ARRIVING TO AN END....

"THE ONLY SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE. IS EXPERIENCE"      
  -Albert Einstein 

Barcelona

I started this gap year because I wanted to travel the world whilst helping others. I wanted to go to a multicultural place where I could learn about other cultures and broaden my horizons.When I enrolled in this trip  I was aiming for an unique experience. And I definitely believe that it was more than unique.

My favorite memories of this trip are probably the trip where I learned a lot about the concept of teaching, and the different methods to do so, It was very interesting and by far the best experience of the gap year. I also really enjoyed my birthday which I celebrated with my fellow comrades at the Mediterranean beach in Barcelona.

I enrolled with a non-profit organization that focuses on giving  a good education to young kids of disadvantage communities. And I became an English teacher for  8 months. It was my first teaching experience, and it was amazing because I could get closely involved with local people.

I learned a lot from those kids. Specially about solidarity: they had so little yet they shared so much and were very keen on learning.

I am so grateful for this one-of-a-kind trip. And f you ask me, I would do it again a thousand times.

This has been a mind blowing and very meaningful experience! And I'm very sad that it is finally coming to an end. I will forever hold the many unforgettable moments I shared with my fellow volunteers! From the breath-taking sightseeing to the long walks through the beach.

Pictures taken throughout the trip

Until next trip!
xo

WENT TO EAST-EUROPE!

“It's a road trip! It's about adventure! . . . It's not like

 we have somewhere to go.” 

― John Green, An Abundance of Katherines.

Hi! Sorry I haven't written for a long while, I've been incredibly busy this past few weeks with the volunteering, It's been quite an amazing experience!. 

In this past month I made a couple of good friends in the same volunteering program I'm in. And we have been invited to an incredible adventure: A road-trip to the most amazing European cities:
Amsterdam, Berlin and Venice.

We will be going to learn about their teaching techniques and apply them to teach our current students. I thing this is an amazing experience to get to know the different teaching methods in other countries.

THE ROAD-TRIP:

Roadtrip map

First: We took a 1 h 30 minute flight from Barcelona to Amsterdam and rented a car in Amsterdam.

THE FIRST DAY:
We arrived to Amsterdam at 6 am so as soon as we got to the hotel we took a long nap until 9 am.
The moment we woke up we had breakfast and went to explore the city.
I fell in love with Amsterdam's canals, They are so beautiful and they're what makes the place so unique and original. They really set her aside from other European cities.

Beautiful canals of Amsterdam

Walking though the canals I felt as if I was trapped in an old movie. It is so surreal!
We didn't haves a lot of time to explore because we had to go to a local school. So at 12 we took a boat that left us a few blocks away from our destination.

We were very well welcomed in the school and the kids were very respectful and kind.
I really loved that we got to learn the way they made children more enthusiastic about learning. They "mixed" playing with teaching which made them more eager to learn.
Each child worked in an individual way.



SECOND DAY:
We arrived to Berlin at around 11 am and we didn't have too much time to walk around the city so we drove directly to the school. 

 I really liked this school,the teachers were very well trained and had a nice relation with the students. Unlike the other school, to make the kids more passionate about learning they made them work in groups. And each kid got to choose a friend to work with.
People in this school were very nice, but I also noticed that the teachers were a little bit harsh on the kids.


THIRD DAY:
The last and foremost the one I enjoyed the most: Venice.
Similar to Amsterdam because of it's canals, but in an Italian way.
The day was BEAUTIFUL. Hot , but not too much. So we were able to walk trough the city without a problem.

I was shocked by the beauty of this city, I felt inside of a painting, it was unbelievable.
We were so amazed that the only thing we did all day was walk, or, as I should actually say, navigate the city.

The first thing I noticed were the vibrant and happy colors of the houses and the boats that compliment so beautifully the green-ish color of the canals.

People not only at the school, but also on the street were incredibly nice.

  

We arrived at the school at about 10 am. We got to speak with some teachers about the way they teach the students. It was really interesting and by far the one I liked the most. 

Italy being home to so many amazing artists and musicians it was very smart when I discovered this school was based on exactly that: Art.

The school tried to bring out each individual's creativity. They taught by letting the kids express themselves freely. For example, In history class, a kid that liked to draw, drew a comic about what they were talking about in the class. Each student did something related to the subject by using their own passion, and creativity.So each kid learned the same thing, but in their own way.

They also used classical music in every class to help the kids be more focused on their tasks.

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I have to say that this trip was one of the most amazing and mind opening experiences I've done so far in my gap year. I learned a lot about teaching and how to bring out every ones talent by teaching.

I hope you've enjoyed this blog post, I'll be writing another entry as soon as I can, I'll probably explain a bit more about my volunteering program and all about my gap year experience in Barcelona!

See you 

xo

ARRIVING TO BARCELONA!

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." Saint Augustine

Barcelona: Picture taken from the plane, before landing.

Barcelona, España

I arrived to the city 4 hours ago,and I'm already in love with it.It's incredibly beautiful, more than I expected. I have been dreaming of landing in this place since as long as I can remember. And I'm finally here!

After meticulous planning, lots of effort and a ten hour fight (including unexpected turbulence) I've arrived to BARCELONA...

The beautiful blue colors, the warm climate, the shining sun, the stunning beaches. I am really looking forward to  start my volunteering program to teach English to young kids! 

Although I love my family and friends, I really don't think I'll be missing them for a long while. I have to admit that before taking the plane I was quite nervous and scared. But now I feel incredibly exited and looking forward to start this mind blowing experience!

This place looks A-MA-ZING.

Barcelona shore

...

After a short taxi ride from the airport to the hotel I left the suit case and went for a walk though the shore.Although I felt exhausted I still couldn't resist the uniqueness of Barcelona!

Local shop near my hotel

In my 20 minute walk I got to explore my surroundings: There's an incredibly pretty beach just in front of the hotel. There's a small local shop just around the corner where they sell local food (Mediterranean food...my favorite!) and they also sell some souvenirs, and I have already seen a couple I'm taking for my family.

And people dress so summery and classy at the same time! I love it (and also love their Spanish accent).
Also the school I'll be mainly working at is quite close to the hotel (about ten blocks) so I can go walking every day!

View from my hotel window

Lets not forget to mention the astonishing view -overlooking the Mediterranean sea- I have from my hotel window!!

Despite the exhaustion from the long trip and the jet lag I definitely got to see some pretty amazing things today, and also passed by the school to speak to some teachers and know a bit more about how my first day was going to be.  I really hope tomorrow I wake up full of energy to discover more about this incredible place and start my volunteering program!

 I've arrived from my walk about an hour ago and I'm just listening to some happy music whilst finishing to unpack my stuff and organize my closet. There's a long way to go!
I'll write another entry later in a few days.

Hope you've liked the post!

xo