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What do you need after a long journey? A warm welcome, some nice food and friendly smiles. My first impression of Craiova was this and so much more than this. I started this adventure on Saturday evening and it was like find that right place which feels like home from the beginning. Do you know this feeling? I came from Conegliano, a small city in the north of Italy... it’s not that long journey, I know, but still I left my house early in the morning and I arrived here in the evening, tired, a bit scared, dazed because of the new language, and of course very hungry. That’s why it was so great to arrive in Caracal house and to find so many people from different countries having dinner together in a lovely mood of happiness and friendship. It wasn’t just an arrival in Craiova, it was the discovery of a beautiful place of multiculturality and sharing! I forgot the stress and the fears I had the days before I left Italy, and I found myself more positive and relaxed: I discovered that sometimes going out of the comfort zone means find not just challenges and changes but also new energy and a new peacefulness.
Take it easy!
Living abroad and sharing the house with people you don’t know, could means also facing some problems: you have to get used to new and different habits, to a new city with a foreign language, to people with a different culture and a different way of life... It means give up to keep everything under control. It means learn to get over difficulties and disagreements, to accept differences and to face problems without fear and tension. In a way, it means just to grow up. And you’ll discover that give up to control everything is often the best way to overcome the problems and maybe that what is making you upset or worried is just not important.
What about being a volunteer?
After the weekend, I had my first day in Ancaar as a volunteer. Also in this case, I had many expectations and fears, but it was great to find another place where happiness and positivity are stronger than problems and barriers. I was worried about the relationship with autistic children, but from the beginning I felt so supported by their smiles and after a couple of hours I received the first hug and I heard them saying my name. It was beautiful! Thank to the other amazing volunteers I could be myself from the beginning and fit easily in the activities. With Mariam, Bobo and Adam we baked cookies, just making up the recipe, and in the meantime chatting in a funny mix of Romanian Italian and English languages.