Paula Olivares

When I made the decision to leave for eleven months I was scared, I couldn’t speak English and I had
never separated from my family, but it was without a doubt the best decision of my life. European volunteering completely changed me. The experience of becoming independent, being in an
unknown country with new people who grew up. The eleven months spent in Romania were wonderful, I also had moments of sadness, and I missed my family, other times I had different decisions with my roommates. But I learned to listen, to give in and to be heard.

I learned to work, to have a schedule and to manage my money and my time. I traveled to wonderful places like Turkey, Greece, Hungary, I got to know the different cultures and it made me more empathetic, respectful and cultured. But after all this I was afraid it would end, to return to my life in Spain, I didn’t know what could happen, I really liked the life I had, the friends I had made, the trips, the independence. I was wondering, will I be able to continue this lifestyle when European volunteering ends?

When it was all over and I returned home, the first few weeks I was very sad, but when I remembered everything I was capable of, I got up from the sofa and sent my resume to a restaurant. I spent three months working in a restaurant, thanks to the exchange I was able to serve many foreign clients. After working there I changed jobs and now I am in a company in the position of administrative and accounting
assistant.

I feel stronger, European volunteering has taught me to fight for what I want and to be accepted in the
world of work, my training has been enriched with languages and jobs. Now I know I can do what I want and go to different countries, I plan to continue training as a wedding planner and go to the Canary Islands to work. I am the same person but with more experiences and I am very grateful. I want to take the opportunity to thank my mother who supported me in this adventure, my flatmates from Romania, Paolo, Manuel and my dear friend Irene with whom I made most trips, without her it would not have been the same, to my coordinator Adelina and her husband Gabri, who supported and trusted me. Thanks to European volunteering.