Emanuela finished her volunteering period in Estonia, this was her way of ending this rewarding experience:

‘’ And here I am writing for the last time about my volunteering experience in Tallinn.

Unlike the first months, these last months were less intense, firstly because I was now used to the work, I knew all the staff, the children and all the routines so nothing could frighten me any more; and secondly, I had created a routine for myself outside work.

In this last paper I would like to tell you about life as a volunteer outside work and what impressed me most about Estonia.

What kept me sane during these ten months of snow, rain and soup, besides vitamin D and C supplements, were the people I met. Together with them I tried to gain as many experiences as possible. Some of these were: a free A1 Estonian course offered by the ministry, various stand-up comedy shows, a burlesque show and free concerts. But there was no shortage of dinners and parties in my flat or at other volunteers’ or simple picnics on the beach watching the sun never set.

My advice is: say yes, within legal limits, to everything that the city where you have decided to carry out this experience has to offer you.

And now let’s talk about what impressed me most about Estonia.
The first thing you notice, coming from a much warmer country, is the nature and climate. There are no mountains or hills, or rather they only have one ‘mountain’ 380m high, and the animals are sociable and used to contact with humans.
The climate is definitely colder, the lowest it has been this year is -20, and winter seems to never end especially after the magic of Christmas is over. But don’t despair, in June we reached 32 degrees for a day, just because it was the only day without wind.

One of the other things that struck me was the hours of light and darkness.
In winter there are very few hours of daylight, but in April the days are already getting longer and the sunset never seems to end, it may sound strange but it is easier to get used to the many hours of darkness than to the hours of light. In May, and especially in June, time seems to flow differently, slower.

And this concludes my experience in Tallinn!’’