ESC Stories

This adventure began with the opportunity to see my two companions, Lola from France and Maria Olga from Greece, through a Zoom video call to come to an agreement on how we would get to our future home. On September 17, 2023, everything truly began. I had never traveled alone like this before, and I was very excited. We agreed that Lola and I would take an Uber together, so I waited for her flight from Paris to arrive. By the middle of the first month, it was quite an adventure. I struggled a lot to adapt, as English was a barrier for me. It was the first time in my life that I found myself forced to speak in English continuously without sitting at a desk with the option to express myself in Spanish if I got stuck. I felt like my two companions were forming a cool connection, while I didn’t quite know how to explain myself or join in conversations to get to know each other better. I was lucky to have very understanding companions by my side who made everything I felt not a problem. We also faced several situations that helped us create a stronger bond, such as going to pick up 5 heavy suitcases from Olga, or the fact that she lost her wallet on the very second day, September 18.

In the second month, it was the beginning of After School, and on the first day, I can’t explain how nervous I was to meet the little ones I was going to spend the next six months with. Olga was in her element since she wants to be a preschool teacher in the future, but it was much harder for Lola and me. I also faced some challenges, such as dealing with pain caused by a cyst that prevented me from sleeping or walking. I had to be somewhat absent because I had a quick surgery on the same day I decided to go to the emergency room. I was very grateful for having my two companions keeping me company the whole time, as it was a completely new situation in an unknown country. Another challenge we had to deal with was adjusting to our schedules, as we went through several mistakes and attempts to find something that worked. But not everything was a drama; in October, I also took a very special trip with Lola to Sinaia, enjoying the beautiful autumn landscapes and beginning to discover this lovely country.

The start of Halloween was approaching, and we began to experience the theme at the center. One really fun day was when we dressed up as Scooby Doo and went to Snagov after work to eat hot dogs and dance by the bonfire by the lake. Before Halloween, I had the chance to go to Bulgaria, as my parents surprised me with a visit. Irina allowed me to go since it was the week of OAT (On Arrival Training), and it was online. That training was very special because we met people with whom we had the opportunity to connect beyond the screens.

On October 28, we visited Brașov under the pretext of celebrating Halloween at Dracula’s Castle, as, according to Lola, that was her reason for doing the project in Romania. We bought tickets to visit Bran Castle and then attend the party they organized there. That’s how I met Cristi, who is now my partner, as he was the actor portraying the historical figure Vlad Țepeș at the castle that night. That weekend, we visited Sighișoara, where some of the OAT volunteers lived, and we were lucky enough to meet them in person, and not for the last time. On Halloween night, other volunteers we met at OAT came from Mărășești, and we had a super fun night together.

November began with an activity that everyone would fall in love with: the park. I remember it was introduced while I was recovering from something (because I was always unwell, unfortunately), and the following months felt like I had a need for emotional support. I recall that month was the first time all the children reached the rocket star. The cold began, and the first snow came. We visited Marasesti and got soaked in the snow, but we were so happy that it didn’t matter. One day, I remember doing a theater exercise with the kids after homework, and that was when my mind started spinning about turning it into an activity. Sibiu. How beautiful it was, and I almost missed it. On November 24th, I became extremely ill, to the point that I couldn’t get out of bed, and a nurse even came to give me a shot. Lola thought she would have to make the trip alone, but at 7 a.m. on November 25th, I decided to join her to see one of the most beautiful and coldest places. The rooftops that watched over us and especially the Emil Sigerus Museum felt literally like Narnia. I believe it was undoubtedly the most beautiful trip I ever took. Arts and crafts and Romanian carols surrounded the whole center at the end of November. In December, we experienced the most traumatic event: MOLDOVA. To summarize: Olga didn’t have a passport, they wouldn’t let her enter, so Lola and I decided not to leave her alone, and we were left stranded in the street for 5 hours, dressed in the most inappropriate way for winter. (We returned safe and sound).

December gave us very beautiful and cozy weeks decorating together, doing a fun Secret Santa, and exchanging gifts at home. The icing on the cake was Lola dressed as the Grinch to scare the kids. I met Cristi in person, and he made me feel even more at home. And here, a pause until we return in January.

January was a month in which I was not very still, as I traveled to Copenhagen and Italy. But January was also the month when I turned my ideas into actions and started my theater activities. January was the last month we would be alone as the three of us. Three new girls would arrive to fill the house. We were looking forward to it, as working so much sometimes left us without energy, but we were also fearful because the relationship we had as a trio was very special and hard to find.

In February, Laura, Chiara, and Carol arrived. I found it a bit difficult to adapt because during the week we worked together, I spent more time in my room, and on weekends I was in Brașov or Bucharest with Cristian. The MTE came, and it was an incredible yet very confusing experience. I realized that perhaps what I wanted to do here was not what I thought I wanted, and my mind drifted a bit to my home and my life before. We ate a lot of chicken and potatoes and met some really cool people. I remember having a lot of drama with the mentor, not knowing what to do. I didn’t feel adequate with the theater, as many times it was quite challenging for me. The kids often didn’t pay attention to me; sometimes even Lili, who translated, wouldn’t listen, and I felt like I had to repeat myself many times, which drained the energy I sometimes didn’t have. With Mihaela’s help, I always felt more empowered and eventually learned to enjoy doing everything. With the arrival of the new girls, the schedule took on a much more stable structure, and it became much simpler.

March was the red-and-white month of Martisor, and I went to Bulgaria to work from home, as I could no longer cope emotionally. Upon returning, I took another trip with Lola to Sebes and Alba Iulia. We walked a lot, but it was a very healing trip, as I had other priorities lately and we hadn’t been traveling as much. That month, we also went to Greece for the carnival in the city of Olga, and I returned home for a week. I really needed to be near my home six months later to come back with more strength. Upon my return, cultural events began, along with the nice weather.

In April, I remember that I created the “arcade games” for the first time due to a lack of ideas, as Hall Game was my least favorite. We went to an escape room, made banana splits, and in general, we became much closer. This month, Lola left. It was a very sad event for me as she had been a fundamental part of my experience. We spent the whole month making drawings and gifts since she used her vacation days at the last moment.

In May, I traveled again, and the heat was starting to kick in, which made the kids more restless because they knew school was coming to an end. Olga, Irina, and I had a somewhat complicated week since the new girls had the MTE. We unleashed our imagination, playing our best cards to keep the Afterschool running as usual. That week, I realized how experienced I had become and the creativity and efficiency I had developed in the first few months of being on my own. Unfortunately, after the training, Laura had to leave us, and it was very sad to have to say goodbye again. This month, we also started working on the ESC campaigns, creating super cool videos to promote the program.

In June, Carol and I signed up for the gym to have a different activity. It was the best decision we could make. It was the last month of classes, so we made the most of it by going to the High Schools to do activities with the teenagers. Also, this month, I had my cultural event, which I worked hard on and enjoyed a lot. On the 14th, all of us from Afterschool went on a trip to Peles together, and afterwards we made gingerbread cookies in Predeal. June was refreshing. I felt like Christmas had returned. For the third consecutive month, we faced the third and penultimate farewell, Chiara. (And Lili). These challenging moments have also allowed me to see where each person is in their life and how each of us faces situations in the best way possible. June, the last month of Afterschool. With the good weather, we also started to enjoy more of the nightlife and social life in Bucharest, like the pubs and the European Championship. The following week was dedicated to preparing for Summer School.

July, the last month of the project where nostalgia begins to appear for things that haven’t even happened yet. I spent my last days of vacation during the first two weeks of the month, taking the opportunity to visit more parts of the country that have left me in love. I returned with more enthusiasm than ever and with more outings with the kids. I finally visited the famous Destiny Park, where I saw them all enjoying themselves, filling my soul with joy. The last goodbye was ours. I couldn’t believe that a year of my life had already passed and that I would have to say goodbye to all my little friends, to the not-so-little ones, to the home I had built with my companions, and to the memories in every corner of this country. It has been the most beautiful experience of my life, where I have learned to face many challenges, to be self-reliant, to be tolerant of others and myself, and to communicate in a way that is always beneficial for personal relationships. Thank you, A4ACTION.