My ESC in Bilbao

¡Kaixo! (Hello)

Today I will tell you about my ESC experience in Bilbao, in the Basque Country, a beautiful region in the north of Spain.

I left last September from Ferrara (Italy), my hometown. It was not the first time I had been on an international experience, but the excitement was very high. I would have the opportunity to meet many new people, make connections and work in an international context.

Actually, my expectations were not disappointed. My project is about young people. Every afternoon I work with centers where they come to spend their free time. These are all kinds of young people, with different social and family backgrounds. In our spaces they feel protected, they find people like us who try to help and guide them through the problems they face every day. We do many activities, play together, organise small workshops and excursions.

Another part of my volunteering is to promote European mobility opportunities in high schools. Sometimes I go to schools to talk about my experience and try to inspire and encourage youth to travel. With many of them, in fact, I realise that often the fear of novelty or uncertainty wins out over the desire to get involved and go. While it is more than understandable to feel like this, it is a shame because you might miss out on great opportunities.

Applying for this project was one of the best decisions of my life. The organisation I collaborate with here immediately supported me and helped me to feel at home in this beautiful city. I try to use my free time to travel around and get to know the region I am in and all of Spain better. My ESC experience is complete, I feel part of a well-structured project in which I feel valued.

Thanks to Bilbao, I got to know myself better, with my strengths and weaknesses, because as an old wise man used to say: “it is not people who make journeys, but journeys that make people”.

Updated on Tirsdag, 17/02/2026