Lockdown

    My impulsive and definitely not completely thought-through decision to come to Ankara for my short-term ESC project might have been one of the best ones ever, and I’m not exaggerating a bit. My initial plan which I made in late February was to arrive in Turkey in March, however, after we talked with IYACA we agreed to start my project in May. I've been impatiently waiting for two months when before few days my long-awaited departure to Ankara I got the news about the upcoming 17 days long nationwide lockdown and I was given the option to postpone my project again, this time for another month, meaning I would start in June. I was done waiting, way too excited about finally coming to Turkey so I took the risk and decided to come directly to the lockdown. Was it difficult? Yes, it was. Was it worth it? Yes, it definitely was. 

     

The first month of my stay in Ankara has been both a challenge and a blessing. I was the only newcomer to the volunteer community in the month of May, which made the conditions of the project a bit extraordinary, but at the same time, I was very lucky about the people I met in Ankara who made this place feel like home. We spent most of the lockdown days inside but also doing the food delivery volunteer work which has been an emotional and truly eye-opening experience for me. After the lockdown ended I wanted to explore a bit of Turkey and what city would be the best to start my travels other than Istanbul. We agreed to meet with my old friend from a youth exchange who gave me a tour of this lovely city (gonna skip the talk about how Istanbul is amazing, because we all know it. It is simply breathtaking and definitely has earned a huge place in my heart.)

I find it a bit difficult to put everything I managed to experience in just a month into words, but in conclusion, I can say that all of the things I've been through here made it an unforgettable learning journey and I seriously can't wait for what's coming next.