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In the head of a volunteer : end credits

Location: International Scout Centre Rustavi ISCR, 9 Meliton Balanchivadze Street, Rustavi 3700, Géorgie

 

“I've got a feeling that there's something more

Something that holds us together

The strangest feeling but I can't be sure

Something that's old as forever

Love, love, love, love”

Note To Self - J.Cole


 Each time I write this monthly blog I try reading again what I wrote before. It would be a shame to repeat myself too much. This time, I realized that my 7th month update felt already like a last entry to this story. I already thought back about how this whole experience made me grow, how I stepped out of my comfort zone to discover new people and new cultures. I talked about travel, work, new friends, personal milestones and sharing Georgia with my loved ones. Let’s make this last blog about gratefulness, about what I will bring home with me, what I will miss and what I will cherish forever. Kind of like the end credits of a great movie or the acknowledgments at the end of a really smart research paper. 


"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the International Scout Center Rustavi for their great spirit, mission and joy. Working here and playing my part in this beautiful project was really fulfilling and fun. I discovered working with children and the creativity this work demands. It was great to think about activities, bringing them to life and seeing the children, adolescents and parents enjoy it.” 


“I am especially thankful to Aleks and David for their warm welcome and availability from the moment we met throughout the whole project. Your good mood, jokes and smiles were really appreciated. Thank you Aleks for showing us how to make khinkalis and David for the traditional Georgian barbecue. You both have greatly contributed to my love of Georgian culture." 


“A special thanks to Mariam, Natia, Ana, Gogola and the scouts team. I was more than happy to meet you and to be able to share moments of your lifes. Thank you for making me discover Georgia and its beautiful people.” 


"I am forever grateful to Lia, my great roommate, coordinator and friend. You were always kind and caring about any issues that I could have had during those few months. We had great talks about life and Georgia. You have taught me a lot about the current state of your country, its history and the difficulties it faces today. I hope from the bottom of my heart that the situation here will evolve for the better. I can’t wait to come visit you again and you will always be welcome at my house to share food, the Georgian way. Didi Madloba" 


"My sincere thanks to the other six members of this volunteering team. You guys made my whole project, through you I discovered your countries but I also discovered great friends that I will keep, I am sure, forever. We discovered Georgia culture and landscape together and I will always remember our adventures.”


“Hartelijk dank Renée for your kindness, your calming presence and our Wednesday mornings talks about life. I already miss chatting with you every week. I hope that you'll thrive in your brand new job.”

 “Veel dank Vibeke for your infinite knowledge, your perfect baking skills, your wisdom and witty comments, you often surprised me, always in a good way. I wish you a great future in your study and I hope it will be everything you hoped for. I can’t wait to meet you both in the netherlands."


“Merci Oubayda for your French presence, you have been a great roommate and a great fun. I loved laughing at your jokes or your cringness and I will always remember your dilemmas and driving style. Keep being yourself, be honest I swear it works. I will see you in France.” 


“Dankeschön Charlotte for your laugh that brought me a lot of joy, for your dj skills that followed us on adventure and for your strong character. I know you will achieve everything you’re starting ! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you and to visit you in Germany” 


“Paldies Krista for your infectious crack cocaine craziness, for laughing at my lame jokes and being the best trip partner. I will miss hanging out with you for sure. Keep believing in yourself, you're a great friend and person and you deserve the best. Can’t wait for midsummer in Latvia next year. I hope it will be the start of numerous adventures around our homes.” 


"I would like to thank my loved ones from France who kept encouraging me and loving me in the harder times. I missed all of you for 8 months. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life around you guys and to show everyone who couldn’t visit me here the beautiful country that is Georgia, through tales, pictures and hopefully later travels." 


This is the end of a beautiful chapter that I will enjoy until the very end. Maybe I will write a blog like this again, we never know what the future holds so let’s stick around for the post credit scene just in case. 


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