My story begins on June 25, 2015, I decided to get on a plane to little Sicily – Italy – in search of a goal and a motivation to change the course of my life . I honestly didn’t expect it to be that literal.

I landed in the afternoon, around 2:00 pm or so, and in a bus I headed to the capital of Sicily, Palermo. Several members of the committee were waiting for me there to welcome me and take me along with other volunteers from different AIESEC projects. A LOVELY AND VERY ATTENTIVE PEOPLE and with whom today I still maintain contact for another reason but friendship. Those who were going to guide you in the beginning ended up with you at the head of the direction.

My volunteer project consisted of the Cooperative Sociale di San Marco , a school / summer camp for children with family problems . My work week was based on trips to the beach, games with the children, drowning, competitions, barbecues in the field, fishing and twists and turns on the slides of the aquapark. Who said you had to suffer?

It was really shocking some of the situations that I got to know, shocking but moralizing. Children who have nothing in life and yet appreciate it and cling to it with great enthusiasm and joy. They have taught me a lot about life, they have opened my eyes and thanks to that, today I value much more what I have and what I am.

My accommodation was based in a foster home, with children who for legal reasons could not live with their parents and I have to say that shortly after being there, these children became “my Sicilian brothers.” It is incredible that feeling of comfort and integrity in a house that is not yours and that thanks to those children and their trust in me, I managed to feel it.

On the other hand, all the AIESEC people and volunteers formed a good “group”, the kind that were temporarily inseparable and did everything: we went out to dinner, we traveled around the island (Syracuse, Agrigento, Cefalu, Petralia …), we went to a Global Village where the happy birthday song was sung in more than 8 languages, those night baths on the beach feeling free and happy and that desire that we always had to smile and meet people.

The six weeks I spent there were a non-stop of experiences and moments that I will never forget.

From the conversations with the children at work, the affection and the hugs they gave me and the tenderness that was breathed, to those long afternoons on the beach, on the train discovering beautiful places, all the flavors of ice cream that my palate has been able to know, the best pizza in the world (pizza nazionale, yum yum), Sicilian food. Do not forget that “wonderful” public transport that passes every two hours and as you go in a hurry … every three. All this together is that nuance that makes the difference between what you hope to live and what you feel when you live it.
There is no doubt that volunteering is an experience that fills the soul, enriches the feelings and still leaves you wanting more, so I will go in search of another project not very soon.

Sonia Ortiz Colodro

AIESEC in Granada