There is a country on the map of the world that can captivate you from the first day and at the end make you willing to stay there or at least come back. It’s Portugal – a small country located at the western end of Europe. The country that has a lot to offer – tourists looking for fun will find it in Algarve, Lisbon or Porto. Those who appreciate more peaceful atmosphere will enjoy smaller, picturesque towns. It’s also the paradise for beach-lovers and interesting place for those curious about the history.
Once upon a time I took part in a programme called European Voluntary Service and I was lucky to spend 6 months in this amazing place. I wasn’t really tourist there, I lived in Portugal 6 months working in Rato-ADCC. That’s why I will remember Portugal not only as all this touristic places, even though I find them really beautiful. For me it’s also the place located to the south of Lisbon that is not so well-known by tourists and by some people perceived as a not so safe place. Anyway, it’s totally wrong and for all the future volunteers – I would never say that it’s dangerous.
Margem Sul. Miratejo. Laranjeiro. The place that I called home for a long time and I really felt that it was my home, in some sense it will even stay my home.
EVS gave me the opportunity to learn completely new things not connected with the field of my studies, gain many new skills and finally to have some space to reflect about myself, about the society we live in and consequently about my future path of life and the impact that I can have on the world. It was my first experience with voluntary work and thanks to Rato-ADCC I discovered that it’s a beautiful thing very needed in today’s world. Even doing small steps, that at the beginning might be not so visible we can have an impact and make a big change.
I am feeling very lucky because of the people I met during the project. I couldn’t be more thankful for all the things you taught me and for every single, happy or not so happy, moment we shared. Muito obrigada to everyone all together and each one separately. Without you it wouldn’t be the same.
During these six months I’ve been watching portuguese culture and I also had the opportunity to visit many beautiful places. From the first day I knew that I will not have any problems to settle up. Now I can say that I feel the need to come back one day and I hope that this day will be in not so distant future.
Saudade – this untranslatable portuguese word perfectly describes my feeling after EVS. Based on some dictionaries it is translated just as missing but I asked some portuguese people what exactly does this word mean for them and the answer was never so clear. Saudade is the memory of somebody or something, at the same time you are happy because it’s the integral part of yourself but also sad because it’s the past and you don’t have it anymore.
Saudade – an emotional state of melancholic longing for a person or thing that is absent
I just want to say that I finished my EVS exactly 35 days ago and I still think about it and miss it every day. Rato is not dead at all! I still consider it to be one of the best decisions in my life, beautiful time and big experience making significant change in my world-view, my life and making me a better person.
The place that I called home for a very long time and in some sense it will stay my home forever because I left part of me there and Portugal has a very special place in my heart. Muito obrigada!
