Catapulted into Drenthe

Cherry started a new season of CARE projects; this time, four volunteers from Italy, Slovenia, and Hungary travelled to Drenthe to take part in the ESC programme. Well, that was two months ago, and after moving countries, meeting new people, choosing our workplaces, and exploring the Netherlands, we finally had time to settle in. Each of us has different reasons for coming to Emmen, but we all share one thing: we wanted to challenge ourselves and feel part of something bigger. 

Living in Drenthe has been an experience. It is vastly different from the big cities one first thinks of when hearing ‘the Netherlands’. It offers lush nature, serenity, and a slower way of life. There is also, of course, an abundance of cycling paths, which sometimes even seem to take priority over pedestrian paths. Most of us come from bigger cities and find a completely different rhythm of life here: spending more time in nature and a slower start to the day. 

Adapting to life in the Netherlands has not been as challenging as we imagined. There are obvious differences, but finding similarities to home has been easy. We consider many aspects, such as the smoothness of public transportation, to be even superior. The language barrier and constantly communicating in English also intimidated some of us when applying. Yet we have found that everyone is extremely patient and willing to adapt. It is also helpful that basic phrases, such as ‘hi ’, are the same in Dutch as in English. The only thing we cannot get on board with is their obsession with cold meals.  

Another thing we all share is openness to new experiences. Sofia lerned how to cycle because there is no better place to learn than in the Netherlands. Davide tried spontaneity by putting himself out there, even if it meant joining strangers he met on a train and then walking home for two hours at 4 am. CC’s first was living with six international flatmates, which requires adapting to various cultures and habits. Mine (Maja’s) was a newfound sense of community, as the four of us work together, live together, and have similar values.

Putting ourselves out there and immersing ourselves in a new environment has also taught us a lot about ourselves as individuals. Sofia discovered a newfound love for working with children by volunteering at the local refugee centre one afternoon a week. CC discovered that although we come from different cultures, a common goal can bridge cultural gaps. Lastly, we all learned how quickly two months pass by when life is exciting, and everything is new.

Now that we are halfway through our four-month project, we can look back on some of our favourite moments. Sofia particularly cherishes her first day at the Vrolijkheid, the refugee centre, when she realised the children's immense gratitude towards volunteers. They showered her with drawings and thank-you notes, which was a rewarding and emotional moment for her. Davide is a big fan of the fluffy chickens we take care of at the Cherry office. So you can imagine his joy when we got about a dozen baby quails and fluffy chickens (he is finding it hard to contain his cuteness aggression). CC particularly enjoyed the on-arrival training we did with other volunteers from the Netherlands. Getting to know other volunteers and their project, while connecting through a shared goal, was very memorable and rewarding. One of my favourites was biking to a lake and spending the afternoon bonding in nature. I especially love travelling and feel grateful for the opportunity to discover beautiful places I would otherwise never see.

In the remaining months, we want to learn more Dutch, explore new places, and be present in their culture. We are all really enjoying the variety of what we do here and cannot wait for what other new experiences our time here brings. That is not to say that each of us doesn't have our own fun goals, like getting a tattoo, seeing all the galleries, going to a festival, and the famous New Year's Dive. Maybe we will update you on how that goes!