Hello, this is Dimitra from the VulcanicaMente ESC project, Euro Bike Tour. As our time in Italy is slowly coming to an end, I thought I’d share a bit about our experience cycling through Salento and what this trip has been like for us. Let’s begin with a weather forecast: for the 12 days we were on the road, from our setting off in Lecce to our arrival in San Cesario, it was raining every single day. Some days we even got bonus excitement with strong winds blowing which made riding our bikes feel like an extreme sport. We would wake up in the morning, look at the heavy clouds outside the window, put on our clothes already wet from the previous day, and set off on another day of cycling under the rain. It’s true, however, what they say: everything is a habit. After the first few days of riding in the rain, we stopped being as frustrated and cursing our luck for the weather. We accepted that the situation was that way and focused, instead, on trying to make the most out of it. Pro tip: playing music can transform any experience and change your mood from “I want to kill everyone” to “this isn’t so bad after all.” Sure, most of us were feeling tired and frustrated during the trip, and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t challenging. But being with each other and getting through it all, made us more appreciative of the simple things in our lives such as warm water and dry clothes that we often take for granted, and grateful to be living this experience in the first place. During the trip, we visited ten towns, met nine local organizations and projects, and countless amazing people. From sustainable rural projects to agri-camping farms to alternative hostels, we saw how one small idea can turn into something much bigger and powerful, and that there are many ways to have an impact. In every single visit, one thing remained the same: the passion of these people for what they are doing. In every place we stopped, we interviewed our hosts and asked them about their work and how they started their business or project. Each of them had a different story to share, but all talked to us about the value of pursuing what excites you and never settling for less. It was surprising to see so many different settings, so many different lifestyles existing just a few kilometers away from each other. When looking back closely, however, this was also true for the 12 of us sharing this trip: we all come from different backgrounds, and carry different views, habits, attitudes and needs. Doing this trip together was definitely fun and memorable, but it also exposed us to the uncomfortable reality that there is so much that we do not understand about people who approach and live their life in a different way than us. It was an opportunity to get to know other people and learn from them, but also look into our own selves and reflect on our decisions and manners. For some of us, this means leaving this project more confused and uncertain about our lives than when we entered it, as one of the Spanish participants, Leire, told me today. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though. For me, this is one of the values of projects like these, pushing you out of your familiar cocoon and offering an immersion in a completely different reality which leaves you energized and inspired to change, to do more, to be more. Yes volunteering is not always rosy, sometimes it’s wearing plastic bags for shoes and eating soaked bread for dinner, but the feeling of working on something meaningful and having a positive impact is the biggest payoff and the reason why so many volunteers keep coming back for more projects. Once you start this journey and get into the travelling mentality, it becomes almost addictive. I can prove this with the fact that many of us in the group are already planning our next adventures with European projects! So, this is all from the Euro Bike Tour team. I hope you enjoyed learning about our trip, and that our experience inspired you to take part in something similar and look for opportunities to be active and challenge yourself as well. Arrivederci!
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