“Why are you even going?” – that’s what my parents said when I told them I was leaving to Germany to participate in a volunteering project.
And at the time, I couldn’t fully explain or even understand myself the many reasons why I wanted to. But now that I need to put it into words, I would say: just to try it. I wanted to push my limits to really see what I am capable of. And I cannot overstate how big of an adventure it has been to take part in this journey!
I still remember that warm summer afternoon when I applied. Since then, everything I have done has, somehow, turned into a piece of a bigger puzzle where everything falls into place – each difficulty and each joy. It all makes sense now that I look back on it.
These months have been packed with new experiences – both scary and exciting. Some I was willing to do, such as trying to step out of my shyness to make new friends.
Some others, such as verbally fighting in German with a clinic receptionist to get a doctor’s appointment, well… that was unplanned.
To give you an idea of what I am really talking about, picture: becoming fully independent from your parents for the first time, living in a foreign country where you don’t really speak the language that well, saying goodbye to your dearest people with whom you feel, oh, so safe, and then landing in the coldest territory you have ever been to.
I felt very sad the moment I first stepped into that new house. It was such an odd place. And I was starting to feel some vertigo from the huge step I was taking. As some might say, the first night is the hardest.
But then I went on to cleaning a lot, discovering my way around a whole new city, talking to an insane amount of strangers, facing many awkward moments of Not-Knowing-Enough-German™, then breaking a bone in the stupidest bike accident ever and finally falling in love.
Falling in love constantly – with the friendships I was building, with what started to feel like a home, with the colourful autumn landscapes, with the dark freezing weather that apparently nobody likes, with my friends and family back in my home country… with the life I got to live. Full of opportunities and privileges.
And I have heard such incredible stories from so many places and cultures that I truly feel grateful for the cards I got to play in life.
But of course, during these months I have also been working. I went to a school where I helped both the teachers and the students. Some days I assisted the children with their math homework, some others I played board games with them – I tried a bit of everything!
But I spent most of my time there helping with their creative subjects: making sure that nobody cut themselves while working with wood or teaching them how to mix their favourite colour.
The volunteering activities were definitely the biggest challenge. Not only was it hard leaving the house so early in the morning when it was still cold and dark but, most importantly, trying to surpass the language barrier with the kids.
Luckily, it was always useful to play around and gesture with my hands as much as possible (the key is to stay silly!). However, I do feel like I have improved my German skills during these months, which also makes me feel a bit proud. And I even got to teach German to some of the kids! (Crazy how the tables turn).
In the end, I am just happy that I could make the classes a bit easier and funnier for everyone. And it was truly an honour to help these children better understand the (lovely but difficult) German language – I am sure that they will speak way more fluently than me very soon!
Finally, after getting in touch with so many different people and ways of life, I have to admit that now I feel a deep sense of uncertainty as well: who on Earth am I? And what am I even doing with my life? Tough questions, I know, but I still have some time to figure them out.
For now, I just try to take little steps every day (I might or not have become addicted to that feeling of vertigo, oops!) And I think everything is starting to take shape. Maybe a weird one, but definitely the right one.
Igor was hosted by Oberschule im Park on our project co-funded by the European Union.
If you want to experience something similar to what Igor did, check out our open calls here.
