On 29 October, I landed at Tbilisi Airport and was greeted by a huge windstorm — my very first impression of the country I was about to move to (don't worry, every day after that was particularly sunny and warm, just like the people I met ;)).
Hi! My name is Lisa. I'm 19 years old and I come from Lorient, a small town in north-western France, where I moved last year to start my higher education.
Once the first few months had passed I dropped out to work in a primary school, as it suited me a thousand times better. And perhaps what you need to know about me is that I'm someone who has always been restless, often a little lost at times, slightly impatient, and always twirling in one direction or another.
Why volunteer? Why Georgia?
I've always wanted to live abroad because of my thirst for discovery and novelty!
I've always been passionate about travel and very attached to my freedom. I've never been able to stay in one place, never lasted a year in the same school activity, the same club, the same place, the same job. Then I reached that age when people keep asking you what you want to do with your life.
The answer: I have no idea… I have millions of ideas going in all directions, but I would like to find a direction, a path that suits me.
One thing is certain: I would really like to work with children. So I became interested in alternatives to traditional education, popular education, international citizenship education, participatory pedagogy... All these ideas are a bit rough around the edges, but together they form something that inspires me deeply. And that's how I left.
The magic of travel, a return to childhood:
In short, I arrived in Rustavi, delighted to discover a new language, a new culture, new foods (khachapuri, lobiani, khinkali...), new landscapes, new encounters and all the adventures that awaited me here.
Once again, I felt that sense of wonder that is characteristic of both childhood and travel. Everything here is a discovery: every landscape, every detail, as if everything were there to be learned and loved. And so far, Georgia has given me all of that: fishing in the Kura River, camping by the Algeti Reservoir, rainbow mountains, a road trip to Armenia, and the lively streets of Tbilisi at night.
I think that's the magic of travelling: every detail fascinates me! And then there are the volunteers — all these people who come from all over Europe, each with their own differences. Everything swirls around me: their stories, their ideas, their plans, their dreams, their aspirations.
Installation
Little by little, I found my feet. I overcame the small daily challenges that come with living far from home: the language barrier, social energy slumps, lack of productivity, bouts of the blues.
I thought about workshops, imagined lots of projects, was overwhelmed by millions of ideas... then, as always, laziness and procrastination came back to haunt me.
All in all, there have been ups and downs (as always), but I have been very inspired by the people around me and by this project. I still want to share all my passions and contribute everything I can to this project.
All this is just the beginning of a long year full of discoveries. I'm already trying to set myself some goals (living on my own, seeing a project through from start to finish, becoming more organised, trusting myself...). For now, I feel like I'm having a very enriching experience. I think volunteering is a great way to grow, to answer some of my questions, and surely to raise new ones.
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