All decisions that you take change your life in some way, some more than others. In May I took one of these decisions when I choose to become a volunteer and here is my story.
Two months ago I didn't know much at all about volunteering, of course I had heard about it but just vaguely and I didn't had any clues about what opportunities there were. I had never ever considered becoming a volunteer and I thought that I therefore never would become one. I didn't had anything against volunteering but for me it was something unknown. A random event got me in contact with volunteering and made me change my mind.
In May this year I knew that I was going to graduate from the university in the beginning of June and that it was completely up to me what I wanted to do afterwards. Honestly I had no clue, but I felt that I didn't wanted to start working yet. I applied for some jobs anyway and tried to look for other possibilities to do something else. Like all days I also went online on Facebook time to time and it was here I encountered the post that were going to give me an occupation for the coming two months.
In some way a post turned up on my Facebook news feed. A post proposing to go to Poland for a bit more than 2 months during the summer as a volunteer. As I was looking for something to do the post directly got my attention. I replied to the post and told SIP (my sending organisation) that I was interested in participating. The rest is history and now I'm here in Szczecin, Poland as a volunteer, something I thought that I would never become.
When I sat on the aeroplane on my way to Poland I didn't really know what to expect, the only information that I had was a written A4 page. In some ways that was good because if you have too much expectation the risk is that you can get disappointed. I was a bit nervous but mostly I was eager to know what I was going to do during my two months in Poland. Retrospectively I can say that it was nothing to be nervous about, you adapt really quickly and I soon felt like home.
So how is it to be a volunteer abroad? The answer is that it’s great. It’s an experience that is hard to get somewhere else. You’re discovering a new country, meeting new people, acquiring new skills in different domains and so on. Do you like living and working in an international environment? I'm living with 17 other people from five different countries, meeting polish people every day, it’s as international as it can get.
How is the daily life as a volunteer? For me and the others participating in this project is very varying, one day we’re working with children and another day we’re sailing. It’s mainly fun to be a volunteer even if there’s days when not everything is so fun, but it’s like life, it has its ups and downs. Now I'm really seeing forward to the Tall Ship Races.
One thing is sure, I'm very happy that I encountered that post on Facebook and that I decided to become a volunteer. This two months here is an experience I wouldn't like to be without.
If you’re thinking about becoming a volunteer, don’t hesitate because it’s an unforgettable experience. An experience that will you make grow as a human being.
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