ESC Stories

Hi, I’m Emma, I’m 18 years old and from Germany. My ESC journey began in April 2024, right after I started looking for a meaningful project. I had just finished high school in July, and like many people my age, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. But one thing was clear: I didn’t want to just sit around at home.

That’s when I discovered a beautiful opportunity — working with children at an Afterschool. The moment I read about it, I knew it was the perfect fit for me. I applied, had an interview, and got accepted!

My real adventure began in October 2024, when I traveled alone for the first time to Romania. I had no idea what to expect — from the country, the culture, or how my life would look there. It felt like stepping into a completely dark room: uncertain, but full of possibility.

At the airport in Romania, I met Ana from Portugal — one of my future roommates — and I immediately felt less alone. The next day, we met Lara from Italy, our other roommate. The first few days were all about discovering our village, Vlădiceasca, getting to know each other, and learning about our new work. I was so nervous, wanting to make a good impression but something beautiful happened early on: we celebrated Ana’s birthday together. It became our first tradition and brought us so much closer.

The day we met the kids for the first time is one I’ll never forget. It was overwhelming in the best way. They welcomed us with huge smiles and warm hugs. One child hid under the table and whispered to me, “You can’t see me, because I’m a spy.” That was the moment I knew  this was going to be a fun and unforgettable experience.

As the months passed, more traditions formed. We dressed up for Halloween, celebrated Christmas and April 1st, baked banana bread, and always made time to eat together. Each day brought new laughter and new lessons.

In November, I met many other volunteers during our On-Arrival Training (OAT), and again later during the Mid-Term Event (MTE) in February. It was amazing to see how many different projects and nationalities were part of the ESC family.

December brought new energy and new volunteers! Alessia from Italy and Antonija from Croatia joined us, making our house livelier and our teamwork easier. That same month, I visited the Christmas market in Brașov, which was absolutely magical.

After a restful winter break, January turned out to be one of my favorite months. We visited Iași together and created new house traditions like karaoke nights, watching the handball championship, and game nights. I also made a big decision, to extend my stay until the end of July. Originally, I was only supposed to stay for six months, but the joy this project gave me made the choice easy. In January, we also started implementing workshops at the local high school, an experience that helped me grow more confident speaking in front of others, even when they were almost my age.

February was packed with fun: we had two birthday celebrations during the MTE weekend and spent more time at the primary school in Ghermănești, where we created new activities and met even more children.

In March, I fell in love with the Romanian tradition of Mărțișor and I wore the buttons all month and plan to keep the tradition alive back home. Mid-March, Chiara from Italy joined us, and I finally had a roommate again. She fit into our group right away and was the missing piece in our little family. Later, we all traveled to Predeal for a team-building activity with other volunteers and youth workers, which was both fun and inspiring.

April was bittersweet. We said goodbye to Ana and Lara, which was really emotional. But there was also joy as my family came to visit, and I got to show them my new home. Oh, and we got a cat! Pisico brought so much laughter and love onto our balcony, even though I was a bit skeptical at first.

May and June were some of the most enriching months of my entire stay. I started teaching geography lessons, something I truly enjoyed and wished I had started earlier. We visited a high school in Predeal, where I saw just how much I had grown. I felt confident standing in front of a class, teaching, and speaking English naturally. On June 1st, we celebrated A4ACTION’s birthday with a big event, and I felt deeply proud to be part of such an amazing organization.

That month was all about spending as much time as possible with the children and the people I had grown so close to. One unforgettable moment was being invited to the goodbye barbecue — it meant a lot to me.

This is just a short summary of the past months, but I honestly can’t put into words how full of joy and meaning this experience has been. It wasn’t just about the work — it was about the people.

To my wonderful roommates, who became my second family…
To Irina and Iuliana and their families, who welcomed us with open arms and were always there to help…
To the joyful kids at the youth center, whose hugs and smiles lit up my days…
To our kind neighbors who waved every morning and brought us flowers…
To the security guard at Penny who always tried to chat with me…
And to the local shopkeepers who helped us out with so much kindness.

There are so many more people I could mention. Every one of them left a mark on me.

This project taught me so much about myself and shaped my vision for the future. That’s why it’s so hard to say goodbye. Romania and especially the people I met here  will always have a special place in my heart.

That dark room I entered back in October is now filled with laughter, light, drawings, and memories.

So instead of goodbye, I’ll just say see you soon — and thank you to everyone who made this journey so special.