Hey Carla! I hope you’re doing amazing!
I’m writing this letter to tell you a bit about my time in Bremen and how the volunteering experience I told you about turned out. Time flies, right? I can’t believe a whole year has gone by so quickly!
I’m so happy I decided to come here. It was literally what I needed to find some clarity and give myself the space I was looking for. I really wish you could have visited me!
It was quite hard at the beginning to feel at home. Everything was new, I didn’t know anyone, and since I’m not particularly close to my family, I felt a little lonely at times. But it didn’t take long before I started making so many cool friends from all over Germany! It’s been amazing to meet people from different backgrounds and share so many experiences with them.
One of the most valuable things I learned during this time was how to communicate even without speaking the local language fluently. I also learned to be more empathetic towards animals, understand their needs and behaviours, and find better ways to interact with children. And those are just a few of the things I’m taking away from this experience!
Working with different materials and tools also gave me a more hands-on, crafty mindset that I really enjoy. I’ve started applying that way of thinking to many different aspects of my life, becoming more practical and confident when it comes to figuring things out on my own.
The weather was a bit of a challenge, coming from a country like Spain, but honestly, I thought it would be much worse! Winter was actually beautiful, especially with all the snow covering the farm. The animals seemed to enjoy it in their own way, particularly the pigs! Hahaha.
My favourite task at the farm was definitely taking care of the garden and watching everything grow from spring into summer. I fell in love with the whole process of bringing life out of the earth and working with the natural elements. There’s something really satisfying about putting in the effort and eventually seeing the results, even though it was a pretty demanding job!
Removing the old roots and dead plants from the previous season and preparing the soil for new life is NO joke. Hahaha. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for all the work that goes into growing food and taking care of the land.
Overall, this experience was a really interesting opportunity to try out different kinds of work on a small scale and gain a better understanding of how people make a living. It gave me a fresh perspective on different professions and lifestyles, and made me realise how much there is to learn outside your usual environment. Definitely something I needed to explore for myself, since most of my previous work experience had been in the technology industry.
Lastly, my hosting organisation couldn’t have been more welcoming and lovely from day one. They really took care of me as if I were part of their family, and living on the farm turned out to be such a smooth and rewarding experience. Honestly, I felt like just another beloved animal on the farm! Hahaha.
I know you were wondering whether you should do an experience like this yourself, and I honestly couldn’t recommend it more. If you’re still thinking about it, go for it next year! I think it could be a really beautiful opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, discover new things about yourself and experience life from a different perspective.
And of course, I’ll definitely come and visit you!
Daniel has done his voluntary service at Ohlenhof Erlebnisfarm ; his project was co-financed under the European Solidarity Corps program.
If you’d like to experience something similar to Daniel, check out our calls here.
