{"id":6018,"date":"2026-03-02T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ib-polska.pl\/youth\/?p=6018"},"modified":"2026-02-25T16:06:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:06:51","slug":"earlier-than-expected-but-with-a-full-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ib-polska.pl\/youth\/meet-volunteers\/goodbuy\/earlier-than-expected-but-with-a-full-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Earlier than expected, but with a full heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My name is Mar\u00eda Esteve, and I am from Elche, a city in the province of Alicante. A few days ago, I had to bring my European volunteering experience to an early end due to work-related reasons. I decided to begin this adventure because I was very far down on the secondary school teachers\u2019 recruitment list, and it was expected that I would not be called for at least a year and a half. However, that changed recently when I received the call that meant I had to leave this experience sooner than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If I had to summarize my time as a European volunteer, I would describe it as a journey of learning\u2014in every possible sense. Above all, I have learned more about myself and gained a clearer understanding of what I want for my future. I initially started working in the office, supporting social media and writing articles. Shortly afterwards, I also became a Spanish teacher for retirees. Those classes often turned into meaningful conversations about everyday life, where we shared Polish and Spanish traditions. These exchanges helped me realise that although we come from different cultures, we have so much in common. This is one of the greatest lessons I will carry with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the office, we were constantly organising activities and creating opportunities to share our cultures and spend quality time together. We had a lot of fun while working on different initiatives. I learned a great deal from my colleague Paula, who worked alongside me, as well as from Aneta and Krystiana, who always supported us and helped whenever we needed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living with other volunteers has also been a wonderful part of this experience. I truly enjoyed sharing a home with Svenja, Tekla and Sara. We got along very well, and living together was always easy and enjoyable. We were constantly there for one another, ready to help whenever necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the wider group of volunteers, I believe we created strong bonds and shared many unforgettable moments. I will always consider them my family in Krak\u00f3w, because we supported each other in everything. We travelled together, organised activities and always tried to make the most of every moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Overall, this has been a truly enriching experience, one that I believe everyone should have at least once in their life. It helps you grow and develop your inner strengths in ways you cannot imagine. Today, I consider myself a much more confident person. It has been an important stage of self-discovery, learning to adapt to a new environment and a new language. You learn to communicate in another language and build connections that will last a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Today, with a heavy yet grateful heart, I say goodbye to Krak\u00f3w, a city that has always welcomed me warmly. To my fellow volunteers, I wish you all the best in this final stage of your journey. I hope you enjoy it to the fullest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until next time, Krak\u00f3w.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article by\u00a0 Maria E,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

European Solidarity Corps volunteer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farewell by\u00a0European Solidarity Corps volunteer from\u00a002\/03\/2026.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My name is Mar\u00eda Esteve, and I am from Elche, a city in the province of Alicante. A few days…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6019,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173,4],"tags":[47,90,11,54],"class_list":["post-6018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-goodbuy","category-meet-volunteers","tag-europeansolidairtycorps","tag-volunteeringabroad","tag-krakow","tag-stories"],"yoast_head":"\nEarlier than expected, but with a full heart - ESC teaches me something<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"My name is Mar\u00eda Esteve, and I am from Elche, a city in the province of Alicante. 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