My First Month in Slovakia
Hi, I’m Berra. I’m 23, from Turkey, and I’m an English language teacher.
My journey to Slovakia was honestly a bit long and tiring. It took around one and a half months, and I had to go to Ankara three times for visa. But in the end, I made it and I can say it was worth it.
Why Slovakia?
Actually, I didn’t choose Slovakia because of the country. I chose it because of the project.
Before this, I volunteered as an English teacher in Tunisia, and I really loved that experience. So I wanted to do it again. After searching for opportunities, I decided to join an ESC project. I chose GHD Organisation as my sending organization and found a project with INEX. When I read the infopack, I thought it was really comprehensive, and I felt like I could both learn and contribute. So I applied and I got accepted.
And that’s how my Slovakia adventure started.
First Days
When I first arrived, Barbara welcomed me, which made everything a bit easier. I was finally in Slovakia with my D-type visa, but the process wasn’t over yet the foreign police part was still waiting for me.
My first week was mostly about trying to understand everything: the system, the city, and my new life here. I explored the city center and started preparing my Tea Meeting presentation.
But I’ll be honest I felt a bit lonely. I think it’s a normal part of adapting, but it still hit me a little.
Then something random but really nice happened.
I saw a university Instagram account share a story with a Turkish name, and I was like “wait, what?” 😄 So I texted. That’s how I met Aygul, who is from Azerbaijan. We got along really well, and meeting her in my first week made me feel much better.
LEAD IT UP
On March 5, I joined the Leadership Weekend Training in Kostolna Záreičie. It’s a small, quiet village. We stayed in a monastery for two days, which was a new experience for me. As a Muslim, it was actually my first time staying in a monastery, so yeah, I was a bit surprised at first.
The training, organized by Monika and Mirka, was about leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving. I learned a lot and also met local people.
As an teacher, I used to see myself as a natural leader. But at the same time, since I have a more introverted personality, I sometimes wondered if that was a disadvantage.However, this training really helped me grow in that area and supported me in stepping into my own new leadership identity.
After that, we went back to Bratislava and celebrated Majka’s birthday—happy birthday again 🙂
Trying to Socialize
I wanted to meet more people, so I started checking events in Bratislava. I joined an international event at a gallery. I saw some really interesting Slovak artworks and met new people. After that, we even met again with some of them and we became closer.
Slowly, I started feeling more connected.
Training Days
Then we went to Terchová for on-arrival training organized by the National Agency of Slovakia . From the first day, I was already having fun. There were ESC volunteers from different backgrounds, and the energy was really nice.
We prepared a presentation to introduce our organization and our project.
We prepared vlogs about people who made a big impact in Slovak history, worked in different teams on various group activities, and in the end, my team and I organized a theater quiz event. It might have been my favorite moment seeing everyone enjoy themselves and have fun made me really happy too. One of the things on-arrival training gave me was learning how to play billiards. I had never imagined that I would play billiards at any point in my life, but during the training I actually learned how to play. We even formed teams and played together, and it was really fun.
And one big thing for me I finally got an appointment with the foreign police. It sounds simple, but it was really hard to find one. After many tries, I got one in Nitra, and I was so happy.
During the training, I also went hiking for the first time in my life. We walked for about two hours.
Normally, I complain after five minutes 😄 so this was actually a big achievement for me.
At the end of the training, we were all a bit sad. 
Even though it was only a few days, we got used to each other quickly. I made some really nice friendships there. I’ve already met a few of them again after the on-arrival training, and I hope to see the others again too—fingers crossed.
My Tea Meeting
Then it was time for my Tea Meeting.
I’m not very confident about cooking, but I still wanted to prepare something. I made börek and potato salad, and I bought baklava for the quiz .Luckily, people liked everything, so I was really happy.
In my presentation, I talked about Turkish culture, traditions, food, and holidays. At the same time, I learned about Ecuador, animals and natural facts from Peto, Katka and Madelyn and even tried yuca for the first time.
The “Scary” Part That Wasn’t That Scary
Then came the foreign police appointment in Nitra.
I was VERY nervous—I couldn’t even sleep the night before. But Barbara helped me feel calmer. And honestly, everything went much better than I expected. The officer was really kind, and the whole process was smooth.
That was a huge relief.
Little Cute Moments
I also started Slovak classes. It’s not an easy language at all, but I’m trying. And one moment I really liked Andie’s son wrote my name inside a heart
We also had an important three-day training about promotion with Mirka, where I learned a lot about social media and website and marketing.
I met with Ivana who is a coach, she is willing to help volunteers in terms of their life: academically, future life and so on. It is really helpful because I am in the first steps of my life and still figuring out what should do in the future…
And one of the nicest things this month I met one of my closest friends here in a bookstore. We were interested in the same book, started talking, and spent the whole day together. Now she’s one of the people I feel closest to here.
Ending the Month in Slatinka
At the end of March, we went to Slatinka for workcamp. It’s a very peaceful place, full of nature.
We worked in the forest, cleaned areas near the river, and helped small animals. It was also my first time doing this kind of physical work, so I challenged myself a bit. AND I NAILED IT.
Sometimes some adventure can be challenging to you and you think you can’t make it. However, you have a big potential for it you have to count on yourself and stop complaining. Thats all.
Also I had really great conversation and time with other volunteers. We promised each other to meet again.
When I look back at these 31 days, I feel like I’ve experienced so many things in such a short time.
And honestly… all I can say is:
wow.
