Hello! 😊
My name is Franka and I am a long-term volunteer here at Smokinya. I would like to tell you a little more about my year here.
I stayed here In Bulgaria for 11 months and it was a very interesting time.
I came here straight after finishing school. I had no idea about life abroad, living with other people or pretty much anything else that was happening. Now, after this time has passed, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert in these things, but I’ve definitely learned a lot. I improved my soft skills, such as working in a team and organising myself, and I became more confident. My English improved, of course, and I even learned some basic phrases in Bulgarian.
It’s not only my soft skills that have improved, though. During the first few months here, I discovered that I didn’t love office work as much as I thought I would. So I searched for different hobbies that I could do here. I’d like to give a shout-out to my amazing ex-flatmate Cansu, who introduced me to the woodcarver here in Plovdiv. I have been taking lessons there ever since, and with the help of the local woodcarver, I have even managed to complete my personal project. Check it out here!
There were ups and downs during the 11 months, but looking back now, I realise that they only helped me grow. I am very thankful to the European Solidarity Corps for this opportunity; I really enjoyed my time as a volunteer. I was able to live in a completely new country, explore its culture, and work with great people.
