A few months after the on-arrival training in the High Tatras, I was really looking forward to seeing everyone again. Before the trip, I felt a bit lazy about traveling. However, I knew it would be a great experience and an excellent opportunity to step out of my comfort zone.

Most of us arrived in the town of Zvolen on Thursday evening, although some arrived later. Artem, one of the volunteers, for instance, mistakenly thought we were heading back to the mountains and took a train to Poprad instead :D. Once we arrived at the hotel, we were really happy to see each other again. We started with some activities to talk about what we had been doing during these months in Slovakia. With the nice weather we were having, we were able to spend a lot of time outside spending free time and doing some activities there. On Saturday, we took a trip to Banska Bystrica, visited the main parts of the city, and then went on a long hike up the mountain and back down again.

My favorite part of these training sessions is spending time with people from different places. We learn a lot from each other; for example, we even had a group dance class. It's also a great opportunity to pick up languages or improve non-verbal communication skills, especially since not everyone speaks English. On the other hand, personally, I wasn't very excited about some of the other activities we did, like writing about our experiences and discussing them, describing how we feel using a fruit, or picking a card to talk about aspects of our lives. However, I have to admit that these activities can be surprisingly funny and helpful.

Overall, I believe that these trainings of the National agency are a great opportunity for volunteers to connect with each other and gain valuable experiences.

Text: Manuel López

Manuel je dobrovoľníkom programu Európskej komisie Európsky zbor solidarity na dobrovoľníckom projekte v Bratislavskom dobrovoľníckom centre. Projekt bol podporený z programu Európsky zbor solidarity.