“Today is Sunday.
Today they took me out into the sun
For the first time.
And for the first time in my life,
I stood amazed
That the sky was
So far away from me
Was so blue
Was so wide.
Then I sat respectfully on the ground,
I put my back against the wall.
At this moment, no fear of falling into waves,
At this moment, no fight, no freedom, no wife.
The earth, the sun and me…
I am happy…”Nazim Hikmet RAN
Time flies so fast. I remember when I wrote my first report. The cold and dark days in Germany gave way to brighter days and this happened in every sense. Even though the weather in Bremen is not exactly warm, sometimes it feels good to see the sun. Nevertheless, I think the friendships here are what really warm me up.
Knowing that there is someone waiting for you at home after you get off work. Chatting in common areas, eating together, singing, even dancing. It may sound like very simple things, but I think these are the things that keep us alive here. After a certain point, people start to feel more like a family. Even though one is happy with the people they are with, knowing that the same people will return to their countries brings a sadness to one’s heart.
If there is one thing that summarises everything these eight months have brought me, it is to get out of the comfort zone. Being forced to go to a new place all the time, being forced to meet new people, and just when you get used to these places and people, starting all over again with new ones. When I think about it, it is exhausting and frightening sometimes, but it also brings many good things to people.
The seminars I have attended here have given me something interestingly different. Especially when we look back at ourselves and evaluate ourselves. I think it really helps to stop once in a while and think ‘where am I, what have I been through, what have I done, what is happening around me’.
My work also adds a lot to me: new experiences, new networks, and new ways of thinking. It feels good to see that I can achieve something. Actually, when you live alone, everything feels like an achievement. Even after you clean the house, you can look at the place you cleaned with proud.
Long story short, my volunteering experience really continues with the sentence ‘I never expected this to happen’. Both in a good way and in a bad way. As long as you say ‘that’s life’ to both, there is no problem. Now I have 4 months left of my project. I think I am on that thin line between staying in Germany and going back. However, I know that this place always brings the unexpected. A few months ago, I never thought I would write the things I wrote here now. I am looking forward to the days ahead. Everything is going to be all right!
Ferhat is hosted by Freie Hansestadt Bremen Senatskanzlei (Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Senate Chancellery) on our project co-funded by the European Union.
