Hey everyone! My name is Luca, I'm 22 years old, and I come from Italy. For the past couple of years, I'd been trying to find my way into international projects, but something always got in the way. COVID, organisational issues with Erasmus+ programmes, timing. I managed one short experience abroad, and it only made me hungrier for more. I knew I wanted something real, something that would actually push me to grow, to learn, and to see the world from a different angle.
At the same time, I was struggling to find direction. I've always loved photography and videography, and I was certain that's the path I wanted to follow professionally. But living in a small town made it hard to get anywhere. Few people knew my work, I didn't know how to price it or promote it, and I felt stuck between a passion I believed in and no clear way forward.
My search for something different first landed me on a programme called Erasmus for Entrepreneurs. The concept sounded exactly like what I needed: build a business plan, present it, spend six months working with an organisation, develop professionally. I spent weeks on my application. Then, when I started reaching out to potential hosts, I realised the website was outdated and none of the listed organisations were still active. After all that effort, it was a real blow.
Then, completely by chance, I came across a TikTok video. A girl talking about her experience with the European Solidarity Corps, ESC, and how it had genuinely changed her life. Out of curiosity I opened the website, started reading, and something just clicked.
Within a few days I had found around twenty projects that caught my attention and sent out applications. Most of them replied quickly, which I wasn't expecting. It didn't take long to find the one that felt right, not just on paper, but in the way the mission, the people, and the energy behind it all came across. I didn't overthink it. I took the leap.
For me, this ESC project is about more than volunteering. It's about transformation. Exploring new cultures, growing both personally and professionally, meeting people who inspire me and challenge the way I think. It's a chance to slow down, focus, and build something meaningful for my future.
This isn't just a new chapter. It's a turning point.