I find it hard to believe that it has been two years since I boarded that plane that changed my perspective on the world. I have always considered myself an open-minded person, adventurous and not afraid of challenges. Or maybe they scare you, but isn’t that the best part?

Any adventure excites me but international volunteering was not an idea that I had in mind from the beginning. The need arose after I joined AIESEC, much of it by chance. Being able to provide these kinds of experiences made me open my eyes. I told my parents that that same summer I could go and although at first they were not very amused, they immediately saw the benefits it could bring me.

Choosing a destination was not easy. I wanted to get away, really live a different experience, where from the culture to the climate they were strange and new to me. I was between Asia Pacific or South America, but the large number of projects available in the latter made me decide. Finally, after interviews, pros and cons, I chose my project in Brazil.

On July 25, 2014 my adventure began. It was the first time she had crossed the pond, and it was also the first time she had really traveled alone. It was a very long day of goodbyes, 3 planes, suitcases up and down and a mixture of nerves and excitement, but I arrived at my destination: Florianópolis. No, I had not heard of this small island, almost paradisiacal, in southern Brazil. Just by googling it , I was in love and determined.

At the airport, my host brother picked me up and we arrived at his house. The first culture shock was that the parents did not know a word of English, only Portuguese, but that was not an impediment to a great reception. The 6 weeks I spent with them they treated me like one more daughter, since they went from having two to four (me and my volunteer partner and home, an Austrian girl).

The first week of my volunteering was mainly training. The members of AIESEC met us every day to get to know each other, both with each other and with ourselves. They did activities and helped us focus our project, explaining all the details to us. This consisted of passing sessions to children from 5 to 14 years old in different NGOs on the island. Each week that we passed a different topic occupied us: multiculturalism, environment, human rights, ethics, citizenship …

The best thing was the treatment with the children. It was unexpected since I am not normally a person who likes to be surrounded by little ones. But this was completely different. From the first day to the last, the children proved to be truly dedicated. They were affectionate until saying enough, any detail excited them and they just wanted to learn more and more. The little ones hugged me all day and fought for me to hold their hand on the way to the dining room.The older ones, on the other hand, confessed that their classmates liked them and we listened to music together. Little by little, Portuguese stopped being an impediment and allowed me to learn it very quickly, because of its similarity to Spanish and because it was the only language they could understand. His level of English was too basic for conversation. Even so, the most surprising thing was that my Austrian friend did not speak a word of Spanish or Portuguese but that was not an impediment for her when it came to interacting. The children adored her alike and many times I had to be the translator.

By hanging out with them you realize how little they ask and how little they know. That we came from Europe expressly to be with them seemed amazing, almost impossible. Talking with them about climate change, about how different cultures interact, about the world, everything seemed great to them from that small class. During the patio hours, they taught us their national sport, soccer, while we tried to teach them traditional games from our countries. It was a unique experience that really motivated you to get up at 6:30 in the morning and spend almost two hours on the bus between waits. But at the end of the day you are in Brazil.

Volunteering teaches you to give without receiving, to show your best purely for others. Because in the end what you receive, without expecting it, is much more. I take a thousand and one drawings, kisses, hugs, laughter and hours of horse riding. I take their smiles, their illusions and their desire. Because although education has never been my passion, spending those 6 weeks there taught me more than I did.

But my experience was much more. Brazil is one of the countries that receives the most people volunteering thanks to AIESEC. During my stay, four projects were carried out in the city, with 12 to 15 volunteers each, which translates into more than 50 volunteers. People from all over the world, wanting to learn, to teach, to spend the summer of their lives. I met a lot of people that summer. We had many conversations from cultural anecdotes to political-economic situations.

I understood why some people act, their beginnings, the thoughts of different cultures. Together we would have dinners, went to the beach (even if it was winter), partied and even surfed. We also travel a lot: the Iguaçú Falls, the Argentine and Paraguayan border, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil has charm, and although if it is present, not everything is samba, soccer and carnival. Maybe in more touristy cities like the center of Rio they do use these topics, but not in Florianópolis. My city was one of the safest in the country, but even so it does not enjoy the advantages of large European cities. The bus system is slow and inefficient, English is only at the university level and yet not all students speak it and the school facilities are not the best. But what surprised me was the hospitality of the people. It may sound like a cliché too, but people directly open the doors of their house for you. Anything you need. Brazil is categorized as one of the most dangerous countries in the world, but my memory is a completely different one. Without a doubt, the best summer of my life. Thanks to this, I now have a Brazilian family and friends all over the world.

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Cristina Bas, Barcelona