Happy New Year, argonauts! 2026 already… wow, how time flies! I want to say that I’ve welcomed January with lots of excitement and affection.

The start of the year was really good: I got to spend time with my family and friends, and I even took the chance to visit Jorge in Valencia, a friend I made during the youth exchange I did in October. We talked, went out, and really enjoyed each other’s company.

The trip back to Murter was a bit complicated: two days before returning, my flight was canceled due to bad weather conditions in Europe, so I had to extend my stay in Spain a little. But I was able to make the most of that extra time with my family and friends, so it wasn’t a big problem. And, although a bit late, I finally managed to get back.

The week after returning, I focused on finishing my university projects. Thanks to Naelys’ help, I was able to complete the final assignment for one of my courses, filming a short movie on the island. It was a calm week, combining that with, of course, taking advantage of the beach. The week passed quickly, but soon we’ll be off again.

In mid-January, we finally got to do our on arrival training in Sarajevo. We met several wonderful ESC volunteers from the Balkans (Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia) and took part in various workshops to get to know each other. We had the opportunity to talk about our rights and responsibilities, as well as solidarity as volunteers. It was a very productive week, and we also had the chance to visit Sarajevo, a city full of charm, and the Children of War Museum, a museum that truly gives you goosebumps.

After several hours on the FlixBus to return to Croatia, we had a 7-hour layover and met some volunteers living in Šibenik: Anna from Ukraine and Lina from Germany. We spent time talking and getting to know each other until we could catch the bus back to Murter, though not without making plans to meet again another day.

January ended in the most peaceful way: watching movies, enjoying our hobbies… but with lots of plans and expectations for what’s coming starting in February.

So, argonauts… see you next month, it’s going to be a full one! :)