When I arrived at the airport I was feeling super anxious because I had never travelled to Europe and didn’t know how things would go with the Schengen visa. After my arrival I asked some local people for help with directions to the train station and eventually managed to find my ICE train. Once underway, the people at the OMA were very helpful, especially Anna and Sabine. They answered all my questions and stayed in constant touch with me, making sure my journey was smooth. My ICE stopped at Erfurt, where Sabine and my coworker, another ESC volunteer who was soon to become my best friend, Uroš, picked me up. I still remember that warm day. I instantly felt connected with those people. Once in Weimar, I went home, then went to the OMA to meet my new colleagues, Alan, Sayumi, Katrin, Andreas, Sabrina, and Tino. My first days were super chill. I appreciate how everyone gave me time to adapt. In those days, Uroš was a great help, cooking with me, showing me the best bars and the best shops. It took some time for me to get used to the Deutsche Bahn system, supermarket opening and closing times, most of the places only accepting cash, and so on. But by the end of the first month, I started feeling like a local. In the first month, my work was chill, assisting Andreas with documentation. My main job really started when the YAM Ensemble and Caravan Orchestra projects began. I’ll always be grateful to Nataliia, the project coordinator, for her help during my time in this project. She helped me get better at project management, trusted me with important decisions, and she became a great friend and support. Because of these two projects, this summer changed something in me forever. I met so many great people and I saw love, unity in them. It gave me hope that there are still plenty of great people in the world. I made so many friends and realized how much I love working with people. Now, after these projects, I know my path. I want it to be people oriented. The main event for me was Yiddish Summer Weimar. It is the closest thing to world peace for me. Everyone cherishes each other, dancing, singing, eating together, going to the river, sitting in the park. Words cannot express how it made me feel. After my time in Weimar ended, I flew to Serbia and I met someone who had also been at Yiddish Summer Weimar. He told me about coming to jam sessions and dancing with people. To me, that moment alone is magical. We had both been there, maybe we had held hands while dancing even though we didn’t know each other, but months later in Serbia we met and realized we had shared that experience. The world can be so small, random, and beautiful! But returning back to my ESC work at the OMA, I was mainly doing documentation, creating files, getting signatures, collecting boarding passes and helping to book travel. I also helped with logistics. I did so many things during my time at the OMA, even being a courier who bought things at the supermarket for participants or tending bar at the OMA café. Not to mention my least favorite tasks – cleaning toilets, mopping the floors, vacuuming, etc. One day, the OMA will be done with all the construction work and the dust will be gone... And I will definitely come to the OMA to see the finished version! It became a second home for me where I experienced a second birth of myself at the age of 24. Looking back, this project taught me so many things: to be more brave, to set my boundaries clearly, to communicate better, to take initiative, to be punctual, and to trust myself. I will always carry these memories in my heart. I want to thank everyone who made this experience great for me, starting with Bella. After Uroš, she is my second best friend in the OMA. She is the loveliest dog, really the embodiment of the OMA. She does not discriminate, she is loving and accepting to everyone. I wish her good health so I can hug her when I come back to the OMA to visit, along with Antonia, Katrin, Sabine, Andreas, Sabrina, Alessa, and everyone else. And Alan; thank you for inspiring, existing, and letting people express themselves and creating this beautiful environment! I wish you guys all the best!
Your former volunteer, –Lala |
