Let’s have fun in may.
The month of May began with a nighttime departure to fly to Finland for a few days of training around the game Ecoland. Thrilled by this opportunity, I was delighted to discover for the first time this magical country of the Northern Lights. Helsinki is a charming city. Its café/secondhand shop/bookstore concepts, dads with strollers, non-binary restrooms: all of it shows that this place is modern and has dusted off some outdated concepts! After a tumultuous bus ride, we arrived in Virrat, amidst beautiful nature: forests, lakes, red wooden chalets… exactly how I imagined this country. We had a very enjoyable stay. I went there without any particular expectations and everything went perfectly. An eventful boat ride, rummikub games with the Belgians and their sharp humor, sauna, swimming in the 4-degree lake, forest bathing, healthy and local food, hide-and-seek games, and liberated dancing… Everything was there to make our stay memorable. I celebrated my 28th birthday there, with lots of hugs and hiding under the bed. It was pure and refreshing.
Back in Murter, my parents were waiting for us. It was amusing to see them on the island, so far from my life in France. I was happy to share a little piece of my peaceful life on this paradise island with them. It was good to spend a week with them filled with visits, walks, swims, reading on the beach, smoothies in Porto, crapette card games, mosquito massacres… I was happy to have my mother here; I was proud to show her this magical place. I am grateful to them for being so kind, for making the journey with lots of gifts, for taking us around with such enthusiastic energy. I think this week allowed us to realize that each of us leads a happy life while loving each other very much. Romi’s father also came to spend a week there. It was funny to have our parents at the same time. We had a family meal at home. We went to see Lucija and Suzana for their first public concert; it was great, they did amazing.
This May was also my first time in the Kornati Islands. I was very curious to finally discover this archipelago that I’ve been observing from the top of Raduč for 6 months! Lunar, its reputation is well-deserved, with all these small islands, like little hills on the water. This landscape is magnificent. The boat trip provides an introspective bubble that feels good, calling for meditation (except when it rains and is cold).
We ended May in style with a great evening at Reful with a former volunteer who knew Romi and a friend of his, and a friend of mine I met last winter! It was a memorable evening: picnic, dance, drinks, live concert, moonlit swim, and sunrise at Raduč (cloudy… lol). We laughed a lot. I then enjoyed my friend’s company here with an introduction to breakdancing, drinks by the water, and dances on top of Raduč! These moments were wild and full of life. Travel encounters are memorable.
Some new features have appeared: I finally finished our garden furniture, now we can have our meals on the balcony and it’s great; Fernand came to me and I took him back to Géraldine; and I wrote a list of things I want to do here, I try to do one a day it’s very exciting.
During the last days of May, I had to return to France for family obligations. The emotion was intense, and the need to return home to my loved ones was strongly felt. So, I packed my bags on the last day of May to be with my family and loved ones, something priceless that did me a world of good.
Juliette, volunteer from France
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.
