O testemunho no. 1 da Hanna (Spin)

 

I am sitting at my desk in the Spin office, writing my first testimony. I have been in Portugal, Lisbon for over a month now and I can put my hand to my heart and say - it has been the best decision of my life to come here, change myself including the community around me for the better.

Hi, I am Hanna, originally from Estonia, a country where most of the time it is cold and cloudy, but I am enjoying the sun here in Lisbon, taking every last piece of it in.. I am just 19 years old, the youngest volunteer right now in Spin  Association. Freshly graduated from high school, I chose to turn my life upside down and do something different, outrageous. Looking for a job I came across an opportunity to volunteer in Spin  Association for a year and I knew it was something I have been looking for. 

 In my first month I already had to work with my first ever youth exchange (which was the coolest experience ever) and had to manage our organization's own spin hostel. I never had a job before, that means it's my first time working in shifts, doing paperwork and helping with different projects. I was really excited but also scared, if I can manage this workload, and if I will do everything right. Despite my fears my coworkers are the sweetest people on earth, guiding me through my first weeks, months, giving me time to settle and learn from my own mistakes. 

I also would like to give attention and show my appreciation to my flatmates, who I have lived with for some time and will have to spend my whole year with. Living with complete strangers is a new experience for me, but something I hold dearly in my heart now. It's amazing how you can become so close with people in a few weeks… Months. Strangers have become my little family, who I can always count on, and who I can share this amazing experience with.

This is my first testimony, but not last. I can only imagine what great things I will see, work on and experience. I am only at the start of my journey through Portugal and my volunteering in Spin and I could not be more excited and happy to be here and bring  you with me through my adventures.

O testemunho No. 2 do Moka

So no one told you life was going to be this way?

[in a somber singalong of the Friends theme song]

As I am approaching my 26 years on this delicate planet, I start to realize more and more how chaotic my approaches, opportunities, and behavior in different situations are. As much as I still find it harder and harder to deal with humans and not make mistakes, I am finding that there is no place for me to perfect my stance on life other than Lisbon and Portugal.

So hi! It’s me again! Coming at you after a rollercoaster start of 2023. Actually, for the most part, life has been fulfilling. Let’s start with the headline: I am no longer a volunteer at SPEAK. Yup, that can happen and has happened. Like any relationship in life, I found out that I am not a good fit for the organization. They have a certain approach to implementing projects that made me and they suffer to the point that it was best for everyone to sever ties. It was not the best thing that could happen to me, but it certainly made me realize more about what I want and what I am trying to avoid. I am very grateful that the folks at Spin have embraced me as a member of their team and that I have been given another chance to continue my life here in Portugal among amazing people and a welcoming environment.

Otherwise, as part of SPEAK’s mission, I have organized a few language exchange meetups in Almada and met very lovely people from different nationalities! And on a personal level, I have made trips to Marrakech, Valencia, and several cities in Italy with friends! Being in Morocco was actually my first time in another Arab/African country and I couldn’t have picked a better place to visit. The only problem was how different the Arabic they spoke there from the one I have learned all my life. Do you know these videos on TikTok where people make fun of how fast Arabs speak and how weird Arabic might sound? That’s Morrocan Arabic right there. The struggle was real. And Italy? I can’t even begin to tell you about the food and history. Molto fantastico!

The next steps in my journey are to work on my project in Lisbon and do more volunteer work. I already have some ideas in mind that I want to work on, so I will leave that as “to be continued…” until my next testimony. See you soon, whether in Portugal or on another page of the Spin blog. 

Moka