Every EVS volunteer has a chance to attend truely unique training- like any others. Right after coming to a destination country, still dazed and confused, we’re travelling to a place, sometimes quite far, to meet the other volunteers, to spend time together, to work on our skills, motivations and, most of all, to know better ourselves.
Previous On-Arrival Trainings were organized close to Napoli, Roma and Rimini, but lately it’s organized in Vittorcchiano, close to Viterbo. The place is beautiful, surrounded by the nature and silence, except of train line right behind the hotel building- but very lovely, old one. One day we took that train to Viterbo, to complete some tasks and visit that wonderful town. Even the train ride was a pleasant experience due to breathtaking views outside a windows.
Usually day started there with a breakfast served between 7.30 and 8.30 as at 9.00 we’re starting the activities. Meeting of all group to make an introduction of a day schedule. Then we’re going in smaller groups to have an Italian language course. It was intense course- every day 90 minutes of vocabulary, conversations and speaking. The result was different for different people of course- some of us started to talk, more advanced mastered the pronunciation, but some stayed at “Tutto capito” level.
Activities lasted till 22.30 or even 23.00, so there was not a much free time for parties. But as you maybe know by now- EVS is about challenges, so we were taking this one as well. And the hardest one- to get on time the next morning for a breakfast and group meeting.
After a week of tight schedule we headed back to our final destinations- tired, overfilled with knowledge and thinking excessively about ourselves… but happy, richer of new friendships and memories.
Janek
PS. All photos in this post are property of Kamilla János. All rights reserved, 2015