Time started running WTF.
So, apparently, March is over. Time started flying by after the carnival. Just two days later (we weren’t even fully recovered yet…), we found ourselves at a Training Course in Knin. And honestly, It was so much fun and super interesting. Juan and Lucija were the amazing facilitators of the course, and it was great spending a few days with our favorite Spanish dude. We’ll see him again in April for the Youth Exchange “FOODY”, we just cannot get rid of him.
After those exciting days in Knin – where both Theresa and I managed to lose our phones again (our specialty, but don’t worry, we found them) – we returned to Murter for a few days before flying to Sweden. Bus, club, another club… basically.
It was weird but fun. Theresa was incredibly sick at the beginning, like SUPER sick. Thankfully, after a few days, she started feeling better. We had so much fun, but I have to admit I ended up socially exhausted. Surprisingly, I handled the cold much better than expected. I absolutely loved being in the snow for a few days, and I can even picture myself living in a cold country… but only during spring and summer.
As for the Youth Exchange itself, we learned so much. I especially liked that all the workshops, from start to finish, were organized by the participants. Everything was really autonomous; we even had rotating teams for cleaning, breakfast prep, and other tasks. Oh, and I cannot forget to mention that I swam in a freezing lake! Well… “swam” might be a bit of an exaggeration, I dipped my body in for three seconds after the sauna, but let’s just say I swam, it sounds way cooler.
And remember how I said Theresa was sick? Well, the moment I stepped onto the plane home, I got super sick too. I think it might be COVID because I lost my taste and smell. I’ve been sick for two weeks now, and I’m practically best friends with the receptionist at the Murter hospital. Hopefully, I’ll be healthy soon, but it feels strange being sick while the island is starting to feel like real spring.
After spending a week trying to recover, we went to a workshop in Šibenik about Croatian culture and met some ESC volunteers staying there. Maybe we’ll see them again this weekend. Who knows, this could be the start of a new friendship…
This blog feels so short compared to everything that actually happened in March (including finally finishing the workshops!), but I’m too exhausted to keep writing. I promise I’ll be back in April with another amazing, longer blog. Take care, Argonautas, see you soon!
Ana, 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.
