”Always meeting new people and new cultures”

A year to know me better

I wanted to have one year after school in which I can travel, speak french, meet a lot of new friends and just « exist » and live in the moment. I also wanted to do something useful, so I profite from this year on many levels. This mobility is perfect to get to know myself better and think about what I wanna study and do with my life while getting to know France better.

I am a volunteer from OFAJ that means I represent the german culture and people here in France.

I have 4 seminars. 2 in France and 2 in Germany in which half of the people are german and the other half french. Here in France I live together with 3 other volunteers (spanish, vietnamese and english).

I am working at Pistes Solidaires, an association which is doing public work for the European Union. My work is from Monday to Thursday and at special occassions also on the weekends. I am working together with an italian colleague which is amazing because I have always a person who I can rely on. A lot of time the work is in the office, but also a lot of traveling and meeting all kind of people (all ages) because I am doing formations about the European Union at schools, universities, on markets… almost everywhere in the region « Nouvelle Aquitaine ».

Between nature and discovering new people

I started with kickboxing and continued with dancing during the week here in France. I try to cook healthier and to inform myself about my possibilities to study. On the weekends I am doing a lot of trips with my friends and I discover new and beautiful places. I always search for being in the nature, so I go to the ocean or the mountains to surf and snowboard. That’s why Ihad the possibility to meet the legendary surfer Kelly Slater during my voluntary service. Always meeting new people and new cultures.

3 words about my European volunteering:
choose to shine