As I was leaving Greece and heading to Latvia, I had no idea what to expect, since the only thing I already knew about the country was the Latvian flag and that it is located next to the Baltic sea. When I landed at Riga’s airport and I breathed in the fresh air I felt for the first time that in this chapter of my life, through the ESC volunteering project that I chose, I will have the chance to redefine myself, by rediscovering my creativity, going out of my comfort zone and acquiring many new life skills. The first days in Ventspils and at the Youth House, where I will be volunteering for a total of 10 months, brought with them the challenge of getting used to a city with a completely different pace of life and people with different values and habits, while at the same time doing my part to build a strong team with the other ESC volunteers and planning activities together that will win the youngsters of the area and the local people over.
At times, I was overwhelmed with the amount of new information and situations that I had to get accustomed to. Of course, the on-arrival training that we participated in, equipped us with the right tools and knowledge to utilise in the implementation of our project.
Currently, I am learning about the many different stages that are in between having an idea for an event or activity and actually bringing it to life and I am also enjoying experimenting with graphic design tools. My favourite moments in Ventspils so far would have to be when our team gets together to play board games.
Lastly, the beautiful autumnal nature all around us and the breathtaking beach, which I visit in my free time, refresh me and fill me with enthusiasm for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
– Evangelia Koukoumvri
Projektu “Youth of tomorrow” finansē Eiropas Savienība. Šī publikācija atspoguļo vienīgi autora uzskatus un viedokli, un ne obligāti Eiropas Savienības, Eiropas Komisijas vai Nacionālās aģentūras (Jaunatnes starptautisko programmu aģentūras) viedokli, kuras nav atbildīgas par tajā ietvertās informācijas jebkādu izmantošanu.