* This is a picture I took yesterday on the street where Casa Grizzetti is. Even though is raining with cats and dogs the orchid tree continues to blossom in spite of the bad weather.

* It’s been more than a week that is raining here and I’ll have to bare this bad weather for at least another week.

* This week will be full of events: Cortisonici – short movie festival, Il Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Il Sole D’Oro – an event organized by Cesvov. They’re all events I’ve been waiting for and really wanted to participate, but I didn’t expected them all in the same time. I’ll try to attend all of them, even if the probability is quite low.

* Starting with 28^th of May I will live alone in Grizzetti house because Katrina, my house mate, is finishing her project earlier. Thankfully I will be alone for about a month and a half before my project finishes.

* I decided to have the language exam at the begging of June. I will go for C2 certification, even if I feel it’s a bit over my level, but at least will push me to learn more.

* We gave up the idea of organizing a Living Library, since we don’t have any news from Agenzia Giovani and we run out of time. It’s an event that requieres time and human resources and with the time available it would be impossible to organize it.

* This weekend I visited Turin and I’ve fallen in love with it. Is not as beautiful as Roma or Florence, but it has something else that fascinates me.

Time passes so fast: I can’t believe it’s mid april.

Today it’s an important day, because it’s being chosen the future EVS volunteer for Cesvov and the other organizations who’s projects Cesvov is coordinating.

I barely remember my feelings when they announced me that I’ve been selected to be the next volunteer, but I definitely was happy. It was the first and only application I’ve sent and I’ve realized how lucky I was just after I spoke with other volunteers and I understood for them the selection process it was very difficult. Was I indeed lucky or not, was the question I asked myself right after.

I remember one day when I was rambling on internet as usual I decided to check the projects on the European portal and I started with Italy, Spain and Portugal. I started with Italy and started looking at the projects located especially in big cities, but couldn’t find any project appealing enough. That’s why at a second look I saw this project in Varese and immediately after reading the description I started looking for more details. I loved the fact that the description was made very well paying attention to all details, which made me think the organization takes things very seriously.

I went on the website, had a look at their projects and suddenly decided to call them and see if they are recruiting, and this is what I call luck: they were selecting the EVS for the next year, exactly during that week. I had a look on the blog where the previous EVS wrote about their experiences and I devoured all the posts written since 2005. For me this was another proof that Cesvov was very organized.

Right after I contacted Cheem I got the form  and confronted of tens of question I kind of got blocked so it took me few days to complete the entire form. I really put my soul and did a lot of research before completing it and I am convinced that it could be easily seen. After completing my form I sent it to a friend to have a look and give me her opinion and I used her input to improve it and then sent my application and hoped for the best.

Few days after, very few in fact, I received the confirmation from Cheem and then after I kind of projected my life waiting for October. I didn’t doubt a moment that the project will be approved, and in fact it has been.

What I think differentiated me from other candidates is the fact that I was really interested in THIS project and this transpired in my application. Here at Cesvov they receive tons of application during the year and it’s pretty difficult to get selected if you receive a general application. It can get a lot of time to personalize every application, so that’s why if you send a lot of them it’s better to be coherent.

It can be very expensive, but if you are really interested in a certain project you can make a phone call – Skype has very good tariffs – this way you’ll be ahead 90% of the other applicants.

If you sent an application and you’re reading this blog post I wish you Good Luck!

There are a lot of things i like here in Varese and right now after 6 months  I can put my finger on it. Here are some of the things I really enjoy:

1. Il Buosino it’s a coffee with chocolate and a bit of milk and the most wonderful thing about it is that they give you a chocolate spoon for the coffee . It’s really delicious and once in a while when I feel I want to pamper myself I go and have one. Not to mention that ”Buosi” the place where the make ”il Buosino” is full of delicious temptations.
2. The orchid trees. In Bucharest in spring time there are only few orchid trees, and you have to plan a journey  and go to  see them. Instead in Varese and Malnate every few houses I see an orchid tree and it makes me feel very lucky.
3. The nature. By car in 15-20 min away from Malnate or Varese you land in the midst of the nature and you can enjoy the lakes, forests, hills. Coming from a city famous for its grey buildings it’s a huge jump to be that close to nature.
4. Being quite close to Milan. I am used to big cities, I was born and I lived my entire life in a big city so once in a while I need the energy (or the stress) the big city gives you. This and all the opportunities a big city gives you make me love the fact that I am in a place surrounded by nature, but in the same time pretty close to a metropolis.
5. Naturasi is the Bio Supermarket here in Varese. When I arrived here it was the first time I entered in a place bigger than a shop full of bio products. For me it’s a place as close as it gets to heaven, too bad it’s a bit out of my way and expensive.
6. The people I met. I was a bit worried before my arrival, because of the well known fact that people in the north part of the country are less friendly and they tend to discriminate based on nationality. It turned out to be quite the opposite and I met a lot of friendly people. I

For the things I don’t like, I really have to think a lot, because right now there is not a single thing that passes trough my mind. Maybe it’s the fact that I am in Zen mood, after 8 days skiing in the French Alpes or maybe it’s just the spring that influences my mood. Or it might my decision to run a marathon this year.

I was preparing to write quite a negative post about my experiences with telecom and internet companies before lunch break, but I will leave it for another time. Instead I want to tell you that here in Varese the spring has arrived and it’s wonderful. Three days ago was raining and were five degrees and two days after more than 20 degrees and sun. Next to Cesvov Office there is a small, beautiful park perfect to have your lunch: Villa Mylius. The park is veryyy, but very close to Cesvov, no more than five minutes by foot. Today was the first time I visited the park.

I had my lunch as usual in the office and by the time I finished it I still had left more than 1h, so I said to myself why not go and see this park everyone told me about.

Going to work  every day to Cesvov it’s very good for my silhouette, and shortly I’ll explain you why.

The road

According to Google Maps  from Casa Grizzetti  (the place where we’re living) to the  train station in Malnate I make 1,6 km twice a day. Depending on how fast I go this takes me from 15 to 22 min, where 15 min is going really fast and 22min means that I have time to admire the trees bloom and think about my stuff.  After I lost the train to arrive in time in Varese several times in the first months, now I am always leaving at least 25 min in advance and the mornings are much more relaxed for me. 

The trains to arrive in time at Cesvov are at 8:33 and 8:39, but at least once a week there are delays  and this winter they were late at least 5 min every day , so you better get used to it. I enjoy the trip with the train, the only downside is that lasts only 5 min, so I don’t have the time to get comfy on my seat and read a book.

When I arrive In Varese other  1,7 km to get to Cesvov are waiting for me, but since there is a little hill right before arriving at Cesvov it takes me almost 30 minutes to do the road. So to recap: 6,6 km almost every day (except for the days I have Italian language class and things change a bit) and more than 1h 30 m by foot daily.

Do I like it, isn’t it much too tiring, what do I do when is bad weather?

Advantages:

 I stay active. Even if when I first found out that I have to this street every day I wasn’t very excited, after just few weeks I understood that I like it, because I get the chance to exercise daily, which definitely was important especially during the first months when it was the only physical activity I did. If you consider that sometimes in the morning I was late and I was running to the train station, than I can add jogging to my activities. Right now I go to gym often, but still the walk is an important part of my physical activities.

Time to reflect. 50 min in the morning to think on how to prioritize my activities, organize my thoughts and my day and 50 min in the evening to think about how my day was are the moments of the day I enjoy the most. Of course I could listen to some music, listen to an audio book, but for the moment I prefer to keep my mind clear.

Get some contact with ‘’I varesini’’: the train station, the school I pass next to, the city center, the bars in the morning are occasions to watch people from Varese and mingle among the ‘’varesini’’.

Downsides

I got sick two times this winter.  During cold season I noticed that the heating in the train was a bit extreme, and therefore was too hot when getting inside, and very cold outside and these frequent temperature differences affected my weak immune system. Then the last part of the street to Cesvov is up-hill so I was always arriving sweaty and then for the next two hours I was freezing .

Pollution. The street that I do in Malnate is the most important street and the traffic is high at every hour, and of course in the morning and evening, which means that I inhale a lot of gas from the cars, which is not the most pleasant thing.

Bad weather. Varese is renowned for its long rainy periods and having to walk such a long distance with the rain definitely is not among my favorite activities. Fortunately since I arrived  there weren’t too many rainy days and when they were I remember that didn’t bother me too much the rain, but maybe for someone else could be different.

Options:

Bus transport Varese. Depending on one’s preferences this 6 km a day might be acceptable or could be a hell. In the first week when I was a bit unhappy with the long distance I asked for some other transport tickets and I understood that there is a bus going from Varese train station to the office, so they told me that I could get reimbursed a number of tickets for when the weather is bad. I didn’t asked again about this because the weather wasn’t that bad and I discovered I don’t hate making this distance by foot. It’s good to know that there is an option though.

Bus from Malnate to Varese. Instead of taking the train to Varese, and making the 1,6 km in the morning and evening there is a bus very close to Casa Grizzeti, like 5-6 min by foot, which takes you to Varese. I never tried it though, but I was thinking to give it a try and the weather will become rainy again.

So to sum everything, I think it’s good the be aware of all aspects when you start a project so you don’t have surprises and having to walk by foot every day for more than 6 km for some can be a mood killer, so evaluate every aspect of what you future project implies and ask all the questions you need an answer to.

In Romanian there is a saying: ‘’Mersul pe jos face piciorul frumos’’ which translates into ‘’ Walking by foot makes you legs beautiful’’, so no matter what your gender is I suggest you see it this way: some physical activity never harmed anyone.

So you finally received the wonderful news that you’ve been selected and your project in Italy has been approved and you have to prepare for the start of the project. You have few months available to start fantasizing about you Italian experience: you have a look on Wikipedia, on all travel websites and you start making plans. One weekend in Milan, Como Lake, Venice is few hours far by train, the lakes around Varese, Turin, pizza,pasta, Italian life style and you start daydreaming.

The only thing is that being a tourist in Italy is quite expensive, transport especially, and since you are a volunteer the financial means available are quite limited. Considering this you have few options: you save some money before your arrival, you decide not to travel or you get creative and start searching for ways to travel without spending all your monthly allowance in one weekend.

I decided to go for the first and last option so I saved some money before coming here, but still not enough to be able to travel as much as I would like in Italy. So I started looking for ideas on how to be able to travel, without having to spend all my economies.

Transport

Go by car and share expenses  is cheap is fast, unless you decide to visit Naples when is cheaper and faster to take the airplane. Other advantage is that you get to travel with friends and have fun.

Carpooling.it basically it’s based on the same idea: share a car and the expenses. You go on the website, where and when people are going from Varese and Milan, you contact them and you’ve got yourself a ride. The only downside is that you don’t know the person, and depending on your personality you can see it risky or exciting.

Treni.it is the official website of the national train company and you can see prices and hours from Varese basically to any place in Italy. The curiosity is that sometimes the tickets are obscenely expensive and sometimes pretty affordable, so you have to check always if it’s in your advantage to take the train or not.

Airplane. There are some low cost companies that fly from Milan and I will mention Ryanair from Bergamo and EasyJet from Milan Malpensa. I personally prefer EasyJet because I think tickets are even cheaper, the company  is more permissive with hand luggage rules, it’s closer (30 min by car, or 1 hour by train). If you plan to visit the south of Italy it’s the best option and if you buy the tickets in advance you can get them at very good prices.

Accomodation

Couchsurfing.org is the first option I consider every time I want to visit a new place. I don’t pay anything for sleeping and plus and most important I get to know interesting people, that in most cases become friends. With almost a quarter of the people I met I am still in contact and we visit each other sometimes. It’s safe, it’s fun and it’s cheap.

Other EVS volunteers. In the first months of the project you will probably have your on-arrival training where you’ll meet other 50-60 foreign volunteers that are doing their project in Italy. On my on-arrival training we spent like 8-9 days together so it’s impossible you won’t make friends with whom to keep in contact.

Youth Hostels. If none of the above options suits you, a cheap youth hostel goes fine every time.

Food

If for the transport and the accommodation you have to pay it either from your pocket or from your savings, the food money are reimbursed every week.

Creativity and will are the key elements if you want to make the most of your experience.