O testemunho final da Sinem (SPIN)

 Olá Everyone!

This is my first and last testimony. “First” because I needed time to process and write it. And “last” because after three months, I’m returning home.

I first heard about ESC during my university years. Back then l due to life’s circumstances, I didn’t think much of it. But now I’m sure that a younger, less experienced version of me would have embraced this journey even more wholeheartedly.

Let’s go back to the very beginning. When I started preparing for this project, I was already working at a marketing agency. I had to try really hard to make this happen. So when I found out I was selected, the happiness and excitement I felt were simply indescribable.

After years of living alone and working in the private sector, I suddenly became…a volunteer. Not just a role but a shift in mindset, a new way of being.

My life began to change in every possible way. Waking up later than I was used to in Türkiye, starting the day at a slower pace and most of all crying, getting angry, being excited, laughing…in a language that wasn’t mine.

Working with people who weren’t just colleagues but also housemates was quite challenging for me. Different cultures, different habits, different styles of communication…But now, looking inward at the end of it all, I know this for certain, I have no regrets.

I’m deeply grateful for everything I’ve experienced and everything I’ve become.

At the beginning, hearing so many different English accents due to cultural diversity made communication difficult.But step by step with small “baby steps” each day, I began to notice my own progress.

Being able to express myself more softly and clearly was such a joy to witness.

I learned that some things aren’t as terrible as we imagine in our minds. And at the same time, some things aren’t quite as perfect as we expect either. That’s why shedding our assumptions, simply observing, and moving with our hearts is so important.

Believing that I did my best has strengthened my self-confidence. It helped me trust myself in a way I hadn’t before.

As for Portugal…

Exploring a culture and country I didn’t know, from scratch, was truly a beautiful experience. Every unfamiliar street, every new face, helped me see things in a different light.

And now, as I leave, I carry all the feelings I’ve experienced with me.

Thank you, SPIN.

I’m so glad you were a part of my life journey.

The one reading this,

If you’re already a volunteer or thinking of becoming one, I wish you a meaningful, transformative, and joyful journey.

🤍

With love,

Miraç Sinem