,,I loved discovering new places and exploring new streets...'' Blog dei volontari

Hi, I'm Melike, 28 years old. Turkish, born and raised in Germany, searching for myself. 

About 15 years ago, I was little Melike. I loved discovering new places and exploring new streets so much that I would hop on random buses and get off at the last stop, getting lost so many times hahaha.

Don't worry, I always made it back home. It was this wanderlust within me and the curiosity to see and learn new things that always inspired me. 

Now, let's move on to today. Through a two-month internship abroad that I did last year, for which I will be forever grateful, I realized how much those two months changed me. Like the mountains surrounding Trento, so much had changed within me. But that wasn't enough; I wanted to use the Erasmus program to further explore my inner path. 

Now I'm with my host organization, the one that looked after us last year, and that's given me the opportunity to mentor others this year and see the whole process from the other side. 

I also often visit schools to talk about my experiences with the Erasmus program and encourage young people, just as others encouraged me in the past. 

It offers so many different perspectives that help you grow by stepping outside your comfort zone. You become more self-confident, more open-minded and your horizons expand. The experiences I've had here, and continue to have, I could never have at home. 

Of course, like everywhere else, there are highs and lows, but in the end, you only remember the good memories. 

I've definitely traveled a lot; in Italy, as well as within myself. And the program isn't over yet. I'm excited to see how the journey will continue :)