe of the living room like of a hosting house. We have always been the house to host collective dinners, reading nights, cuddle sessions, movie screenings and parties. Throughout the months of living together we have created a space for all kinds of activities to be held in our house. Since we are all girls, we value the atmosphere of the house as well as the decoration. The living room is equipped with a downloaded YouTube video of a fireplace put on the TV, many candles and twinkle lights, blankets and incense sticks, an impressive collection of tea and an amazing/safe vibe. Once an Italian friend of ours told us that coming into our house feels like the set of “Little women”, which of course we took as a compliment. 

All of the good things said, there is a flaw about our beloved house, it’s the heating. Living in a rural area and especially in an old house has its challenges. Many times we have had issues with the heating and water but despite this we have always found a way to be positive about it and make these struggling situations funny. The inside joke of “he has no water” originated exactly from one of the days when we had water issues. 7 a.m. work day. As everyone does, Nanna goes to the toilet, only to find Jeannette next to the door saying “he has no water” (Jeannette, like every French person, genders most things in English), Not understanding what she meant Nanna replied “but I have to pee…”. Later turns out the toilet was gendered as a male, therefore, “he has no water”. Many funny stories of the struggles living in an old house took place during these four months. 

​Other than the struggles shared together, the cultural differences between us also had a big impact on how the dynamic in the house formed. As girls from different cultures and households, different values and food preferences, we had to adjust to each other in the beginning. Having Nanna with a gluten allergy and Jeannette with a preference of no vegetables, most of the time me and Pauline were the only ones shopping together. The three of us (gluten eating people) had to learn and adjust for the wellbeing of Nanna. This experience has taught me many practical things, as well as compassion and solidarity towards people with allergies. The differences between us is what makes the dynamic beautiful. Through these differences we have created an understanding and safe place for each other to live together.

The diversity of the house is what makes it amazing in my eyes. From the crazy parties held in it to the chill nights with cuddles. As the cleaning schedule of our house makes it Sunday a cleaning day, we hold most parties on Saturday (no work the next day and we have to clean anyway so…). Chill nights, on the other hand, are held any time of the week. We crochet and read together, drink tea, watch movies, have deep convo night with psychology tests, dinners and birthdays spent together. In this house we have had lice removal treatments, showers with boiled water and a cup, cold nights and disagreements but as time goes by we remember all of it as a funny and sweet time that has made us the people that we are today. Throughout these four months we have helped each other grow as people and get a little closer to the version of ourselves that we want to be. By creating a safe place for each other, we transformed this house it into a home. And I am happy to say that this story is not yet done, we still have two months ahead of us in this house that we call a home. 

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I have now been living in Italy for 7 months. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, good and bad. I started my experience in June 2023, I packed my bags, left my family and friends and decided to try out a new chapter in a small mountain village in Italy, a place that couldn’t be further away from my city life in Copenhagen. You see, I grew up in the heart of Copenhagen and spent most of my time in the city, so moving to a rural area in the middle of the mountains was a fairytale adventure, I didn’t know much about. But little did I know, it was a love story beyond my wildest imagination. You can divide my experience into 3 phases:


 
The first phase was from June to September. A time with a lot of emotions and uncertainty. I had some difficulties adapting to the new life, changing my routines and my mindset, into the Italian way of thinking. The slow life, the “meh, it's okay, we will get there when we do” kind of mentality. Very far from my structured and planned life in Denmark. The cultural differences, living with others and creating connections, finding my place, learning and failing, creating the person I want to become, I could go on. The first months were the honeymoon phase, as well as the chaotic phase, and it wasn’t always easy. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being here, but I am a comfort person, and to feel good in my everyday life, I need comfort around me. Finding this comfort in a place where i knew none wasn’t easy. Luckily I was gifted with an amazing roomie, Nino, who was the person I didn’t know I needed. We couldn’t be further apart in personality, but somehow we found each other, and a beautiful friendship grew. The summer here was amazing and we did everything together. We had a few local friends that we spent most of our time with, but apart from this we had no difficulty spending time with each other. We went on summer camps with ALA, partied in the small villages, went on countless night walks in the quiet village, and enjoyed the beautiful and slow everyday life that Poggio Catino offers. This was the first phase of growing into the person I could only dream of becoming.

​​The second phase started in the beginning of September, we had spent the whole summer talking about the new volunteers that would join us soon. Although I knew that the arrival of the new volunteers meant that Nino would return to Georgia, and I had to say my first goodbye( a thing I am not good at)  I didn’t let it cloud my happiness and excitement for the new beginning. We had planned and prepared for their arrival for weeks, and we were so excited for the little change of things. With a lot of emotions the 11 new volunteers arrived, staying with us for the next 4 or 6 months, and during the first days I would have never guessed that these people would become my second family, my comfort zone and friends I will keep for the rest of my life. The next four months were like living a dream. If you read some of the other blogs on this page, you will understand the bond we had. We were a closely connected family, where everyone got along, we had very few fights, and lots and lots of fun. We created connections with the local community, and found a group of guys that all lived in or close to Poggio Catino. We quickly became friends, and they became a regular part of our lives here. Party on the weekends, dinners, coffee dates or aperitif after work, movie nights and long talks. They became a part of all of it. Life was simple and beautiful, a dream none of us wanted to wake up from. But as the weather turned colder and Christmas came closer, so did the day we knew we couldn’t avoid. The day we had to wake up and say goodbye to the first people that would leave Italy and go back to their own country. This heartbreak was the biggest test of my experience so far. Saying goodbye to 7 out of our group of 13 left an emotional imprint, making the farewell heartfelt. I can’t count the amount of tears we cried together on the last days. But as we said goodbye, the promise that this was only the beginning of it all was a comfort we all needed. 

​​The third phase has just begun. It will be the last two months of my experience here. Two more months in this amazing place, a new phase with some of the amazing people I was so lucky to meet. A new phase that is still unwritten and still unknown. A phase I am very excited to start, and for sure a phase I will enjoy with everything I have. Because these past 7 months have been the best part of my life, and I am eternally grateful for everything I got to experience here.  

​Ever since I was a kid I have loved to climb everything and everywhere. Naturally, throughout the years I started to practice climbing and it developed into one of the passions of my life. The day when my climbing abilities became useful had come during the four months of my volunteering in Italy. This day will be in my memory as a day when something that I liked to do my whole life had transformed into a useful skill in life. 



​​This is the day when me and my flat-mates were coming back from a 4 day-trip in Napoli. The other volunteers had told us about a cat that was stuck on a roof almost since we were gone. Juliette (the cat adopted by the volunteers) had been on an abandoned house for days and kept meowing for help. The adopters of the cat already tried to rescue her, but the roof was not accessible with only a ladder; the only help they could provide was the food and the water. We went to try to save the cat immediately,  Juliette was still there – but her meows were weaker, we needed to get her down as soon as possible. My background in climbing was a new hope for saving the cat. One of my housemates ran around to look for a ladder, while some others were looking for water and food in their house. Once I had everything I needed, I started to put the ladder on the stairs. With precarious balance, I managed to put the food and water on the roof. However it wasn’t enough to reach the fierce cat, I had to perform dangerous climbing stunts to get on the same level as the cat. Having reached this point, I waited for her to come closer to the food and to get used to my presence. After a few minutes of patiently petting her, I grabbed her neck and tried to pull her off the roof. I love cats, they are really cute, but I might be a bit scared of the aggressive ones… I was so surprised by the strength she put to stay on the roof (not the smartest choice for her though). 

Today I am happy to say that I won the wrestling battle against Juliette, and even though she ran away with the most dramatic flee (worthy of a comic book) and without saying thank you, the relief and the adrenalin invaded my body in the nicest way possible. 

This week has been an emotional rollercoaster…
I am going to talk about saying goodbye to good friends and the perks of having a volunteer family.

This week has been an end for most of the other volunteers, that I have spent most of my time working with throughout my life in Italy. They were here for 4 months and with this time these 8 people have become really dear to me, especially the people who I shared an apartment with- The ghetto house family, as we would call it.

People started leaving on the 21 December and day by day the volunteers left for their home country. Even though I celebrated Christmas in Italy with my housemates, the feeling was not the same as before because we knew that we were the only house left standing. The village that was once so filled with volunteers felt empty. Today I will say goodbye to two of my house mates and I can't fully comprehend what's happening, the time of saying goodbye came so soon. Such close people all of a sudden leave, but it's not a farewell yet. I know we will see each other again, another time and maybe in another country. This is One of the perks of having a volunteer family, all these people will stay in your heart forever, even if they are not physically with you anymore. This experience has been so fulfilling and emotional, especially the fact that I haven't lived with people that are my own age before has made this life new and exciting. I will always remember these people that have made my stay in Italy so special. I will always remember them and I'm grateful for these moments. Even though it's hard to say goodbye and the uncertainty of the future is worrying -
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It Is all worth it.

The 8 months of ESC project comes to an end.  Mixed feelings overwhelm me one week before returning back home. Feelings balancing between the sadness of ending and the happiness of getting back to my friends and family, the anxiety of ‘’What next’’ and the impatience for new experiences, lost into who I was and who I am now. The big step I took 8 months ago drove me to many other small or big steps.  New steps full of mistakes, learning, surprises and friends.

  About friends I would be able to write a bigger new article just for naming them and the memorable experiences we had together, but these were 8 months with each day different from another and would take one blog only for these. So, I thank all of them here with all my heart for their friendship, honesty, knowledge and care they gave me.

Maria Papavasileiou, Greece

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   Getting involved with ALA associazione’s project is a great decision in our youth and it represents a big challenge for all of us because it makes us push our limits and stretch out our comfort zone.
My name is Clément, I am 21 and I come from France. I decided to participate in the project after taking a gap year in my studies because I wanted to think about what I really want to do with my life. When I came to Italy, I had no idea of what will happen here and what to expect from this place. In this article I will introduce you to the difficulties I met and how I used them to grow personally.

Stretching my comfort zone

   To begin, going for an international project, abroad and alone was the first step to take and it was, for me, the hardest one – moreover, it was my first volunteering experience. Travel alone ? OK ! I had never done it before, but I am used to going to the airport and travel by plane. So, together with other volunteers, we arranged to meet up at Roma airport and finish the trip together to our welcoming village: Roccantica. However, it was the preparation part, in the total unknown that makes me doubt and overthink.

*Don’t worry, pack your bags, leave your french problems and questions and go with a free mind.*

Welcome to Roccantica !

Being a typical french guy, my English is not very good, which resulted in a problem with language barrier, My vocabulary is poor and I quickly felt that I have had more difficulty to communicate than others. Plus, I hadn’t spoken in English in the last 6 months.

*And now I have to speak exclusively English for the next two months ? Que cazzo (wtf in Italian)*

Complicated it may appear, but you get use to it fast and you can communicate in other ways besides language. An additional difficulty is the fact that local people don’t speak a word of English, and I didn’t know Italian, so I began to learn basic sentences with Duolingo ! Mi Chiamo Paolo !

Last new experiences that stretch my comfort zone (because I live in my parents’ house in a city) : to live in a small isolated village with 11 people that I don’t know, with different culture and habits, but we will go more deeply about that in the next part.

Pushing my limits

   When I think about pushing my limits during this project, I think at first about the physical and sportive side of the coin, but I don’t forget the skill to live and manage the life in community in the hostel or in the refuge.

Obviously, living in a village in Sabina’s mountain, with no supermarket before a 1h walk (or maybe I should say mini market), represents a true challenge in terms of fitness and walking.

Happily, we don’t go for shopping by foot and carry our shopping bags by hand, but going to the refuge and walking throughout our working day increases significantly the average of steps per day.

Let’s talk about the refuge now: a funny 2:30 to 3:00 trek with a 600m elevation to go there, carrying a bag with a sleeping bag and needs for 2 to 3 days; a little bit less to go back down. The first time, we slept in tents, under a stormy weather, which means that we had little sleep and felt a heavy exhaustion. It is an exciting challenge for some, a true fight for others, but the refugio cognolo is probably the most outstanding part of our physical journey.
Finally, I had to forget my sweet sleep in my big bed at home because in the ostello we have to sleep in rooms of 6 in bunk beds.

About the life in community, the 2 main deals are cooking and cleaning. Cooking for yourself ? OK. Cooking for your family ? OK. Cooking for 12 people ? Hm… more complicated. It is the same for cleaning and it needs a lot of organization.

What we learned from it

    A lot of challenges indeed, but what did it bring us?

First, we improved our communication, our language, our ability to live in a small community. We discovered new cultures, new people that come from different parts of Europe. We share our experiences of life, our journeys and we give motivation and advices to each other to grow up individually and collectively.
Besides, we learn useful and diverse skills like cooking, woodwork, communication… This project is a true breath of fresh air for the mind, we can feel the nature and connect with it, feel its strength and sweetness.
We can reconnect with ourselves, take time to think about what we really like, what path we want our life to take. I personally don’t regret at all my choice when I decided to take part of this project. I learned so many thing about myself, about the others and I met really wonderful people from all around the world.

Clément Varnerot, 21 years old, from France

I applied for this volunteering project because I wanted change. Change of daily life, environment and people. I was really tired of studying, having a full agenda, and in general my social life and responsibilities. In the first week of the project we had to write down our personal goal. The goal I wrote down was: to be more chill. What I mean with this is to stop scheduling everything in my mind. My mind normally starts like this in the morning; “Ok, I get up, I have one 15 minutes for breakfast, 10 minutes to clean, then I will work on this course assignment for 1 hour and then I have a 5 minutes break and then I will have get ready for a meeting.” This scheduling continues in my head for the rest of the day, until I go to sleep. When I would sit on the couch for one minute I already thought of four other things that I could do instead. I hate postponing things, which basically means I most of the time do not enjoy relaxing if I have something more ‘important’ to do. ‘Important’ is within ‘’ because it is so weird how some things can become so big and important in my head, but when taking a step back and reflecting on it, I am questioning why I stressed out about it so much. So far, this project has helped me to stop planning every task in my head. I do not have university deadlines, assignments or social responsibilities. I wake up, have breakfast and then work on the projects in the library in Casperia. I am playing card games during breaks and after working I read a book or I spend time with the other volunteers. We play game, take walks, cook together or watch a tv show. Most mornings when I see the view out of the window I am exited to start the day. I am enjoying daily task like doing the dishes, waiting for the bus, walking to the supermarket and most importantly; to chill. Sono tranquilla.

Jade Loos, The Netherlands.