Leonardo: April a rollercoaster of emotions!

This month started with a trip to Budapest with my parents that arrived at the end of the month of March for Easter s holidays.
They arrived on 30th of March. So, I prepared my self and after lunch, I took 2 autobuses for going to the airport of Bratislava to took them.

It was very beautiful and we cried a lot when we saw each other. Then, we came back to the city center.
They booked a hotel near the Petrzalka station and after they put their bags there, we went together to my flat. I had to take a thing. Then, we went to Aupark and to the restaurant to eat dinner.
We came together to Flagship Restaurant, the first place where I went with INEX people, Anaiis, Evelina and also our mentors.
They enjoyed a lot the typical food that I chose for them.
After eating, we went to see some attractions such as Schone Naci or the Micheals Gate.
At the end, we just took the bus for going to Petrzalka for sleeping because they were very tired.
The next day we met each other to visiting better the city and their attractions during the morning. It was Easter!
A lot of people were visiting the city and also behind the castle there were some activities and stalls. There were also some people with same traditional clothes!
In the afternoon we went to Devin Castle but we didn’t go inside. There were a lot of people so we went around for see what it was to see. We saw a lot of animals!
After we came back to the city center again and we went directly to home because next day we had to go to Budapest.
The 1 April we went there and after 2 hours from Nivy Center stop we arrived.
We took the tube for moving ourselves from the Bus stop to the city center.
I never been before to Budapest but we enjoyed a lot the city and also the typical food.
We moved a lot for seeing a lot of monuments and we also did the experience of cruising.
We met also a lot of Italian people! XD
But we couldn’t stay for at least 2 days even for going to their famous spas, but I really want to come back.
Then, we arrived at the last 2 days together but I had to work. So, they went to the city center and then they walked until Eurovea and we met to the main square of Bratislava when I finished to work.
We ate together for dinner in an Italian restaurant and then we came back for the last day together.
The last day as the previous one, I worked (they also visited INEX people and INEX office) and then I met them for ate our last dinner together.
We went in a Mexican restaurant and after eating, I went with them to the bus stop for taking the coincidence for the airport.
When it arrived, my mum cried a lot, my dad no but both of them gave a hug to me and I said to them goodbye and I came back to my flat.
I cried a little and I was very sad but also very happy because we really enjoyed passing these days together.

ANAIIS SURPRISE PARTY
The next day I started to organize for Anaiis birthday.
So, I created a group chat and I chose the place, the arrival time and with Evelina we thought even for a cake.
We celebrated before in our flat, before going to work with the cake and me and Evelina thought even for an excuse to say to Anaiis for going outside our flat for meeting with our friends.
We said that we wanted to celebrate her birthday eating in a new place that had also gluten free pizza.
So, we arrived. Our other friends were already there and she could see the surprise.
We organized a match of bowling and I think that everyone liked to play.
Then, we came to the city center for spending more time together and when it was late, we turned back to our homes.

OUR FIRST WORK CAMP
April was a very important month for us because we experienced our first work camp.
We had to re built a castle, in Staty Jur during the weekend of 12/14 April.
We started on Saturday morning with an explanation of a volunteer and she counted to us the story of the castle and a lor of things about it.
Our work was to put same stones in a wheelbarrow and we had to go down of a hill for put them in a machine.
Next day we had a different task and we had to cut the bushes.
We also did a barbecue with other volunteers for lunch (it was my first experience with that) and at the end we returned at home.
It was funny but also very heavy overall because there were almost 30 degrees during the day.
On the final week of May we will have another work camp there, so… see you again there!

17/21 APRIL EXPERIENCE
After that experience, and the Tea Meeting of 16 April where Matyas, a friend of us, spoke about his trip to Cuba, we had to go to in a hotel in Bratislava for meeting some other volunteers and doing with them same activites.
Activities were very dynamic (we also had the possibility to know different new ice brakers and energizers) and also very interesting and also people were very friendly.
I became friend of people from different parts of Slovakia but also from different countries such as Russia, Georgia, Lithuania, France, Turkey, Spain…
We also probably can see very soon and I m very happy for that, but for sure all together we will have a meeting again on August.
They also gave us a lot of advices about where to go or to visit in Slovakia and also for our future work life.
This was our schedule.

RETURN TO ITALY (BUT JUST FOR 2.5 DAYS)
On Monday, after a very busy week I returned to Italy for 2 days and a half.
I took the plane from the Bratislava airport to 8.45 and to 10.10 I arrived to the airport of Bergamo.
After, I came back to my village (45 minutes far from the airport) and I took a shower and I had lunch because during the afternoon I had to go in a university because a friend of mine was graduated as a nurse.
So, I could see her and some other friends.
She was very nervous but she did a very good work.
We celebrated a lot and she also was happy to stay with her friends and family in a very important day for her.
Then, we came back to home.
The second day I went with my dad to my sister house because I didn’t see her here since Im here living in Slovakia and I stayed with her during the morning.
After a pair of hours I went to visit a friend who works very close to her house and we stayed in his car speaking a little about our lifes (last time I saw him was in November 2023) and after 1 hour he had to came back to work and I took the tube for going to the city center of Milan to see again the Duomo.
Then, I re took the tube and a bus for came back to my village to meet also a family friend and her husband.
We spoke for 2 hours and then I came back to home because I had several things to do before going outside again to see 2 friends and have dinner together. Then we went to the house of one of them and we stayed there until 23.00.
At the end I came back for last night in my home and I slept.
During the last day, I visited also my uncle and my aunt from my mum side and then with my parents went to airport because I had to take the flight for came back.
When I was arrived, I was very tired and a little bit sad but on June I will came back for personal reasons for more days so I will can see more of them and for more time.