Ciao, Hola and Hi!
I’m Río Rojas Mayorga, one of the two volunteers here at Caritas Jesi in October 2024. I’m from Madrid, Spain, and in this first blog, I will share my life before volunteering and how I discovered the ESC. The next one should be about my life here.
I would like to start by providing some context about how I got to know the ESC by talking about my life in Majadahonda, Madrid.
After the quarantine, my family and I moved from Aluche (in south-central Madrid) to Majadahonda (on the western outskirts) due to financial struggles, which was a significant change for us. The first year felt lonely for my sister and me.
During that time, I began studying in the afternoons at the youth centre near my home, where I searched about local volunteering opportunities and eventually discovered international volunteering. However, I was still under 18 and thought I had to prioritise my formal studies.
Then, in November 2022, I met someone who transformed my life; it all began with a simple “tell me a story,” which led to an incredible friendship filled with unique experiences. His love for adventure ignited my own, and soon I found myself ready, backpack in hand, to cross borders and explore new places.
In February 2024, he and I went on one of our trips, this time to a small village in the northeast of Spain. I’ve learned something important from every journey we've taken, but this one made me realise that I wanted to see more. More ways of living, more people, more places, different ways of thinking, and more of myself.
The following months were quite mentally challenging. First, I had to accept that my true desire for these years was to travel, despite the consequences. For my family, it felt like I was giving up the career we had fought for over the years, and for my friends, I was leaving them behind. This is when I turned to the ESC.
I began searching for the project I wanted to participate in, then I had the interviews and meetings with Vicolocorto and Caritas Jesina. Eventually, by mid March, I had my tickets to Italy.
From April to October, I worked at my first two jobs to help my family and save for my future studies. During these months, I processed the fact that I had to leave the neighbourhood I had come to adore after four years. My family and friends understood that this decision was what I truly wanted and what was best for me. Especially in September, as I went on an interrail trip thanks to an NGO, they all recognized how well I coped with being abroad by myself, along with all the stories I brought home and the lessons I learned.
I believe my best advice and the main point of this story is that while there are clear paths to follow in life, many unexpected opportunities can arise from randomness. Change begins with your willingness to embrace it.
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