Pass it on
Hello again!
Wow, this is turning into a blog marathon if I keep doing this. I may or may not be giving me a high five right now.
Anyway, the main reason for this is that our lovely coordinator asked us to write down advices for future volunteers, so I thought I might as well turn it into a blog post. So there you go. I hope those who are going abroad soon or who are thinking about it get some use out of this - Cicero once said, "No one can give you wiser advice than yourself", but in this case, I think that this might be different, although Cicero was a very wise man with a brilliant mind.
1. Learn the language.
Whatever country you go to, the language spoken there will most likely not be your own (except if you are from Germany and volunteering in Austria, etc). Whether this means learning a language from scratch or improving what you already learned at school, do it. That doesn't mean that you have to be able to talk philosophy, read complicated books and understand everything. The main thing is that you are trying, and people do realise that. Believe me, people will like you more if you are trying to learn their language and show them that you are interested in their culture. And if you are working with people, like me (I'm working with kids), it will enable you to get in touch with more of them and build up relationships and friendships. Even if it takes you months to say proper sentences, and even if you get things wrong and are not happy with the result, keep going. It will be worth it.
2. Meet locals.
As lovely as other volunteers are, try to meet locals. You could join some club, an orchestra like me or an organisation like Amnesty or Greenpeace, totally up to you. The main thing is that you meet people you wouldn't meet otherwise. Who knows, maybe you will find amazing friends and your year will go in a completely different direction. And again, it will improve your language skills.
3. Talk.
Talk, talk, talk. If you work with kids, talk to the kids. It's enough if you just ask "How are you" or tell them the picture they painted is beautiful. The main thing is that it seems to them that you are in that moment just there for them and listen to everything they want to tell you. Give them your attention. Take pictures with them. Even if you don't understand, pretend you do.Who cares if you don't? If you know the essential words like "toilet", "hungry", "careful", "don't do this", "good job" and "yes" and "no", you're good. They will get used to you very quickly and forget there is a language barrier.
Also, talk about your problems. Find people you can tell what bothers you and what makes you sad. If you are homesick, sad, something at home happened or something else, don't swallow it up. It helps enormously.
4. Be open minded.
If you have to do things you have never done before and are a bit scared or don't particularly want to, just do them. You won't die just because you have to change a nappy. This year is for you to learn something as well.
5. Say no.
Your coordinator and your contract will tell you more about this, but if something feels off or you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing, say no. You are not there to just make coffee for everything or do the dishes. If you have problems with your boss, talk to him/her and solve the problem as soon as possible. It's all about communication.
6. Do what you want.
It's your year! 12 months just for you! Try new things and explore, and don't restrict yourself. Make yourself happy.
7. Travel.
You actually get quite a lot of holidays if you are doing an EVS. 24 days excluding the weekends! So go and see places! Whether it is different countries or you explore the country you stay in, and whether you travel on your own or with friends, try to see as many new places as possible, especially countries you would not usually visit or don't know much about. Take the road less traveled by.
8. Keep yourself busy.
Keep doing things. Don't get bored. That doesn't mean never being on your own, just make sure you don't get an existential crisis. Try new things as often as possible and challenge yourself. This is absolutely vital when you live in a foreign country with a strange language and traditions and a culture completely different to your own.
9. Don't go home for Christmas.
Yes, Christmas is family time and you will miss people a lot and maybe you have no idea how a different Christmas could be nice too. But every country has amazing Christmas traditions and you will get to see sooo many things you have never seen before! Traditional Christmas meals, games people play, Christmas markets, even showing them your way of celebrating - all that was a really beautiful part of my EVS. Believe me, it's absolutely worth it. Your decision, of course. But if you want to stay, don't let people discourage you, least of all your family. Remember, it's your year! You are only doing this once, some make the best out of it, and in this situation you really should put your needs first, whether it means staying or not.
10. Do everything you want to do.
Time flies by, and you don't want to go home regretting that you didn't do some things on your bucket list. So think of everything you really want to do during your stay and just get off your ass! Your stay won't last forever, so use your time.
That's it. You are welcome.
Love,
Viola
Wow, this is turning into a blog marathon if I keep doing this. I may or may not be giving me a high five right now.
Anyway, the main reason for this is that our lovely coordinator asked us to write down advices for future volunteers, so I thought I might as well turn it into a blog post. So there you go. I hope those who are going abroad soon or who are thinking about it get some use out of this - Cicero once said, "No one can give you wiser advice than yourself", but in this case, I think that this might be different, although Cicero was a very wise man with a brilliant mind.
1. Learn the language.
Whatever country you go to, the language spoken there will most likely not be your own (except if you are from Germany and volunteering in Austria, etc). Whether this means learning a language from scratch or improving what you already learned at school, do it. That doesn't mean that you have to be able to talk philosophy, read complicated books and understand everything. The main thing is that you are trying, and people do realise that. Believe me, people will like you more if you are trying to learn their language and show them that you are interested in their culture. And if you are working with people, like me (I'm working with kids), it will enable you to get in touch with more of them and build up relationships and friendships. Even if it takes you months to say proper sentences, and even if you get things wrong and are not happy with the result, keep going. It will be worth it.
2. Meet locals.
As lovely as other volunteers are, try to meet locals. You could join some club, an orchestra like me or an organisation like Amnesty or Greenpeace, totally up to you. The main thing is that you meet people you wouldn't meet otherwise. Who knows, maybe you will find amazing friends and your year will go in a completely different direction. And again, it will improve your language skills.
3. Talk.
Talk, talk, talk. If you work with kids, talk to the kids. It's enough if you just ask "How are you" or tell them the picture they painted is beautiful. The main thing is that it seems to them that you are in that moment just there for them and listen to everything they want to tell you. Give them your attention. Take pictures with them. Even if you don't understand, pretend you do.Who cares if you don't? If you know the essential words like "toilet", "hungry", "careful", "don't do this", "good job" and "yes" and "no", you're good. They will get used to you very quickly and forget there is a language barrier.
Also, talk about your problems. Find people you can tell what bothers you and what makes you sad. If you are homesick, sad, something at home happened or something else, don't swallow it up. It helps enormously.
4. Be open minded.
If you have to do things you have never done before and are a bit scared or don't particularly want to, just do them. You won't die just because you have to change a nappy. This year is for you to learn something as well.
5. Say no.
Your coordinator and your contract will tell you more about this, but if something feels off or you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing, say no. You are not there to just make coffee for everything or do the dishes. If you have problems with your boss, talk to him/her and solve the problem as soon as possible. It's all about communication.
6. Do what you want.
It's your year! 12 months just for you! Try new things and explore, and don't restrict yourself. Make yourself happy.
7. Travel.
You actually get quite a lot of holidays if you are doing an EVS. 24 days excluding the weekends! So go and see places! Whether it is different countries or you explore the country you stay in, and whether you travel on your own or with friends, try to see as many new places as possible, especially countries you would not usually visit or don't know much about. Take the road less traveled by.
8. Keep yourself busy.
Keep doing things. Don't get bored. That doesn't mean never being on your own, just make sure you don't get an existential crisis. Try new things as often as possible and challenge yourself. This is absolutely vital when you live in a foreign country with a strange language and traditions and a culture completely different to your own.
9. Don't go home for Christmas.
Yes, Christmas is family time and you will miss people a lot and maybe you have no idea how a different Christmas could be nice too. But every country has amazing Christmas traditions and you will get to see sooo many things you have never seen before! Traditional Christmas meals, games people play, Christmas markets, even showing them your way of celebrating - all that was a really beautiful part of my EVS. Believe me, it's absolutely worth it. Your decision, of course. But if you want to stay, don't let people discourage you, least of all your family. Remember, it's your year! You are only doing this once, some make the best out of it, and in this situation you really should put your needs first, whether it means staying or not.
10. Do everything you want to do.
Time flies by, and you don't want to go home regretting that you didn't do some things on your bucket list. So think of everything you really want to do during your stay and just get off your ass! Your stay won't last forever, so use your time.
That's it. You are welcome.
Love,
Viola
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