Leaving on your own, to a completely new country, can be frightening… but it can also mark the beginning of an incredible journey of personal growth. This is exactly what Gianluca experienced with the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), through challenges, discoveries, and unique opportunities.
In Lithuania, at the Kaunas Artists House, he worked on creating content for events, organizing workshops and concerts, discovering new cultures, and pushing himself beyond his limits every single day. After an initial period of adjustment and discouragement, Gianluca learned how to step out of his comfort zone, experiment, grow, and even explore Europe without stress.
What started as a 9-month volunteering experience led him to extend his stay by another two months, eventually settling in Lithuania, which has now become his second home.
“My volunteering experience started with a bang: a lot of emotions, both positive and negative, overwhelmed me from the very first weeks. I had to quickly adapt to living again with other people, with habits very different from mine, and to living in a country completely different from my own in many ways.
The initial culture shock led me to experience a month of discouragement. But once this first adaptation phase passed, the experience started to ‘click,’ so to speak. I began having some truly wonderful experiences, stepped out of my cultural comfort zone, and tried many things I would never have imagined trying.
For me, this is the most beautiful part of the whole experience: having the opportunity to engage with other cultures and truly open yourself to what the world is—a collection of people living their lives in their own way, just as we live ours.
During my journey, I had the chance not only to work in a highly stimulating artistic environment, but also to have plenty of time for myself. This allowed me to explore Europe, work on personal projects, and continue my own path without too much stress.
Of course, opportunities vary depending on the project—not all of them are like this. My main role was creating content for the events at Kaunas Artists House, but I also had the chance to organize workshops and concerts.
The entire project lasted one year, but I decided to stay here in Lithuania, which has now become my second home.”
