A year of European voluntary service in Romania.
Hello, I'm Paula and I'm 18 years old. Just a year ago, I went to school every day, as I had done for years, and only rarely did anything break the daily routine. Things are different today. I've finished my A-levels and have been on my own in a foreign country for two months now. I'm spending 11 months in a kindergarten in Romania, which will probably be one of the most exciting and educational years of my life.
But with all the excitement and novelties, I haven't had time for homesickness yet. At the airport, I met the three other volunteers who would be spending the year with me in the kindergarten and with whom I would be sharing a flat.
My exciting journey began on the first of September. I got on the plane to Cluj, Romania, and couldn't quite believe that I would be spending 11 months in a completely different environment. My biggest fear at that moment was not of all the new, unfamiliar things that would await me, but of leaving my familiar, beloved home with all my friends and family. Even after a month, I still feel uneasy at the thought of them all living their lives largely without me.
Working with the children is a lot of fun but often very difficult because of the language barrier. Learning the new language is quite difficult for me and I have only made slow progress so far.
The most important thing I have learned in this short time so far is that you should be "brave" and not always think too much. Now is the time to get to know myself better as well as the other culture. So now I no longer hesitate to jump into every puddle of rain, roll down grassy hills or compliment strangers. I want to enjoy every moment and have realized that I can achieve so much just by being friendly (I've even made my first firm acquaintances) and that most people are just as friendly towards you and you shouldn't be too reserved on the whole.