O Testemunho da Inka

Hi, i am Inka. I have now been in Lisbon for quite some time, and the days have flown by. Life here has been a mix of figuring out the public transportation, getting slightly lost in new neighborhoods, and slowly finding little favorite places like cafés and bookstores.

I come from a small countryside town in Finland, so living in a big city is new for me. It feels both exciting and a little intimidating. Still, I think I'm actually a city person at heart, and the colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, and breathtaking views have made it easy to fall in love with this city. 

I had actually been to Lisbon once before in early December last year for an APV, which was my first time ever in the city. Because of that short visit, arriving on my own in February felt less overwhelming. I already had some familiar streets in mind and a small sense of how the city works. Even so, there were plenty of things I only started to understand once I was really living here. Choosing to come still felt like a leap into the unknown, but I knew I would rather take it than stay at home wondering what if.

Settling in at Spin has been a gradual process. The first days were slow as I learned the routines and got familiar with different tasks, but over time I started taking on more responsibility. The team has been incredibly welcoming and supportive, which has made it much easier to feel at home.

My days here continue to bring new experiences, challenges, and small successes. I'm still unsure about my own abilities, but I'm taking things one day at a time and treating this primarily as a learning experience. This is only my second time volunteering, as well as my first long-term project and first experience living abroad, so there's plenty that's new for me, but I'm fully determined to make the most of this experience!