11/09/2026
And just like that, my ESC journey has come to an end.
⏳ The end felt so far away that I never really imagined what it would feel like to actually get here.
✨ The second half of my ESC was full of things that, at the time felt like everyday life - organizing events, creating content, meeting young people, figuring things out, coming home tired, making plans, and somehow always finding something to laugh about.
But I think it’s those ordinary moments I’ll miss the most - the conversations in the kitchen, the random walks around Riga, the “what are we doing tonight?” messages and the spontaneous plans that became some of the best memories. The little routines I never realised I would become so attached to. And, of course, the people.
One of the strangest things about ESC is arriving somewhere knowing almost nobody, and then slowly having these people become part of your everyday life. You share a house, meals, problems, celebrations, cultures, stories and countless completely random moments - until one day, saying goodbye feels incredibly difficult.
This year wasn’t perfect. There were difficult days and misunderstandings, but I think that’s also what made it real. I learned to adapt, to communicate, to take responsibility, to ask for help, and to be uncomfortable without immediately wanting to run away from it.
And somewhere along the way, I changed too.
When I came to Riga, I thought I was coming for a year of volunteering. I didn’t know I was also going to build a little life here. And that is probably the hardest part of leaving.
So, thank you.
🤍To everyone I worked with, every young person I met, everyone who joined an event, appeared in a video, helped me, challenged me, made me laugh or simply made an ordinary day a little better.
🏠❤️And especially thank you, my Raunas people, for making a foreign city feel like home. Somehow, between the late nights, random conversations, shared meals and everyday chaos, we built a little home together.
I don’t know exactly what comes next, but I know that a small part of me will always be somewhere in Riga. 🇱🇻❤️
Paldies, Riga. And thank you, ESC.
What a journey it has been.
Tā par savu pieredzi Rīgā, Latvijā raksta Meline no Armēnijas, kura 11 mēnešus veica Eiropas Solidaritātes korpusa brīvprātīgo darbu Rīgas jauniešu centrs "Kaņieris"
Ja arī tev ir interese par šādiem projektiem, meklē iespējas: https://youth.europa.eu/solidarity_lv
🇪🇺 Projekts tiek finansēts Eiropas Solidaritātes korpusa programmas ietvaros, kuru Latvijā administrē Jaunatnes starptautisko programmu aģentūra. Šī publikācija atspoguļo vienīgi autora uzskatus, un Komisijai nevar uzlikt atbildību par tajā ietvertās informācijas jebkuru iespējamo izlietojumu.
