Hei, hei
My name is Jaanika and I come from Estonia.
After I graduated High School I wanted to experience something new and ESC Volunteering was just the right thing for me. So I packed my suitcase, said ‘’Bye’’ to my cat and ‘’Hello’’ to Turkey.
My first month passed unbelievably fast, but at the same time it was full of new people, new surroundings, and new knowledge.
We had done a lot: discovered Ankara, taught in schools, led an English speaking club, packaged food and did a lot of social media.
Some days were busy, some were chaotic, but all of them were meaningful.
Every single one of these experiences was new to me. Sometimes I felt nervous, sometimes excited… but it all is a mandatory part of the process, you just need to trust it.
Getting used to Turkey was not easy as well. The randomized traffic and street crossing is still leaving me in shock, but all you need to do is pretend that you know how it works.
I love the tradition of drinking çay (tea) every second. No matter how late you are, there is always time to drink tea.
This month we discovered Ankara. We visited Anıtkabir, Ulus, Hamamönü, Millet Kütüphanesi. But my favourite place so far is Altınköy. ‘’Golden Village’’ was a real gold and treasure for me: calm nature, old houses, animals and this peaceful atmosphere that makes you want to stay there forever.
And the most important part- people.
Within this month I met a lot of kind, funny, bright and inspiring humans.
People about whom, when thinking back to my volunteering, I will definitely let some tear drops.
With school children, for whom we gave English lessons, my goal was to leave some impact on them, but in the end, I think they are the ones who impacted me. And this experience is impossible to describe.
If the first month was already this emotional, exciting, and unforgettable… I can’t imagine what the next one will bring, but for now I will just wait with Turkish Tea in my one hand and Simit in the other…
P.S. Quote of this month: ‘’As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.’’