O testemunho final do Vedran (Spin)

It’s been six months since my last testimony, and I think it’s safe to say so much has changed, all for the better, of course.

Today marks exactly one year since I landed in Lisbon, and what a year 2024 has been. It feels like everything flew by in the blink of an eye, but isn’t that how it goes when you’re living the time of your life?

In my last testimony, I talked about a few projects I was working on, and now I can say how proud and grateful I am for being part of them. They taught me so much, and one thing is for sure: I’ve almost entirely conquered my fear of public speaking. Thanks to Spin’s projects and activities, I’ve grown more confident, and the summer of 2024, dedicated to Live it Lisbon, was truly unforgettable.

I had the privilege of leading workshops, helping to create plans and programs, and honestly, it felt like the universe decided I should level up my leadership, active listening, and problem-solving skills all at once. My creativity stretched to new heights; preparing theatrical introductions for Live it Lisbon activities and presenting the magical "Spin World" I co-created with my colleagues.

Beyond Live it Lisbon, the year was packed with content creation. We made countless TikToks, reels, and posts to bring Spin’s goals and projects to life. And let’s be real, turning ideas into reality with a team like this? Bingo!

But let me talk about Lisbon itself, the star of my year. I think I’ve fallen head over heels for this city, and after one year, I’m pretty sure I’m here to stay for all of 2025, at least. Lisbon reminds me of my hometown, Split, and that emotional connection makes it even harder to imagine leaving. The people, the laid-back vibe, the endless sunshine, the gorgeous beaches, and those sunsets… I have been officially spoiled.

Walking down the streets of Anjos, hearing laughter, and feeling the relaxed energy of the city fills my heart. I have been lucky to call this neighborhood home, with two incredible sunset viewpoints just a short walk away. Whenever I have a free afternoon, you’ll find me at Miradouro da Graça with a book and a cappuccino, watching the sun melt into the horizon. And that moment when the sky transforms after sunset? Pure magic.

2024 feels like a movie I want to replay over and over. From the memories made with my fellow volunteers in our house and friends that I met during my stay here, to the adventures we shared exploring Portugal, it’s been nothing short of extraordinary.

For now, my plan is to stay in Lisbon for another year, but honestly? I’m so attached to this city that I don’t know how I’ll ever leave. This place, these people, these memories they’ve become a part of me.

Here is to whatever 2025 has in store and to a little more magic under Lisbon’s sunsets.

P.S. I learned how to bake Pastel de Nata!

O testemunho no. 1 do Vedran (Spin)

Magical, unreal, and a bit scary at first. That's how I felt when I first arrived in Lisbon from Berlin. But let's go back to the beginning for a moment.

Hi everyone, my name is Vedran. I'm 26 and originally from Croatia. For the past three years, I've been living my best life in Berlin. Then, late in 2023, I got this strange sudden feeling that I needed a change. I wanted to open a new chapter in my life, so I started looking for volunteer opportunities. After applying to a few, I woke up one morning to an email from Catarina saying I'd been accepted to work for Spin. Suddenly, my life took a whole new turn. I miss my family, friends, and especially my dogs, but this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. So, I accepted it and started on this new journey alone, all the way to the very west of Europe.

For the past five weeks, I've been in beautiful Lisbon, making memories, meeting new people, and experiencing the city in the best way possible. I'm trying to cherish every small moment and make something special out of it. One of the first things I needed to find, besides the usual shops and bars, was the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Lisbon has so many, and I just can't get enough of how breathtaking they are. Watching the sunset relaxes me, makes me happy, and puts me in this dreamy mood that I absolutely love.

My first day at the Spin office happened the following week on a Tuesday. I immediately loved the atmosphere; the energy of the people there is beautiful and genuine, which, for me, is the most important thing when it comes to getting along with others. Right from the first week, I was eager to take on tasks, and now I have the opportunity to manage Spin's social media. I get to capture moments of the people who work here, the activities we do together, and use my creativity to create engaging videos.
 

In addition to social media, I also have the chance to work on projects like "Live it Lisbon" and "Tempo dos direitos," where I can share my own ideas and turn them into reality.

I'm just at the beginning of this new chapter in my life, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. I know I'll enjoy working for Spin throughout the year, exploring Portugal and Lisbon's beauty, and, of course, catching many more beautiful sunsets. After my first month here, all I can say is that I'm filled with beautiful thoughts, and I hope to have many more in the near future.

O testemunho da Ana (Associacao Spin)

Este período tenha sido muito especial para mim. Eu morava na cidade que eu amo,

conheci muitas pessoas incríveis com suas próprias histórias interessantes e muitas delas se tornaram muito queridas para mim. Eu aprendi muito sobre outras culturas e também sobre a minha.

Sempre fiquei feliz em cozinhar para outros voluntários e sou grato por ter tido a oportunidade de compartilhar uma parte da minha própria cultura com outras pessoas.

Fiquei feliz em compartilhar meu tempo como voluntário, porque acho que essa é a coisa mais valiosa que podemos dar aos outros. Aprendi muito com o meu trabalho e adquiri algumas novas habilidades. Também consegui viajar muito no meu tempo livre, então visitei muitos lugares em Portugal, mas também visitei a Croácia, a Polônia e a Espanha. Este foi realmente um ano cumprido para mim e guardarei lembranças para sempre. 

Obrigada e beijinhos a todos!

Ana’s testimony No.2

It has already been more than 4 months since I moved to Portugal. Half of my time on this project has already passed and the same amount of time is yet to come.

I still feel like I have just arrived here and this is barely the beginning. There are still a lot of new things happening and many more places got on my wish list to visit.

However, the feeling is not exactly the same as in the beginning. People I have met 4 months ago are now my friends. Bonds are growing stronger and I feel more comfortable. We don’t only share a living and working environment, but are also now ready to share parts of ourselves that we usually reveal only to people we are close to. We are slowly becoming a small family. Or maybe not so small.

In my workplace I got an amazing responsibility to be a part of an organizing team for an event I attended last year as a participant. It opened a completely different side for me and gave me a new experience.

In this period, I managed to discover a lot of new places in Portugal, but also in Spain and Poland. On top of that, I even managed to visit my home country, Croatia ☺

I know there is still a lot of time left before the project ends, but I already have a feeling like it’s coming to an end so I want to grab every opportunity to use every single moment here! For that reason I will not write much more but I will share with you photos of some of the dear moments I had so far and I will save my deepest thoughts for my last testimony ☺

Beijinhos!

O testimunho da Ana

So I am finally here, in the city of my dreams, Lisbon. I am in the beginning of my 9-month ESC
service after I left my life in Croatia.

And what a beautiful life I had, said many of my friends and family members when I announced that I am leaving my secure job as a pharmacist, my newly renovated apartment and all of the loving people there to go volunteering in a foreign country. And they were right, it was a beautiful life indeed and I have no regrets. However, I also know it wasn’t the life for me, at least not in the next few years that are to come.

I needed a change of my daily routine, I needed time for other activities, other learning opportunities and I also needed to change the environment. I have always loved traveling and I have never spent a day of my vacation just lying and doing nothing. It was always a trip to another country, some project or just some other activity than my usual routine. This time I decided I need more. I need to do something bigger, somewhere further but also doing something that has a purpose. Some will say that I ran away from reality. Maybe I did, but I am creating a new reality as we speak.

I will work as a volunteer for the next 9 months with people from all over Europe in an association that coordinates and hosts youth mobility opportunities. I have always liked working in a multicultural environment and I am familiar with youth projects. However, this time I’m not only taking part in a project. This time I will also have to live with 8 other people and share my personal space with people I meet for the first time. Also it will mean that my financial situation is changing from a salary to an allowance. For me, it is a big change since I have been independent ever since I moved away from my parents 10 years ago. But I am ready, at least I believe so.

I spent my first 2 days in Lisbon at a friend’s place and then the big moment came and I had to move to my new house, casa Anjos. It was Friday morning and I already knew who my roommate is going to be. I was very lucky because it was a girl I have met the previous year
in another project that also took part in Lisbon so I had a really nice welcoming and introduction to my new home. It is a pretty old house, close to the city centre, with old furniture and a lot of posters on the walls left by people who previously lived there, not to be forgotten. I guess this is what makes it so unique. Not to mention the amount of stairs you need to climb just to reach the house itself. But hey Ana, you’re in Lisbon now, there will be many ups and downs (literally). I had many doubts when I came. How are 9 of us going to make it sharing one bathroom and one kitchen, are people going to wash their dishes and clean after themselves, what if I don’t get along with everyone, am I going to make friends here and many more. It turned out that people here are really nice, kind and always ready to help.

I came there just a few days before one other volunteer was about to leave since her project just ended. This was the moment where I saw how incredible connection can people make during less than one year. Everybody was overwhelmed with all kinds of feelings having to say goodbye (maybe forever) to a member of a family. Because this is what you become, a family. I am wondering if I will make the same kind of bonds during this period. I am very happy to be in Lisbon in the first place because this city won my heart the first time I visited as a tourist only. I still remember that day, when I told my friend that I will definitely move here to live, at least for some time in my life. Many didn’t believe me, maybe sometimes even I wasn’t so sure if I will ever be able to make such a huge change in my life. But I did it. And now I’m here.

I don’t have all the answers yet. I don’t even think I have all the questions. But what I do know is that I will try to use this period of my life the best I can. I will devote some time to my personal growth and self-development, to learn all the things that I never had the time for. Also to make a lot of connections, to talk to people from different backgrounds, to hear and share ideas. I will try to think of my own personal project and I will try to be the person who can have a positive impact on other people’s lives. Not to mention I also want to travel through this beautiful country and meet more of these heart-warming kind people who don’t have a lot but always keep on smiling.

This testimony turned out to be a lot longer than I expected. Especially considering it is just a start of my life here. However I wanted to share at least some of my thoughts of my new adventure. I will tell you in 9 months how it went.

O testemunho da Romea...10 meses depois

Olá!

It has been 10 months since I first arrived to Lisbon, and since then a lot has changed…

Firstly Spin's volunteers since I first arrived already left and new ones came. And each of them brought something special to Spin and to the atmosphere in the office. We had many projects during all this time from which we learned a lot but mostly we had fun with all the participants. In two of the projects Live it Lisbon! i had my first cooking workshop witch was so much fun, and all the participants were amazing and it was very nice to see people from all over the world making Croatian traditional dishes. During summer there was a lot going on in Spin, some of the days were hectic but with good communication among volunteers we managed to make everything happened. I had the opportunity to make videos with volunteers of other organizations to talk about their EVS experience, and it was very fun and interesting to see what they do, also was fun making the videos and learning how to edit. Rewording part was that my videos were featured in Feira da Luz in Carnide. Wintertime in Spin is a bit calmer but we still do have work to do. We had a project with 5 youngsters from France who were here for a month doing internship, and I had my first mentoring experience. They were all so hardworking and eager to learn English and Portuguese, since some of them did not know any foreign language. My mentee was amazing with her language skills, positive attitude and work abilities, she even got a job offer for the next year. All in all it was a really good experience of being a mentor. I still have some plans to achieve before my EVS finishes. 

During all my free time in past 10 months especially during summer, I have travelled a lot trough Portugal and Spain. I visited north, middle and south of Portugal plus Azores. A few years ago I lived on Madeira so I know a lot about all the places in Portugal now. All of the travels were different jet so amazing and special. I cannot choose one that was the best because all the parts have something to see and experience, well maybe I enjoyed the most Azores, because I like islands especially because they look like a Jurassic Park jungle truly amazing and calm, and a good “escape” from the urban jungle. 

I have meet a lot of amazing and special people during all this time, but also a lot volunteers had finished their EVS and returned to their country, but by now I get used to people leaving all the time and new ones coming. However, I am glad that the ones that I am the closest with also decided to stay in Lisbon after EVS like me. Before I needed a guide trough Lisbon streets but by now I am the guide to all the new people who come but also to my friends and my family when they visit. I truly fell in love in this city and all of its beauty. By now I know all the beaches Lisbon has, all the best bars, best restaurants…but there is still so much more to explore and learn…