Norway through a volunteer's eyes

How are you doing in Norway now that you've been there for almost a year?
My one-year stay in Norway is coming to an end, but I still have three months ahead of me, for which I still have many plans. Generally, so far, my impressions are fantastic. Norway is an exceptionally beautiful country, full of natural wonders and, despite the colder climate, people are often full of warmth. Of course, my stay hasn't been always perfectly easy, and I was also faced with the challenges and differences in the culture and communication, but as a general impression - I got a lot from that year. In the majority, the stay was a great, unrepeatable experience that gave me a lot of new opportunities for discovering and self-initiative!

Tell us more about your expectations before the project started and how were they realized.
I applied for the project because of the nature of the work and the project (unlike most of the volunteers who came because of the country). I expected a diverse and flexible work - and I was not disappointed. As far as work is concerned, I was quite independent and in accordance with my skills and abilities I was able to represent the organization and represent it on social media. The work was very varied and there were many opportunities to learn, if an interest in that was also shown. We also worked with people on various projects - one of them was about the concern for sustainable tourism with HI representatives from Brazil. I changed the place of residence three times, and each of the places - therefore, Oslo, Bergen and Lillehammer - had its own work pace and its vision of our values - and consequently my work with them.

What were your favourite things?
I really like the flexibility of the project and the ability to develop your skills and use your talents and upgrade them. Because at such a rapid pace it is so difficult to take time for ourselves, we often do not ask ourselves what once made us happy. In that year, I had the opportunity to awaken and upgrade precisely this – the very long forgotten things I've always wanted to try. This category includes many things - from volunteering, conducting workshops, city visits, organizations, and finally to digital competences. I had the time and support of the organization to develop and study as much as possible what I know and what I want to know - and that meant a lot to me.

What, on the other hand, you did not like?
It would be difficult for me to change something or do it differently, because it does not depend much on me. What I liked the least (and I still do) is the place where I live, as there have been unexpected changes when it comes to the accommodation and its cost in Oslo often exceeds the budget received by the organization. That is why I live in a Catholic school where strict and unusual rules apply. If it was in my power, the location would be one of the few things I would change.

Also, the organization's headquarters are currently in the process of a whole series of changes, as we did not only change the seat, but also almost all members of the organization will be changed shortly. Therefore, at this moment everything is a bit chaotic, but we are getting accustomed to it.

What is your opinion about the volunteer program? What are some of the things you did?
Although there wasn't a fixed program from the very beginning, a lot of it depended on the arrangements we made, but we were able to make some great arrangements. The program started with a day trip around Norway, during which I experienced a lot in a short time. On the trip, I accidentally met a Slovenian on the other side of Norway. After the trip, I spent the summer in Oslo, documenting the holiday season. In autumn I went to Bergen, where I made promotional videos and organized activities with guests; after the new year I went to Lillehammer, a beautiful winter town; and now I'm back in Oslo, but this time in the office. The program is still developing, but everything has worked well so far!

Of course, I need to ask what new things have you learned?
A lot of things in different areas! First, I got an insight into work in tourism, hostels, working with volunteers and tourists from different parts of the world. I learned some things about marketing, I made huge progress in learning software and designing films and advertising posters. I learned about the work of the organization and saw what problems they are facing and what they are striving for. I'm also learning Norwegian. One of the main things, as a common factor in all this, is personal growth, which I gained here. It is much easier to expand your horizons and become more open and consequently honest with yourself and stronger with such an experience. Pulling all this together, I will complete a project with lots of new skills!

Have you had some free time to explore Norway?
I did some traveling within the project and I am very fascinated about the opportunity and the places we visited. But I was not overly mobile within Norway at my own expense. Time did not represent such a big problem - this was more due to the fact that Norway empties your pockets very easily, especially going towards the north. Tourism is growing with every year, and so are the prices. Therefore, for the time being, I have not been able to do much exploring in the north, but I treated myself with some trips even just because there are many good air connections. I visited Iceland, Latvia, and Estonia, and I also went home and around the surrounding countries. I'm exploring slowly, but persistently!

What did you do in your spare time? Did you do some cross-country skiing?
Over the course of this year, I was more than ever impressed by hiking. I was staying in an ideal place for that! Apart from that, I was mainly in company, cooking/baking, playing different table games with colleagues or the hostel guests or watching movies. I did not ski. I am one of those people who have seen too many injuries while skiing, so I have preferred to avoid this. One day, I may be encouraged to do it.

Who would you advise to apply for the program?
My opinion is that EVS or some similar long-term international exchange should be experienced by everyone, even just to move a little from the comfort zone and get the moment when he sees that the world is not as monotonous as we are accustomed to in everyday routine. I want people, especially Slovenians, to travel more and be more active, as we are mostly homebodies, even though we are offered great opportunities. At the moment, there is a trend for young people from Germany to take a "volunteer break" for a year after high school and gain new competences - and I hope this is at least to some extent passed on to us.

Did you ever regret signing up?
At the time of the project, I definitely had difficult moments, especially when it comes to practical things. I even dare to say I had a harder time than other volunteers in Norway, although some were in an even bigger muddle. But these things are also part of life, so I accepted occasional situations and tried to solve them to the best of my ability and/or consult with others about them. Anja was very helpful (Vice-President of the Slovenian Travel Association). I never thought I regretted applying, and I did not even imagine hypothetically the "what if I would not be here..." scenario. I knew it was a good decision with the best intentions, and no matter what happens on the project, my experience will be unforgettable.

What are your plans for what's ahead of you?
Uh, I still have some time for this "ahead"! At least I'm consoling myself with this. In fact, I do not have very detailed plans yet, but during this time I am dedicating myself to finding a job all over Europe. Since I'm only missing a master's thesis, I realize that it would be good to finish it as soon as possible, but the priority is to find a job and then plan for the last act of my studies.

You can read more about Sandra's adventures on the blog https://sayhitonorway.com/, where you can find many helpful tips for spending your holidays in Norway.