Why do I come to a small city in Finland? What happened in my life to make this decision? What motivates me to do it?
Well, I would like to explain my story and my reasons. And for this I asked myself these three questions.
Why do I come to a small city in Finland?
Surfing the net I found the European Solidarity Corps and from that moment I had the idea in my head to have an international volunteering experience. When I saw the opportunity in Finland I was so curious. I prepared my motivation letter and my CV and thought “let’s try!”
Maybe someone’s wondering why Finland. This country is radically opposite to what I am used to. Finland is a beautiful land with plenty of nature and this caught my attention. Specifically the North Karelia region is totally unknown for me, for that reason I need to discover their culture and way of life.
I used to think that Finland is just a cold place in the world, but my first day here started with the sun shining and coming through my window. That was already a good sign.
What happened in my life to make this decision?
I think that it is necessary to make a brief introduction about me and what I do in life.
I’m 24 and I was born and raised in Marbella, Spain. I’m a really social, creative, active and committed person.
When I was 17 I moved to Granada to start my law degree at the University of Granada.
Marbella’s view from the sea.
Tips: Granada is a beautiful storic and universitary city. If you have the possibility to do the ERASMUS programme there don’t hesitate to take this destination.
If you need information about life, the university or any other thing don’t hesitate to ask me, I’ll be happy to explain to you everything.
During my second year of university, I had the opportunity to choose to do the ERASMUS programme or continue in Granada. At that moment, I wasn’t sure what to do but my friends encouraged me to try. I can’t deny that I was totally afraid.
In September of 2016 I started my adventure in Genoa, Italy and my first international experience. I can anticipate that this experience changed my life and the way to see the world. When I started at the University, I started to meet local people and I learned the Italian language. Everything inside me changed. At that moment, I wasn’t anymore afraid, I just was really happy with my choice.
Lanterna di Genoa. This is the symbol of the city.
What did I learn?
- How to interact with other people
- A new language and culture (their food is absolutely the best one in the planet)
- A new education system
- Travel to many different places
- Feel love and friendship
- Become a more open-minded person
- Many other things
Once you try this feeling you can’t stop and all the people say:
Once Erasmus, always Erasmus.
After this enriching experience I decided that I want to continue exploring new places. I had the possibility to study last year in another Spanish university, and so I did.
At the end of 2017, I started a new adventure in Tenerife, Canary Islands. I met a lot of people from different places and, of course, I explored the rest of the islands.
This was the place to enjoy:
- Infinitive beaches with volcanic sand
- Water sports like diving (Marine biodiversity is amazing there)
- Trekking in a beautiful landscape (Visit the Teide is a must, is the highest volcano in Spain)
- Trying the typical food
- Meeting super nice local people
Don’t hesitate to visit Canary Island, it’s just the paradise.
After that, I worked during the summer as a waitress in a small village near Marbella (2 hours by car). This place called Zahara de los Atunes is a small place (even more so than Nurmes) but during the summer season is really turistic. It’s like a hippy village! For the first time in my life I lived in the countryside. I lived with international people from Argentina and Italy, and I had a great summer.
This is Zahara de los Atunes, the view from my house there and one of the most beautiful beaches.
Tips: If you’re in South Spain you must visit this place and try the tuna. It is recognized for its quality throughout Spain.
Notice that I love to travel, share moments and meet people from all over the world. Do you know why? Because this makes me feel alive and connected to the entire world.
What motivates me to do it?
The answer to this question looks easy but it’s difficult to express with words. I’m motivated by a lot of different things. One of them is meeting people from different places, I love to share experiences with them and discover how they are. I love doing activities with local people.
Another point is to try new stuff. I think that here I can try different things like new sports (skiing), new experiences like sauna or the typical food of this region (I can’t wait to try the Karelian pie).
The question of languages is a real challenge. I’m really embarrassed speaking English, but I believe with certainty that this experience will help me improve my level of English. I would like to learn some basic Finnish (I know it is really difficult but I want to try it). Foreign languages open doors to many possibilities.
The nature in Finland is astonishing. I love nature and the awareness of Finnish people to take care of the environment.
These are some things that motivate me, but each person can have their own motivations. Joining an international volunteering experience can provide many different positive things for your life, it all depends on the person who lives it.
All European Solidarity Corps programmes are funded by the European Union. What does this mean? They provide the accommodation, food and pocket money, so you don’t need a lot of money to start one. You just need the correct motivation to enjoy the experience.
I leave here the link of the page: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_es
I’m at your disposal for any questions you may have. Also you can find me on Instagram @volunteers_eastfinland https://www.instagram.com/volunteers_eastfinland/
P.S: I greet you from my new cozy wooden house in Finland and, finally, I would like to say thanks to my hosting organization: Hyvärilä Youth Centre for this opportunity, I’m so happy to be here.
Laura Glez
Hyvärilä Volunteers 