Don't be afraid of challenging yourself

It is been almost a month since I left my project and my second home- Germany- to embrace a new experience in Sweden. It seems like yesterday when I strated my EVS with all my fears and my big hopes. Living a challenging experience like this already completed is something which changes you in depth, you notice how much you have changed through the eyes of others and yours as well- if you are ready enough to look inside yourself.

That's what I want to accomplish through this post: look inside myself and write down who I am after this year abroad. So far, I am proud of the person I became: a young woman who is not afraid of takings risks, who is not afraid of fully living.

I am not afraid of travelling alone: this year I managaed to visit wonderful places on my own, enjoying local food and traditions, getting lost into charming streets and art galleries, stopping by little cafè where reading a book or listening some chilling music. I used to be afraid of doing such things alone, but not anymore now, because travelling made me discover the pleasure of the self-discovery and I feel blessed for that.

I am not afraid of telling people what I feel or what I think. I learnt from kids I worked with the art of sincerity: they always told me what they thought, they had no masks, they always wanted to show their emotions, to be authentic. I started to follow their example, to be as pure as snow, because I want everyone to know me for my ideas, for what I believe and for what I feel.

I am not afraid of takings new risks and embracing new paths. My kids at work told me that there is nothing that I can not do If I believe in my skills. So here I am in Sweden, in another country with new traditions and habits. Another big change. Changes are terrifying, they push you out of your comfort zone. The secret is to face them with optimism and positivity. Of course, I was afraid of facing all these changes alone, but then I looks at what I have achieved so far thanks to this EVS: a full independence, new friends, a new language in my cultural luggage, new skills. So, keep calm and enjoy this new adventure!

Thank you, EVS, for having turned me into a stronger person than I used to be before joining you!