Volunteering painted my life with rainbow colors

Before starting my first deployment I had some expectations in mind of what it would have been. I was mainly focusing on the job aspect, I was excited about the new tasks, how the work would have been. The rest was a bit in the background, I didn't think about it much.

But the deployment is a full immersion into a new life, and what I didn't realize was that the job is just half of it. Part of the day is spent in the office, but there is a big part outside of it. And that's part of the deployment too. Understanding where the closest supermarkets are, getting to know your neighbor, getting lost while trying to reach home, trying to make new friends, putting yourself out there, and building a new life day by day. It's a jump into the unknown, a very exciting jump. It is a bit intimidating at the beginning, but that's where the gain lays, stepping out of your comfort zone and being transformed by the experience without even realizing it. 

I didn't have a full grasp of what I would have found by moving to Istanbul. 

I found a job where I never stop learning. I found a city that gets under your skin, a mix of contradictions that together somehow make sense. I found a family, friends that will be there even when our roads will separate, a community so warm and welcoming that made me feel at home from the first moment. 

A couple of weeks ago it happened to be my birthday. When I stepped into the office all the team was there ready to surprise me with an amazing birthday party. They went above and beyond and it was the perfect way to celebrate: all my team around and a table full of croissants. 

And while I was sitting there I realized that the jump was so worth it, and it enriched my life in a way I could have never anticipated.

And that's what volunteering has always meant for me, a gift of opportunities and challenges that make life fuller and more colorful. 

In Istanbul during Ramadan

 

Time has been flowing in a different way since the beginning of the pandemic and months are passing in a blink of an eye, but still, every week is filled with new experiences, and looking back at these past few months many things happened. I have been busy with many projects in Small Projects Istanbul(SPI).  For a few months we went back to office a bit more frequently, which was also a nice change. I really miss spending time with my colleagues and it was great being with some of them in the same space once in a while. 

I will go more in details about my work and the projects in my next blog, but this time I thought it could be interesting just talking a bit about my life outside of work. 

Many of the perks of being deployed in a new country are definitely connected with the work and the skills you gain within your position, by collaborating with inspired and hard working professionals from different countries and applying your expertise in a different context, but having the chance to get to know and understand a new culture and become part of it is also an amazing opportunity.

Turkey is still holding some restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID 19: the weekends are in full locked down and every day there is curfew from 7pm to 5am. Restaurants and cafes can only serve takeaway and masks are still mandatory when outside. It's not easy for sure, but we are all trying our best to isolate as much as possible and do our part in helping the situation improve, which means that I don't really go out much, apart from shopping and walks outside when the weather allows it.

But still, even with these limitation, Istanbul is a city that offers so much. I live very close to the port and I can sit near the seaside and enjoy the fresh air and that amazing fragrance of sea and spring air. 

Also, last week Ramadan started here in Turkey. Ramadan is usually a month of conviviality and celebration, where many people fast during from sunrise till sunset and get together to break the fast and spend some time in the evening with their families and their community. This year is going to be celebrated in a more private and contained way, but still, Ramadan is always a month I like a lot. Every morning at 4am, groups of drummers roam around the city to wake people up, so that they can prepare and have breakfast before the sun rises. The shops and bazaars are filled with new and interesting food made especially for Ramadan, like the Ramadan pide (a round and flat bread sold in every bakery of the city), tamarind sherbet (a sweet beverage made of tamarind), or güllaç (a special dessert made of milk, fresh and dry fruit and pastry). 

I am really enjoying every small discovery I make in the market, and try food I didn't know before and get to know Istanbul and Turkish culture a bit better. 

That's all for now, but I will get back soon with more details about my deployment. ✌