By Mehmet Harman
I used to participate voluntarily in the association in the city where I live in Turkey. When I first heard about the EVS program started searching immediately to learn more about it. Taking part in a project with different people in another country sounded very promising. Later, I started looking for projects in the European Youth Portal and facebook groups. I saw a photo and video project in Craiova, Romania and applied immediately. I graduated from a computer related department and found a suitable project for me.
The adventure started and implemented this project together with 5 other volunteers. In the first month, you are trying to adapt to your new home, a new country, a new culture and new people. My association helped a lot in this regard and I could adapt very easily. In the project, we were promoting the city of Craiova with photos and videos and sharing it on social media. Craiova is the 6th largest city in Romania in area. It is located in the Dolj region and has a population of around 300 thousand.
I received Arrival Training at the end of the first month. This training took place in the capital Bucharest, with all volunteers who completed their first month in Romania. You spend a week with volunteers from different countries from all over the world. I can say that the experiences I had during this 1 week and EVS were the best moments of my life.In my spare time, I traveled the cities of Romania. As you see different culture and historical buildings, these trips open your horizons more. You understand that the world is not just the country you live in.
Like all good things, I had reached the end of this project and returned to my house. When I got back to my house I realized that I was a very different me now. My opinions and views had changed a lot. My advice to you is to leave your prejudices and if you take part in such a project, enjoy the best moments of your life.
'To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries' (Aldous Huxley)
