European Solidarity Corps

Everything started when I was on a project in Germany, it was my first youth exchange ever. One day during that project, I had a conversation with one participant from my country and he was explaining to me some things regarding ESC and how the whole thing with volunteer projects worked. After that conversation, I was so curious to find out more about those things and as soon as we came back to Serbia, I contacted my association and asked them if there was any possibility of doing a long-term volunteering project. At that very moment, an Italian association we met in Germany was looking for new volunteers. We got in touch and soon after that, everything was ready for me to start.

After 2 months, I went to Italy and I wasn’t expecting anything, everything was new and so odd, it seemed like a dream. The hardest thing at the beginning was getting used to the language, people and the environment itself. During this period, most of my time I spent learning new things and adapting. I was so shy and anxious because everything I was doing was something new for me – I’d never experienced something like that before –  but after some time I started to get used to everything. I became good at Italian, I found new friends and I integrated into the culture. From that very moment, I knew my project was going to be a nice experience.

We had many projects during my stay there in which I learnt a lot, but mostly I learnt about myself. I realized how small the world is and how important it is to gain new experiences. Even after so much time here, I am still flabbergasted sometimes. I often wonder how this is possible – I’m here in another country and I’m speaking another language every single day and experiencing so many new things. Sometimes it was hard to believe that. But after all, I knew that was so normal – being 22 and far away from your country and the things you got used to. When I was about to finish the project, it was so hard to leave that place. I knew that again I would have to leave everything I was used to and, in a way, change my life once again. But I also knew that step was important. Moving on is such a crucial part of our lives because, without that, life would be meaningless.

In the end, I can say that my long-term mobility has changed me a lot and everything I accomplished there will always be so important to me. That part of my life has been the best so far and I’ll never forget the experiences I had and the people I met. Every single thing will always stay in my heart and they will remind me about such a beautiful period of my life. One day I’ll go there again to find my friends, to find those people, and to get the feel of that life again.

Video: https://youtu.be/WFrnEywq0a0?feature=shared 

Updated on It-Tlieta, 17/02/2026