Rome wasn’t built in a day

Lina

Ciao a tutti! My name is Lina. I am nineteen years old, from Germany and I have graduated school in June 2017. Since July 2017 I have been living here in Viterbo, Italy with five other participants, all from different countries such as Portugal, Palestine and Ukraine. In the following paragraphs I want to introduce myself and tell a little bit about my motivation and aims regarding my European Voluntary Service.

These circumstances such as living with other people, while being on my own and working with disabled people, while having no working experience in this field made me apply for the project “Intercultururality”. The project takes place in various locations and centres, resulting in my working place to change during the year. Thus I have the possibility to experience different ways of professional working and the broad spectrum of people with disabilities. Everything while learning the Italian language and living intercultural exchange every day.

Doing an EVS is exciting, at times eye-opening, yet challenging regarding all the impressions one has to absorb and comprehend. During these first three months I experienced amazing things with friends and/or strangers, I questioned my decision of coming here, I made mistakes and I felt like I shouldn’t be somewhere else than in Italy right now. This process of questioning, learning and growing is what I aim for in my EVS while doing volunteer work. After this year I want to study at a university. I do not know yet what and where I want to study but I am confident to know by the end of my service.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” – Great things need time. I see my time here in Italy like this. Which means I already have a lot of great memories. Moreover, there will be more difficult, boring, exciting and funny moments. And I can only judge at the end of my service what kind of an experience I have had. Lucky us, that we have got twelve months.