Ahojte!
It’s time to review my first month in Slovakia.⏰
First of all, let me introduce myself, my name is Amandine, I am 25 years old and I have decided to spend the year 2023 doing volunteering.
That’s why I joined the great team of INEX Slovakia as an ESC volunteer until December!
In this article, I share with you my feelings, how I arrived in Bratislava and experienced my first weeks here!
Now, let’s go back to the end of February… I felt like a mix of nervousness and excitement before my departure. I have completely left my routine by making the choice to leave for 10 months, and having always had the fear of unknown, it was a big jump for me. But I was also motivated by this big experience that I wanted to live since a long time.
So, after making the difficult choice of the clothes I wanted to take, I closed my luggage and it was time to go on my first trip alone!
After a journey by night train, I arrived in Bratislava where Barbara and Geoffroy were waiting for me. Then, we went to the accommodation which is a beautiful apartment in a quiet and family district. So, I just dropped my stuff and slept because I was really exhausted.
The first two days, I didn’t go to the office, which allowed me to visit the city and I really love Bratislava!! For me, it’s not too small, not too big, safe and more animated than I thought. Walking along the Danube is also very pleasant, and it makes me think of the ”Quais de Seine” in Paris.
After discovering the city, I had the opportunity to meet my mentor Juli, a very very kind and helpful girl! ❤
Afterward, I went to the office for the first time. I met the people who work there but also how INEX works. Monika presented me the workcamps of this summer, I will be leader in 2 of them and for that, we had a training weekend, ”the leader ship academy” in the city of Senec. I met a lot of nice people and learned about the workings and leadership of workcamps. I liked the fact that the training was full of different and dynamic activities and also that what I have learned will be useful in my future work experiences.
Mirka gave me an interesting presentation of Slovakia, its history, regions, customs, traditions (a little bit strange sometimes) and a tasting of local products… including many delicious wafer biscuits and cakes with poppy seeds. I also had the opportunity to present my country at a tea meeting, around a ”Quiche Lorraine”, it was not an easy exercise for an introvert like me but finally, it was really great!
It is often said that it takes 21 days to get used to something, I think I can confirm that. Even if the first days are not easy, I now feel like home… But it is mainly thanks to all the caring persons who surround me.
I still have many things to come and to discover… Soooo, to be continued in the next article!!
Čaute 😉
