Ahoj!
About this month:
I can say that it’s very cold in Bratislava. I’m not used to such cold weather, and of course, I got sick (haha), but that didn’t stop me from doing activities. If you want to know more, please keep reading! 😊
Leonardo went to Mexico, and I really missed him
This month, Leo went to Mexico with his mother and a friend, and I really missed him. At the office, I was alone because Evelina was in Latvia. Despite that, I got a lot of work done.
I started working on my YouthPass and my outcomes, and I realized I’ve done more activities than I initially thought!
Also, I began editing the video Meet the Office. I was so nervous and didn’t like how I looked on camera (haha), but I have to admit that I had fun recording and editing it. I laughed a lot! If you haven’t seen it yet, my question is… what are you waiting for? ;p
And… when Leo came back from Mexico, he told me all about his adventures and gave me a typical Mexican hat as a gift. I really missed him and our conversations in the apartment.
A weekend in Nitra
I decided to visit Nitra with a friend who lives in Vienna. We met in the city center and then took a bus to Nitra 😊. Upon arriving, we grabbed a bite to eat before heading out for a hike. The views were absolutely breathtaking, and it was the perfect way to start our day.
In the afternoon, we explored the town, which was charming and full of character. To our surprise, we discovered that a local festival was taking.
Yep! I had a visitor!!
If you read my last post, you might remember that during the summer, I led two workcamps. One of them was in Slatinka, where I met amazing people who have become more than just friends to me.
I’m happy to say that we’ve built a very special friendship. We even send each other letters! I absolutely love receiving them—it’s such a wonderful feeling to open a letter and read what the other person has to share.
One of those friends, Jonas, told me that he is now an ESC volunteer in France. So, I invited him to visit me in Bratislava. The best part? He said yes!
Jonas arrived on Friday, and I picked him up. At first, I couldn’t believe he was really here. I truly enjoyed the weekend we spent together. We laughed a lot, visited the city center, and explored Devin Castle.
On Saturday, we went to the Mládež ulice NGO because my friend Zura (also an ESC volunteer) invited me to share my experience as an ESC volunteer in Slovakia. We even prepared a traditional Catalan dish: pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato) and Spanish ham. I also created a quiz about Spanish culture. Jonas shared his experiences as well.
On Sunday, Zura, Zoe, Kadir, Jonas, and I decided to go on a hike, and we really enjoyed our time together. We ended the day at Slovak Pub with a warm soup, it was so cold outside!
If I had to highlight the best moments of this weekend, I’d say the heartfelt talks, laughter, and the time shared with the amazing friends who made it so special.
Finally, I had to say goodbye to Jonas. The weekend felt as perfect as our time in Slatinka, and his departure made me think about my own, which is now less than a month away.
I’m feeling bittersweet emotions: I want to stay, but at the same time, I’m eager to return home to see my family, boyfriend, and friends. I won’t lie; I’ve had some emotional moments. However, I’m making the most of my time here, and I’m lucky to have friends who are truly worth their weight in gold.
Cirkuskus
On Wednesday the 20th, I went with Zura to a workshop organized by Cirkuskus, where they taught us how to use the diabolo and how to juggle. We had a great time there, and I realized that I love the diabolo—I’m even thinking about buying one!
But that means we had a great time, right? 😉
Workshop at Lachova School
The day finally came for me to present my workshop at Lachova School. I had three groups of around 20 students each, except for the last one, which had almost 40 participants!
I’m so happy because the students were not only interested in my workshop but also curious about this type of volunteering experience. We talked about my time in Bratislava and how happy I am here.
In total, I’m proud to say I presented my workshop Resilience through Volunteering to 124 participants!
Zazitkovica
During the week, Leo and I prepared a few things for the event. What a surprise it was to find people there that we already knew, like Richard and Tania. They had been at the Slatinka weekend workcamp, so it was really nice to see them again. Of course, Katka, Zuzka, Pet’o, and Romi were also there.
As always, INEX events amaze me because we always have such a great time. Katka led a very interesting workshop about how to achieve our goals. Romi and Zuzka held another one called Learn to Unlearn, which was also fascinating. Finally, Pet’o and Zuzka ran the last workshop, where we shared our fears about traveling and some tips to overcome them.
After that, we went bowling. At first, it was hard to remember how to play (the first and last time I bowled was on my birthday this year), but then I started to “get the hang of it.” Finally, we went out for dinner, but I left early because the next day I was flying to Romania!
Romania with Amandine <3
To wrap up the month of November, I went to Romania with Amandine!
We had a wonderful time exploring Bucharest and the nearby towns. We also visited Brasov and the famous Dracula (or rather, non-Dracula) Castle.
But for me, the best part was simply being with her. We enjoyed our time together, laughing, meeting new people, and making unforgettable memories!
And that’s all! <3 Thank you so much for reading my entry!
Ciao 😊
