This the last post for the volunteers blog. It feels strange because I didn’t write anything here for a long time, the last one was probably for Christmas, and since then I lived an entire life.

I wouldn’t have enough place to write everything that happened those last months, and honestly I am not sure I would want to either. 
I feel mixed feelings about this post. I explain myself, it is the last one and it shoud be like short and happy resume about this ten month’s adventure, but I didn’t digest everything I lived in Italy yet, and I still feel sad that I left so it doesn’t sounds like writing a resume is the best idea. 
So I decided to write about now, about the coming back (who knows maybe it will be useful for someone in the future). 
Guys, coming back is kind of difficult !! I mean if you lived one of your best life experience as I did, the return isn’t easy. In the sense that you put so much effort at the beginning of the volunteering to adapt to your new context, that one day you forget it is not always been your comfort zone, people there have not always been your friends. You forget it until the moment you come back and you have to readapt to what used to be your life before. It is like what was known is now the unknown and vice versa. But I guess that’s how you know that you lived what you had to live at 100%. 
So, at the end I think I can say that I am grateful to be able to be sad today, because it is the sign that everything I experienced this year was really great. And indeed, I think I can say that coming in Italy was one the best decision I have taken. I learned so much about myself, I grow (even if Sagar always laugh when I say that ) it is true, and gain self-confidence. And of course I gain amazing friends, I won’t give a shout out to them on this post because, first they already know everything, and secondly it would be BEAUF as fuck ! ! (They all know what it means). 
But I let you with some pictures of my ten months here. I had to chose ten pictures but I couldn’t (I mean ten pictures among 2500 that I took it was too difficult ) so I let Reme choose them among a selection I made (go baby show them what we’ve got). 

   

-Juliette L'her

First of all Ciao ragazzi,

Today it’s the 10 of March, and I’m writing this at the last minute (just like for the others text I wrote on this blog, anyways...)

10 of March... time is strange here, it’s like like a temporal rift: time flies without you notice!
I’m at the middle of my volunteering, my fifth month just started and «How guuurl» I feel so great right now, even though we live every Friday as if it was our last Friday in orange (I hope this sentence won’t make sense anymore in a while)!

I feel like, I’m at my place, which is such a good feeling! I guess it’s because I have met wonderful people, with whom I enjoy and love to do simple things. But also because I know myself better, I guess!
Of course our volunteering experience, is probably not like the previous volunteer’s one, but I have to say that I love it. Coming here is probably one of the best decision I took!

You already see pictures of the activities we did in Sagar, Reme, and Christina’s testimony so I won’t repeat the same things just add some inedit pictures!

I don’t read any books but... I’m watching stupid TV program in Italian so I can improve my level, among them «Alta infidelta», I thought to stop watching it many times feeling ashamed, disagreeing, rolling my eyes, nodding with exasperated agreement and laughing nervously at the decisions made. ( love you Sagar :D)

Regarding to my volunteering, if I had a lack of motivation during two weeks, I’m now full of energy again. My relationship with the residents is better and better everyday. I also feel more a part of the work team ! Again, I feel at my place there... blabliblabla....

- Signé Juliette ... oui oui baguette 🥖

 

Hey,

We are the 23th of December, and I’m writing this post in the train, because YES, after two months, I’m going back home for Christmas 🎄.
I’m really happy to come back home, not only because I’m going to see my family and friends again, but also because I know that I will be happy to come back here too!

I can realize now how things can change fast, and how the adaptation is a strange process ( it feels like it’s slow and quick on the same time) !

Lea said in her last post that you need few people to feel good, I agree.
This last month (and last week actually), I’ve met so nice people, and reinforced my relationship with those I already knew !

I’ve been able to go to see the surrounding of Trento too with Reme and Julia ! We went to Madonna di Campiglio. We postponed this little trip 3 times before we actually go there, but I don’t regret we finally went ! There was snow everywhere, and it was really cool (I hope it’s going to snow at Trento too) 

Before that we went to Verona. I loved the city, there are so many places there with a great view ! There we went to a restaurant, and ate a pizza ! we all agreed about the fact that it was the best pizza of our life !

Finally, during this last month I could try to hike, I love it, even if I thought I was going to die on the last one. 

It’s so exhilarating, to live new things all the time, I feel like it never stop and I really appreciate this feeling!

     I arrived at Trento on a sunny day by train, I remember that I was amazed by the mountains all around the city that I was able to see from the window. I was really relax, and happy to finally arrive at destination. I was so excited to discover the flat and meet the girls I will live with. So I waited Antonio while dreaming of what would soon be my life in Italy. Antonio arrived in a red car, and started to talk to me in Italian only, I was surprised but also happy, I remember that I thought « that’s cool I am directly immersed in Italian culture ». I was of course little bit frustrated to not be able to answer him as I wanted but I tried to do my best. Knowing that the best was a mix of French, English and Italian …

After a few minutes, we arrived to the accommodation, I met the girls. Reme talked with Antonio, she had some questions about the flat. He answered and then left, and let me here. I asked to the girls how many bedrooms were there. They told me that there were only 2 bedrooms and an office. I was quite confused because I thought I understood during the interview, that the flat could welcome six people, so I was persuaded that I would have my own bedroom. As I’m really attached to my personal space, it was kind of a challenge to pass through this detail. But I hadn’t the choice.

I started to settle down, and realized that I was in a country where I didn’t know the language, where I didn’t know anyone, and far away from my love ones. But then in the evening we went to the city center to have a drink and discover the famous Italian Spritz so I didn’t had the time to completely realized.

I would say that I realized what I was engaged in step by step the next days. It was a feeling that doesn’t have a name, it was a mix of pride, sadness, fear, loneliness, joy and impatience. Indeed I was proud of having a long trip alone, of being here for such a project, and proud to have been able to let all my landmarks behind me to go into this new experience abroad.

I was sad to feel alone, but also happy to think that I will learn to be alone, happy to know that this period of sadness and this feeling to be lost were also some feelings that help me to grew up. In terms of the feelings of fear and impatience, they were linked together. Indeed I felt impatient to meet new people, but also scared at the thought of not be abble to. To put it in a nutshell I would say that during my first week my emotions and feelings were like the roller coaster.

I am now in my second week here and I can say that my emotions and feelings oscillate less. It’s probably because I am slowly creating new landmarks here. I mean I’ve started to discover the city, meet new people, and have plans. Also we transformed the office in a bedroom, so I have my own bedroom now that I have decorated.

I can say that after 14 days here, if I’m still amazed by the mountains, I feel a little bit more home than in the first days.