Oggi Monica ci racconta i suoi primi due mesi in Danimarca, a Frøstrup per un interessantissimo progetto SVE. La nostra volontaria è soddisfatta della sua esperienza e si sta innamorando del paese. In questo articolo vi riportiamo le sue parole.
My name is Monica, I came from Italy and I’m a volunteer in Frøstruphave Efterskole. The project in which I’m involved is called EVS – European Voluntary Service. The European Union through the project Erasmus Plus gives the opportunity to young people to live in another country for a short or long period of time. There are several kinds of project in different fields all over the Europe. I decided to apply for this educational project for the curiosity to be part of Danish society. I’ve always read about this country as the happiest in the world, so when I found the position in Frøstrup I immediately applied!
Taking a decision to leave everything what you have and take a deep plunge into something unknown is never an easy one. There are many challenges, first of all the language. I’ve always had to communicate in English and it is not my mother tongue and from English studying Danish: sometimes there’s chaos in my head. However I consider important for me to learn Danish and maybe before the end of the project to be able to speak with colleagues in a more efficient way. Måski! Then you have to be strong enough to overcome the worst moments when you miss the small Italian things. The hard moment is when you realise that you are living your life completely out of your ‘comfort zone’. Then you can feel a strange feeling, like vertigo.
However, to be stranger in a strange country is the most incredible adventure of ever. You learn thousand of things about yourself and other people. You learn all the time; to be alone, to do thing you’ve never done before, to share time with new people, to be involved in a completely different society, to appreciate other kind of things, to study a new language, to express who you are in English, to play a different role, to test your limits, to be open-minded and to face your fears, to learn that it’s not the place that makes the people, but that it’s the people that make the place, to open your eyes and to realize which are those things that actually makes life worth living, to realize that you can do things you earlier just had watched others do, to get a hint of what you could imagine doing in the future and to plant a piece of your heart in another country.
In the school I’m completely involved in the students schedule. I assist English teachers during the lessons, I helped in the kitchen and making decorations for special occasions, and of course I spread Italian culture. Some pupils want to know about Italy and its customs, some others just ask me about myself and others are only uncomfortable speaking with me because of language barrier. I only try to do my best with everyone all the time. For me the best moment is the evening when students are free to talk to me and play games easily without teachers who can listen English mistakes! Then when finally it’s sleeping time, I can follow the other volunteers or teachers just to say Goodnight to the students in their beds. It’s so cozy!
Here is like a big family where everyone cares about each other. I’m really lucky to be part of this system and I could never imagine that it would be so cozy. My colleagues try to make me feel fine like at home and after two months I can say that I’m really falling in love with Denmark.