Belinda’s Diary – ESC Volunteer from Austria

Hey, my name is Belinda.
I did a long-term project in the south of Italy, in a small town called Taurisano with the organisation Fattoria Pugliese Diffusa. A local non-profit organization that offers young people various opportunities for volunteering, learning and personal growth through international and community projects. Honestly, the word Taurisano alone already brings back a whole mix of emotions to me: wonderful, funny, intense, chaotic, adventurous, silly and completely unforgettable.

Now that I’m almost at the end of my project, I keep asking myself where these six months actually went. Time flew by. And looking back, I can say without hesitation, that choosing this project was one of the best decisions of my gap year.
Before coming here, my brain was extremely creative when it came to worst-case scenarios. I imagined so many scary situations and felt really overwhelmed. But the day I arrived, everything somehow started to fall into place by itself, always in a way that worked out for me and from which I could grow.

Taurisano is a pretty small place, without a huge amount of things to do, but for me the people and the environment around me are much more important than the place itself. On the very first day, when I met my roommate from Syria I already knew that we would become close friends, even beyond this experience. I also connected deeply with another Erasmus- girl from France, who stayed only for two months with us, which, of course, makes saying goodbye even harder.

There are countless moments I’ll never forget. Weekly late-night pasta sessions in our house with one friend group. Guitar evenings with another group, singing Italian songs I never thought I’d know by heart. And our regular nights at our favourite bar, “Normal,” with the girls and other groups, talking about God, life, and everything in between.

Thanks to our friends with cars (very important in a small Italian town), we were able to explore the many beautiful places hidden all around Taurisano.
Una lemon soda o un Aperol Spritz, per favore“ -these two drinks basically became part of my personality, and pasta will forever taste like Italy to me, because we ate it every single day.

I was also very lucky to experience a wide variety of work environments. I started going daily to the nearby kindergarten, where I grew close to many small children and learned a lot about how they think and feel.

We presented our project in schools and at events, went on a short trip to Romania, and had our arrival training in Rome- which definitely was one of the highlights of my time here.
We taught English to locals and later our mother tongues -German in my case- to a surprisingly large and motivated group.

Towards the end, we also worked in a center for people with Alzheimer’s. I really liked spending time there because I learned to look at the situation from a different perspective. Of course, it’s sad to see people not remembering many things anymore, but it’s also beautiful to realize how much they have already experienced and how much they can still teach you. I had conversations with them that gave me valuable advice, which I will keep in my heart.

And yes- another big win: I can speak Italian now- wowww! Okay, not perfectly, but I can hold a conversation, and for me that is the most precious part about learning a language.

So I didn’t just gain many amazing experiences, but I also met so many wonderful people. I learned how to live on my own- how to cook, clean, go shopping, do laundry and stay organized. Most importantly, I got to know myself better: my needs, my preferences, the routines I want to keep, the kind of people I connect with, and I now have a clearer idea of what I want for my future.

Saying goodbye won’t be easy.
But I’d rather leave with a heavy heart because of too many beautiful connections than go home feeling nothing at all.
I also know that I will always look back at this time with gratitude and a smile.

GRAZIEEE a tutto!!