• Create the life you want to live

    Create the life you want to live

    When I graduated from high school in 2016, my future plans included starting to study, like everyone else, at a university in The Netherlands. Never had I imagined that this would, in fact, turn into a three-year-long process that would take an unimaginable amount of twists and turns. Right away, I faced challenges that made me stay in Germany and pushed me to start studying a Bachelor of Sociology online. At first, I really only thought about this year as a “buffer year”, where I would take a couple of classes just to keep my academic skills and to get ready for when I would “really start studying”. Of course, it wasn’t that simple. In 2017, I faced more challenges that made me, for the second time, have to delay my entry to university by a year. It may seem trivial, but seeing your friends and classmates from high school all attend university and live the student lifestyle can seriously…

  • Volunteering in Barcelona: Final days

    Volunteering in Barcelona: Final days

    The volunteer trip to Barcelona was the best first experience one could ask for. After reading about the first and second weeks, keep reading to find out more about the final days in Barcelona. Monday, 26th of September 2016– Day Twelve The final week has begun. Two women that are scout-girl leaders come to the house to give a workshop on how to treat sexuality with children. We learn about the biology behind sexuality and the workshop is eye-opening. Having acquired a lot of new knowledge, we speak about it over a good dinner and decide to all go out to the local bar we went to the first night. Tuesday, 27th of September 2016– Day Thirteen After yesterday’s big night, we all take the morning slowly. I finish some university work and in the afternoon, we go to the youth centre in La Fontana to have a workshop on international human rights. Wednesday, 28th of September 2016– Day Fourteen…

  • Volunteering in Barcelona: Week Two

    My first volunteer trip was in Barcelona; an amazing first experience! Keep reading to find out more about what happened during the second week of the volunteer camp. Monday, 19th of September 2016– Day Five Has it only been five days? It feels like I’ve been here a month. We walk and take the metro to the office, then go to the gothic quarter. Today’s theme is femicides– we learn about statistics regarding murders of women and gender-based violence, a theme that goes hand in hand with a class I’m taking. We start preparing a short speech in our own language to speak out during the next demonstration regarding femicides. Tuesday, 20th of September 2016– Day Six We make our way to the office early in the morning. Today’s activity: workshop on the spectrum of LGBT orientations. It’s a day full of confessions, opening up and of new perspectives. Wednesday, 21th of September 2016– Day Seven Today’s a big day.…