Every long-term EVS volunteer - long-term being 2 months or more - has to join a so-called "on-arrival training". As the name implies, this training course takes place soon after a volunteer arrives in his/her new home. Since I arrived in Wrocław the first of May, it was my turn two weeks ago!
The hardest part of my training, no doubt, was Monday morning, when I had to get up around 3 AM in order to catch a bus to Warsaw at 5... Additionally, sleeping in a moving vehicle is not one of my talents, so basically I started the training with almost zero energy. But the sun was shining, the first activities were quite calm, just to get to know the trainers and the other volunteers, and after lunch I could sleep for almost two hours, so from Monday afternoon onward everything was fine.
Overall, the training course was instructive and inspiring, on many levels. The trainers asked us what we wanted or needed to learn and they adjusted the training schedule accordingly. As a result, some of the topics were more relevant to me than others. I really liked the team-building activities and the reflective moments, for example, and it was also very useful and interesting to talk about our situations (e.g., our EVS projects / accommodations / home countries / ...) with each other. On the other hand, the information on how to deal with culture shock was a bit irrelevant to me, because I've never experienced this kind of shock - but I might in the future. And in that case, I am totally prepared!
The training took place in Warsaw. It was my first time in this city and the third city I visited in Poland, after Wrocław en Kraków. Being the capital city of Poland, Warsaw definitely has some interesting sights and a lively 'buzz' to offer, so I'm glad I saw this place, but when it comes to beauty and atmosphere, Kraków and Wrocław knock Warsaw on its head. Sorry, Warsaw!
The on-arrival training is not only about learning, or sight-seeing, but also about socializing with other EVS volunteers. I already knew two of the volunteers in our group (one of them is my roomie Zorica) but all the other faces were new to me. Spending one intensive week together really speeds up the process of making friends, so by the end of the week I had fourteen new friends and two improved friendships. Not only does this make me feel more at home in this foreign country, it also makes traveling around Poland a lot easier. For example, this weekend Zorica and I are going to visit some friends in Gdynia: three volunteers we met during the training!
Na razie! / See you! / Tot de volgende!
~ Wendy
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