There is something I have never learned to do and that is how to start a speech. So, since this is the first time you hear from me, I’ll start by introducing myself: My name is Juana, I’m eighteen years old and I come from Barcelona. As you will have guessed by now, I’m one of the members of the Schuman Volunteers 2020/21.
Just like many other of us, my decision to start my ESC was a way to get to know myself deeply and learn about other cultures and people. Cursing my last year of high school, I knew I wanted to do something different before getting into my further studies and focusing in my “life plan”. For the previous years, I volunteered in various local organizations so I felt thrilled by the possibility of spending nine months offering some help.
But, why Poland? From my perspective, Europe is a huge mass of diversity. Every part of it is distinguished by its own traits and traditions. Even though every country has its own identity seal, we are usually conditioned by our geographical situation. That way, southern Europe is often marked by the same features, such as messy streets, loud bars and easy-going people. So, when I started looking for my destination, I decided to search for the other side of the continent. I thought that the best way to face this project was to feel completely lost.
Sitges, Barcelona. 
Pałac Kultury i Nauki, Warszawa.
After spending my first month here, I can tell you I was right. Still today I expect people to talk to me in the bus stop or while we are waiting on the supermarket queue. I’m actually the person who spends the day smiling when it’s sunny and who’s having a terrible time accepting that nights begin at 5. For me, polish sounds like a strange combination of s and z that doesn’t make any sense. But among all that, I enjoy the challenge that all these differences signify.
So far my experience has been nothing but positive inputs, mostly starred by the rest of the volunteers. Since the beginning of our project, we have seen ourselves as a big family in which everyone takes part. Somehow, they manage to make everything look easy but they are always there in case it’s not.
