Antonio's experience in Spain

I was asked to write a testimony about my volunteering project in Spain… and it’s difficult to write about emotions, especially when they have fueled you the whole time, both positively and negatively.
If you are a future volunteer and you are getting ready to leave, I’m sorry to tell you this, but it won’t all be sunshine and rainbows. Volunteering is a part of your life, and living in constant happiness without problems is, I believe, called fiction—or denial of reality. But that’s just my opinion; I didn’t mean to make you anxious, ¡lo siento!

But let’s get back to my adventure as a volunteer abroad. My project was called “Burgos Sostenible y Solidaria”. It took place in northern Spain, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León. More specifically, my volunteering week was divided between work in the organic garden (Huerta Molinillo), Spanish language lessons, and after-school activities with the children of migrant families.

The huerta was the true revelation of this adventure. I did not expect to find such a strong and united reality—one that I would eventually consider home. It WAS my home. My hogar.
Molinillo is based on solid principles that promote food sustainability, ecological production, environmental protection and human solidarity. I tell you this because these are fundamental values that I have learned to make my own, and that I hope one day to put into practice and continue to pass on.

I met people, spent a lot of time with them, and shared joys, frustrations, trips, lunches and more than a few bottles of wine. They have left me with a beautiful memory to cherish. We made a promise: to stay in touch, to meet again, to write new memories and keep growing.

Volunteering changes you—but you can’t know this in advance. The change is not obvious; you don’t really notice it, or maybe you pretend not to see it. Something new lights up inside you, a new energy. Nurture it, and you’ll see how beautiful it can be.

After this long rant, my advice is: don’t overthink it. If you already are, it probably means you’re not ready yet. Volunteering is not something you look for—it’s something that finds you when you need it.
You’ll see, it will be a beautiful journey.

Bye,
Antonio