Francesca's experience in Latvia

Although at first it seemed that time was passing rather slowly, and the phrase “a year of volunteering in Latvia” sounded like a superhero mission, my ESC (European Solidarity Corps) ended on July 29, 2019. The only thing I regret about this amazing experience is not having done it sooner. Why is it that in our country young people know so little about the opportunities that the Erasmus+ program offers? Why is it that at 18 or 19, after finishing high school, the only two options seem to be university or a job?

From my personal experience, the European Voluntary Service was definitely a formative experience in terms of work. It gave me the chance to experience teaching languages and explore the vast world of Erasmus+, with its countless opportunities not only for university students (before my ESC, the only aspect of Erasmus+ I knew about was studying abroad for a period of time) but also for anyone, regardless of age or employment, interested in internships, seminars, or other types of active projects in Europe.

However, the greatest discovery was more cultural than professional. I experienced a fantastic melting pot for 12 months, where so many volunteers—and not only volunteers—came together, each with their own perspectives, habits, and stories to tell. One of the saddest aspects is that just as one day you start this ESC journey and are thrown into such a colorful and often festive reality—much like the Rio Carnival—there will also come the day when you must take the return ticket home. One day, Jesus, a Spanish volunteer, seeing his closest friends leave Rezekne at the end of their ESC, said: “They should make us all arrive and leave together!” Nils, a German volunteer friend of mine, replied: “If they did that, we would only know one group of people; we wouldn’t have the chance to meet all the others we get to know so often. It’s the life, dude!”

I have never met so many people as I did during my volunteering. Of course, we hope that everyone will remain present in the future, but for many reasons, this doesn’t always happen: the start of a new course of study, job opportunities, family matters, distance. Of all these, I think distance is the factor that scares the most but at the same time teaches the most. For me, distance made me realize who truly matters: when I accompanied Capucine, my first French roommate, to the station in Rezekne on her departure day, with a slightly broken voice and teary eyes, she said: “It’s not a goodbye, it’s a see you soon!” Sometimes these phrases are said out of politeness or excitement, but we really meant it. Capucine returned to Rezekne to visit twice within less than a year from our first meeting. Today she is one of what I like to call “my favorite people,” along with Arman, Tibo, Masha, Astrid, Redona, and other volunteers I met in Latvia.

Some of my greatest moments of personal growth also happened during the many trips I took throughout my mobility period. ESC allows you to reach many places at relatively low cost, at least from Latvia. My best trip was to Moscow: a journey I took alone for obvious reasons, but during which I never felt more accompanied. I was in daily contact with my parents, friends in Italy, and new friends who motivated me to live my journey in Russia to the fullest—a country that initially intimidated me due to its vastness. Everyone was curious to know Moscow through my stories, experiences, and the photos I shared. One evening, I found myself walking down an avenue in the heart of the Russian capital, comparable in size to a highway, eating a kebab, captivated by the people walking up and down, paying no attention to the lights, Moscow traffic, the dynamic atmosphere, or the grandeur of the enormous Soviet buildings along the road, which made me feel tiny. At that moment, K.Flay’s “Can’t Sleep” played randomly on my playlist. This remains one of my fondest memories of Moscow.

In conclusion: why was ESC such a constructive, colorful, and wonderful experience that I feel compelled to share it with everyone and motivate others to embark on it? There are countless episodes and factors to consider; the ones I’ve shared are just examples. In hindsight, I can say that at the start of my service I was not this Francesca; ESC helped me become more spontaneous, open to the people I meet, to accept ideals, thoughts, and opinions different from my own, keeping in mind that each person can teach me something new. ESC taught me to overcome the imaginary limits I had set for myself—my fears. “If you don’t try, you’ll never know” became my motto. ESC made me realize that time is never wasted; every moment is an experience, whether included in a CV or not, that stays with you and will surely be useful one day.

A huge thanks goes to my sending and hosting organizations, which gave me the chance to discover this Erasmus+ world, to everyone who entered my life and whom I am happy to call friends, even those with whom I only spent a couple of hours chatting. The biggest thanks perhaps go to Rezekne and Latvia: a country that, despite being completely different from my beloved Italy, I have chosen once again as home for the next experience I am about to start—this time in Riga.