Começando meu nova vida em Lisboa!

Ciao to everybody!                                                               

My name is Maurizio, I come from Florence, and I am the new EVS volunteer in Spin. I came to Lisboa two weeks ago, and while I am writing this it feels like I am already here since long time.

This Lisbon thing wasn’t really just “a bed of roses” before of my arrival; I have been feeling more and more anxious about this new adventure: the idea of moving abroad for a long period of time, and plus in a almost completely unknown country, was unexpectedly scaring. Was I doing the right thing? Where will this adventure lead myself? Will it be a success or a failure? This is a complete jump into the unknown, beautiful and scary at the same time. But, as I read somewhere, “sometimes you have to get lost first before to find yourself”. 

A not so sunny Lisbon in my first day here

The first days here were really intense, since I never been to Lisbon before and I didn’t know anyone here: so I had to go out of my comfort zone, and start exploring a new city, a new language, a new culture. In the first days I just met my new flatmates (Italians, Spanish, Polish and Belgian, feels like an Erasmus again): talking to them helped me to understand a little bit more what this experience is going to be. During my first two free days I  explored around Anjos (my neighborhood), getting lost a dozens of times, but I have also discovered the many beauties of Lisboa: I lost myself in the charming tiny streets of Alfama, I chilled in the sun close to the Belem tower, I wondered in the magical Sintra woods.

Trying (unsuccessfully) to speak Portuguese with a local.

On the first wednesday me and Agata (the other EVS volunteer starting in November with me) finally had our first day at work, as well as a welcome dinner with other volunteers, where I have tasted for the first time an original Portuguese bacalau. 

That's me attacking bacalau

We have met Inès, Aneta, and the other volunteers here, we talked for a while about what we will do here, what are our expectations about this experience, and Spin rules and schedules. I had also my first Portuguese lessons, figuring out that it's not that different from Italian, but also that speaking it will be not so easy: so far I can't go too much beyond atè ja and obrigado, but I am working on it. And, last but not least, on my first friday I had a giginha night with other volunteers: I already realizing that it will become a close friend in the following weeks.

And now so here I am, a new lisboeito (is that correct?).

Atè ja, and write to you soon!

Maurizio