April…I will always remember you.

We started the month with the Youth Exchange “Moving for mental health” which has been an incredible experience. Those days were magical, good weather, good company, sport, nature, dance, good food, what more could you ask for?

During the exchange Juliette and I were not only participants but we were also involved in creating content for social media. In this exchange the big surprise compared to the first one I participated in with Argonauta when I arrived in October, was the Greek team. The food, the traditional dances and the quality of the people…without words.

This exchange was very different, not only because I had Juliette by my side, but also because I knew what to expect and it was still a surprise. It was an exchange full of good vibes, good moments, incredible excursions around Šibenik and above all what I liked the most was the connection with the people, because without a doubt dance and sport is what they achieve.

After finishing the exchange and saying goodbye to all the beautiful people we met, we went back to Murter but this time in company as not only Juan and Caterina accompanied us but also some of Juliette’s friends were waiting for us when we arrived home. They were very nice and different days, it seems that our little island is beginning to fill with life…

Just a few days after they left, I was already packing my suitcase to go on my first solo travel to Malta without knowing what a great experience I was going to have.

When I arrived in Malta I remember feeling many emotions at the same time, happiness to finally be doing what I had always wanted to do, nostalgia remembering when I was in that same country years ago with my parents, fear of being alone in a country that is not mine and without a doubt excitement to live that experience.

As soon as I arrived at the hostel I could see that the garden was beautiful and that the people who were there hanging out seemed very nice, in spite of that as a good introvert I spent the first day alone touring the northeast of Malta, with a lot of setbacks due to google maps… but definitely enjoying my solitude and the new landscapes. But that changed the second day I was there as I met the most beautiful people that country could give me… from then on we all travelled around Malta together, laughing about getting lost because of maps, telling our love stories, laughing about silly things, singing a lot and cooking together to share our best recipes.

So there I was after an incredible week at six in the morning leaving the hostel, once again, the last one to leave, which is even harder because you say goodbye to everybody and you see how everybody is leaving little by little but nobody says goodbye to you, so the loneliness you feel is even bigger…

But I barely had time to be sad because as soon as I arrived I met Stefan in Zagreb, whom I had met in Malta, to go to Murter together. Yes, sometimes connections and friendships are so nice that you do crazy things like this…

Stefan hadn’t left yet when my friends arrived to spend a few days with me and tour Croatia, so the month couldn’t have ended in a better way. Without a doubt it was a beautiful few days in which I felt more at home than ever. I feel happy to be able to live this experience, to be able to live such beautiful moments with such nice people, to visit new places, to feel accompanied and supported by my loved ones, but without a doubt I still have to learn to deal with goodbyes, because I still find them difficult….

From here thanks to all of you who have made this month the best month so far, and to you my friends, I love you and thanks for coming, you don’t know how happy you have made me…

Romina, volunteer from Spain

About the ESC : The European Solidarity Corps is a program of the European Union to strengthen solidarity in various areas: from helping the disadvantaged and providing humanitarian aid to engagement for health and the environment in the EU and beyond.
The program offers young people the opportunity to respond to the needs of the community, make a concrete contribution to society, and in the process gain invaluable experience and develop new skills. The program is also intended for organizations active in the field of solidarity that want to involve young people in their activities.