WELCOME BACK, MOSQUITOES.
June was hot — in every sense of the word.
It’s been a good month. One filled with sunshine, beach days, dinners out, concerts, bike rides… and also the month when I started shipping boxes back to Spain. Honestly, it doesn’t quite feel like this experience is coming to an end — probably because I still don’t have a clear plan for what comes next. But with skies this blue, it’s hard to feel overwhelmed… which might be a bit dangerous. Still, we’ll figure it out!
To be fair, we’ve spent more nights sleeping away than in our new apartment. As soon as Theresa got back from… was it Germany or Budapest? I can’t even remember now hahaha — we went straight to our Mid-Term Training in Zadar. And it was great! We got to see Maura again, the Italian volunteer who’s currently in Italy. It was so nice to catch up and see how everyone’s journey has been unfolding.
Zadar looked stunning, and I finally got to see my first sunset from there. Hitchcock once said Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world — and I have to say, he had a point. It was a few really fun days, and we met some amazing people. This time there were even a couple of Spaniards in the group, which meant I got to talk about the experience in my own language — what a treat!
And guess who picked us up in Zadar? My ParTNer, of course!! They came to spend the weekend on the island, which was a bit of a challenge since the new apartment is much smaller. We made the most of it and went on a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon — a very touristy thing to do, but I loved it. We even went diving and saw a sunken ship on the sea floor — it was incredible. I’m adding some photos here so you can see why it’s called the Blue Lagoon (no filters, promise).
And you know what else happened that weekend? Only the most important day of the year: my birthday! It felt strange being away from my friends, but I got to spend the day with both my “partners” and it turned out to be a lovely celebration. Theresa made me some delicious fritule, and my other partner brought a really good baklava. And to top it all off — we found Estrella Galicia beer at the supermarket, which made me so happy.
This June, I also made a short visit to Spain. My original plan was to stay here until the end of the project, but it felt nice to spend a few days back home and soak in the green landscapes of Galicia. It was also a bit stressful — in just seven days you try to see as many friends and relatives as possible, tick all the to-dos, and end up really missing the calm pace of island life. My favorite day was the night of the 23rd. Why? Well, for us Coruñeses, it’s the most important night of the year — San Juan. It’s magical, not just because it’s the shortest night of the year, but because of the sardines, the bonfires, and the massive celebration.
Romina, last year’s volunteer, is also from Coruña (what a coincidence!) and she also went back last year to enjoy San Juan. Speaking of Romina — she was in Murter earlier this month! It was so nice to have her here and be able to talk about this experience in my native language with someone who truly understands it. I feel really lucky for that. I also took the chance to return some clothes she had left behind, which I’ve definitely been wearing this past year hahaha. For the future volunteers — we’ve left a box of clothes and other bits and bobs in the living room. Maybe I’ll come back for them next summer, who knows.
After returning from Coruña, I reunited with my dear Theresa and our dear island to start preparing the Zumba and Pilates classes — but that’s a story for the next blog.
Ciao Argonautas, and have a beautiful summer! ☀️
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.
