Volunteering in Italy

Hi there!

My name is May. I’m 26 from Thailand and I graduated in Art and film.

I was doing projects about self-understanding, the power within, and the Healing called Aquarius life analysis and the calling. I also facilitate a learning space called “indigo space” and also a photographer and astrologist. Nice to meet you guys!

I joined the EuroAsia program for 50 days to work as a volunteer in Pasero, Italy. Pesaro is a place where Rossini, the famous music composer was born.

Pesaro is a beautiful city near the beach, I think it’s around 20 minutes away from my dorm by bike. Right now, it’s summer time here so the weather is kind of nice and windy. There are lots of activities and festivals during this time and I think that’s the reason why people here are so lively. I enjoy it a lot here.

I would say I love summer here even though I don’t like summer that much in my Country.  Sometimes it’s too hot to enjoy the weather outside.

I was a volunteer for Vicolocorto that worked on youth projects so I got to help on my projects. For example, first, during the summer, there was a Unifest festival which was held by the big traveling magazine called “Lonely Planet”. There were a lot of activities like workshops, talks, and concerts. I worked with a lot of volunteer friends from other countries and we helped organize the festival and enjoyed the concert together.

Apart from organizing the event, there were videos making classes. I helped them shoot the videos and did some preparation material and did some presentations.

My life here is pretty interesting. I learn how to live life like people here. I live in the house on the bridge which is called Santa Venerandra which is the name of the town here. And I have my two best housemates ever and we have fun time together, they are from Cambodia and Spain. Since here in Italy, people go to many places by bike so I have a bicycle too.

I ride the bike to work, shopping, and explore the Pasero and also other cities around here. I love going shopping when I’m free because I want to see the foods, the ingredients, things that we don’t have in Thailand. The thing that surprises me is in the local supermarket, you guys have so many kinds of cheese, pasta and wine that we have only a few. We can’t choose much like here in Italy.

I learned how to cook some menus like pasta and steak using the ingredients here, even though they don’t taste like original Italian food but I love it anyway.

In the program, we had Italian classes once a week. I can speak a little bit just to survive here.

I have a lot of international volunteer friends like Italian, Cambodian, Spanish, Portuguese and Swedish. We did a lot of activities together; played lots of games, went to the beach, went to the party, and joined a lot of city activities. We went to the pride palace. I’m so happy to be a volunteer here.

This program helps me broaden my horizon. I have a lot of chances to travel, do a lot of activities, and connect with international friends. I saw the different cultures, people, how people live, how people think even though we have different cultures and lots of different things, but I found a lot of things in common that we have together. To be a human being. happiness, sadness, love, fear and anger, I don’t feel much different and I feel that I’m part of this community and even I come from the other part of the world.

This time helps me to reconnect with my friends who I met before this. I had joined a lot of international programs and it was always sad to say goodbye. I thought I won’t have a chance to go back and see each other again, but this program helps me to travel and reconnect with my friends again. In each country I travel, along the way, I met my old friends that we haven’t seen each other for ages. I did make some new friends too and that’s why I am very happy about my trip. I’m glad and excited every time I’m surrounded by people from different cultures and I am very happy to spend time with you guys. Yes, what a good memory in my lifetime.

My journey makes me feel that the world is very small. We say goodbye and we say hi again. I value friendship and I think it lasts forever for me.

I had the opportunity to travel alone for the first time. It was such a long journey, 8 countries. I saw a lot of impossible things at first. It was quite hard to find the middle between my high expectations and the low budget. I had to admit that I cried a lot during the trip because I had to do many things on my own. I had to learn new things in each country I visited, for example; how to get on the bus, changing currency, I had to do a lot of calculations, and find a place to stay. Everything was very challenging for me but when I look back when my journey is done. Everything impossible is possible for me.

I know a lot of people. They opened doors for me to get new opportunities to broaden the world through my eyes. I learn to open my mind to understand people, respect the way they are and explore new things. I see possible things in this world. Also, I learn many things about myself, who I am and what I like to do. Reflecting back to understand my path and also, I love myself more when I feel more confident. The power within me is shining. I learned to be humble enough to open my mind to ask for help from people like hitchhike ,do Couchsurfing and travel with local friends who I didn’t know before. This journey makes me feel this world is safe enough for learning.

For me this program is amazing. I would love to say thank you to Vicolocorto, Erasmus+, VSA Thailand which gave me a big opportunity. Also my friends I spent time with, every experience I went through and everything here.

This program is the big transformation of my life that I’ll never forget.

May (Phattharaporn)

3 September 202