VOLLEY 4 EUROPE

I held off writing this report for a long time because I knew it was going to be very difficult for me to put into words the wonderful experience that this project was and also it was one of the last things that kept me connected to this project and I wanted it to last as long as possible.

 From the moment i applied to this project I had a good feeling about it, I love sports and I love Spain so this was the perfect combination. The very first interaction that I had was with Pedro, the coordinator of the project, during the initial interview and my good feelings were confirmed. He was very welcoming and helpful on every step of the project. I feel very lucky that I was accepted and that Pedro was our coordinator as he made everything easier for us and also made sure that we were always having a good time.

 Finally the long awaited day came and I arrived in Malaga. At first I got to meet my roommates, who were very welcoming and helped me get around the first few days ,and then I got to meet the rest of the volunteers. Because I am an introverted person, in the beginning meeting a lot of new people felt a little bit awkward but those feelings went away pretty quick thanks to the activities organized by Pedro and Rocio but also because all the people there were great and very easy to talk to. Even though we were people from different countries we found a lot of common interests and it was easy to start a conversation with everyone. The first day we also had the international night so we all got to share a little bit of our countries and cultures. To me the international night is one of the best memories that I have from this project.

 The main goals of this project were to promote volleyball in Malga, to provide information about Erasmus+ and volunteering, and lastly to organize and coordinate solidarity tournaments. If I had to choose one I would say that organizing the tournaments was my favorite because we all got to spend a lot of time together having fun. We were helping refereeing the matches, setting the fields, keeping the scores and it never felt like it was something that I had to do, I enjoyed every moment of it. Every day was filled with activities and it was never boring, we had always something to do and even if we were free we could join a team and play with the rest of the participants. It was a sunny October in Malaga right next to the beach in great company having fun and playing games so who can complain?

 For me the best part of this project were the people. I have had the luck to be surrounded by great people throughout my life and the people i met on this project were AMAZING. I feel very lucky that I had the opportunity to meet them and that today I can call them my friends. I just wish I had more time to spend with them as only one month is not enough. Actually to me the only negative aspect of this project was that it ended too soon, but even if it lasted longer I am sure it would still not be enough because time flies when you are in good company.

 Finally I am happy and thankful to this project for creating these long lasting memories and new friendships. I would recommend the Erasmus+ experience to everyone as it is one of the best experiences you could have.