EVS stories: Back to the past (III) – by Jorge M.E.

Whenever you end an experience as intense as the European Voluntary Service, you feel that you left a part of yourself behind when you returned home. And that happens because we all have grown internally as persons during the course of all those months living abroad.

Being away from home puts you to the test constantly, and “forces” you (if you want) to adapt and show new facets of you, to handle all those new situations that are appearing. This at home does not happen, so when you are back you feel that you have left behind that person you have been during those months.

Now is the time to internalize everything you have learned and apply it to the life you take back where you left off.

When you’re home again, it seems that time has not passed, everything is the same, your family, your friends, even your neighbours. Maybe with luck, they have put a new store, or there is a different building next to yours. But practically everything is still there where you left off.

The interesting thing will be to see now how I face my life after this experience, and if that person who grew up in Romania is still inside me.

Jorge (Spain) was hosted in Baia Mare by Team for Youth Association, in the “IN4EVS” project, an European Voluntary Service financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus Plus Program.