Diego's experience in Switzerland

A warm hello to all the brave ones that have made the decision to live the experience, to dream or to travel, call it what you wish, in the end I will tell you what I call it! But first let me introduce myself, my name is Diego, I am from Costa Rica, I was an ICYE incoming volunteer from August 2021 to August 2022 in Switzerland.

Before my arrival in Switzerland, many things were uncertain due to the pandemic, and that caused everything to be postponed, but something I have is patience and besides that, what made the waiting wonderful was the arrival of Delia (my Swiss host sister) at my house. I had the opportunity to ask her about her country in terms of its culture, food, celebrations, language, weather, and more, until my curiosity was satisfied, and the Swiss borders had opened again. Thanks to this exchange with Delia, I managed to feel at home fast in my host family in Switzerland.

I arrived on a beautiful summer’s day in August, and I was pleasantly received by ICYE staff. My volunteering would not start until September, which afforded me the opportunity to explore the cities of Bern, Montreux and Lausanne, and to familiarise myself with the Swiss transport system, supermarkets, the project and its staff (I spent a few days in my project before settling in with my host family).

I really enjoyed my time with my host family. They were so welcoming, open-minded and curious. ?My host sister Samira took me skiing with her friends, Noel took me along to see soccer matches of his team, Beni visited me when I was ill, Chris, the family’s chef who took me climbing and hiking and even all the way to “Europa Park” in Germany.?

On my first day in the project, I was apprehensive and felt as if going for a job interview. I was volunteering at Youth Hostels, also known as International Hostelling, and my assignment was in one of their hostels?in Bern, a meeting point of many cultures. ?My work consisted of assisting the housekeeper, kitchen and front desk staff, helping out at the bar, in the garden, and more. This type of volunteering was very enriching, my colleagues were hardworking, respectful, fun, attentive and I made them my friends, despite living in a country of which they say it is difficult to make friends.

I had to adapt to the country I was in, as that is the idea of an exchange of cultures, and I embraced it fully. I knew I was given a unique opportunity to volunteer for an entire year in Switzerland, and not many are given this chance. Hence, I decided to enjoy it to the fullest. It had taken a long time to be able to embark on this trip due to the pandemic, so I did not want to waste time and with this mindset, everything became an ADVENTURE.

I began to adapt to the culture and its language(s), ?I enjoyed?the mountains, cities, lakes,?glaciers, meals, I enjoyed every single train trip within Switzerland, I went to concerts, music and food festivals, and all of this was part of an unforgettable adventure, even if learning German was the most difficult part thereof. Everything went well and I'm happy about that.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people everywhere, starting with the staff and volunteers at ICYE Switzerland. Hester is passionate about what she does, and she does it with a big heart; Lucie, Hannah, Isciane, Erica, Eliane and Sara were all so helpful and cheerful, in?addition to the EVS-volunteers at the office. ?Meeting other volunteers of so many nationalities in camps was really interesting and fun.

What an opportunity it was to get to know their cultures, their ways of thinking and socializing, all of which opened my mind towards understanding others better.?In the project, too, I met people from all over the world: from Spain, Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Portugal, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Russia, the USA, Ukraine, France, Asia, Great Britain. In short, I think this was even better than going to a World Cup!

You only live once and time flies by, and like I always say to friends, "enjoy the show and create memories" …… ?Pura Vida!