Volunteer in Greece: First week of the year for a volunteer

I entered in a new year abroad, for the second time in my life. How I felt? Well, I felt loved and lucky, thankful for what I was given and feeling a lot of love from and for my dears’ ones.

I felt that I was left here for enjoying and for feeling the difference. I started the year full of hope, I started the year with the desire of making a change and trying to have a positive impact in the place wherever I will be.

The first week with the children started full of hope and good energy. I felt for the first time in all these months that my work matters. This time I did not try to force myself to do something special, I was just spending time with the children and speaking half in Greek and half in English. Yes, I become more self-confident of speaking Greek and the children not only help me, but also started to speak in English too the words that I was translating to them during the games. It was amazing for me. We were playing, doing paper boats together for them to learn the colors, going to cinema and having a good time all together.
I remember very well the moment when I had to go home from the center and one of the kids said “good night” without any suggestion from someone else. This was magical for me, then I felt that my work in not in vain and all my way back to home I felt very happy and full of energy for doing more.

 
In this week I also received good feedback about my new Greek skills and I felt better realizing that every minute spent in Thessaloniki worth.

Can you imagine that this is just the first week? Amazing! I am sure that the upcoming ones will be even better and I will take care to keep my good energy around, try to organize and to keep myself focused and also to give the best in my work. Let this year be magic! 

 

Corina Chircea is doing her European volunteering project in Arsis organisation under  the project “Solidarity Actions, Empowered Volunteers: Solideers” - 2019-2-EL02-ESC11-005130, funded by European Solidarity Corps, with the support of European Union.