Ahojte!
August brought me to Kysak, in the east of Slovakia, where I was the leader of a workcamp for the second time. This time, it was an archaeological workcamp, and the goal was to uncover the foundations of an old castle. My co-leader Gabi and I prepared everything we could in advance, and then we just had to go with the flow.
The group was really nice; we came from all over Europe and got along really fast. I created a team-building game called “Mission Impossible”, and it worked really well: the team was built! To be honest, I realized that archaeology is not really for me (all that digging…), but I truly enjoyed being a leader. Even though it was sometimes challenging, I learned a lot from the experience and gained many new friends that I hope to see again one day.
On the departure day, I jumped straight on a morning train heading to France. First a stop in Bratislava, then a 20-hour Flixbus to Paris, a 5-hour train, and a 2-hour car ride… After 42 hours since leaving the house in Kysak, I finally arrived at my parents’ home. A long journey! Sometimes it’s hard to have principles for environment, but I believe it’s worth it.
I spent almost two weeks with my family and friends, and it was great to see them again. I even organized a Slovak lunch to introduce them to some specialties from my adoptive country. The garlic soup was a big hit, but no one asked for seconds of the halušky… I wonder why. The Horalky, on the other hand, were a huge success! I really enjoyed sharing with them what I’ve experienced and showing them photos from my ESC. I think most of them didn’t really know what I was doing, since every week is so different—but now they have a better idea.
It was a great break, but I was also really happy to return to Bratislava, because I know that many good things are waiting for me here. Only four months left, I want to make the best of it!
Take care,
Sarah
