In August 2010, I was packing my bags for a seemingly long journey; a one year volunteership at PeaceWorks in Stockholm, Sweden. This was directly after completing my university studies in Ankara, Turkey, and at a point where I realized that I had nothing to lose and everything to win. Even though being my first time in Sweden, I was greeted at the Arlanda airport by a sign saying “Välkommen hem” (“Welcome home”). The meaning of this sign would become much deeper than I could ever anticipate.
Everyone of us has their own reasons for being a volunteer – I had mine: to forget about everything else except life it self. Spending one year in Stockholm made me realize a lot about life it self. At first, I could only state that Stockholm was different from for instance Ankara, Istanbul or New York, cities in which I have spent significant time. But I could not really pinpoint how. As time passed by, the Swedish way – may it be peoples’ perceptions, design or food, struck me. Suddenly, I saw that you might not have to be banker or a high-leveled manager to be happy – you may as well work at the local grocery store. It struck me that everyone had a very humble and respectful approach to life; making mistakes was allowed. Perhaps there was a meaning with ending work at a reasonable time at evening – no matter what job you have. Perhaps there was a purpose of having not so huge apartments. Perhaps it meant something to observe members of parliament on the trem among common people. The well-rumored societal welfare may have not been obvious at first (even rich people drive not so fancy cars in Sweden) but putting all pieces of my Sweden puzzle together made me realize that the Swedish way is the welfare it self.
As when it comes to learning another language during the volunteering, I knew no Swedish at all and got around speaking English, which is no issue since everyone seems to be fluent. Gratefully however, I could attend municipality-financed Swedish language classes and by now I get around well in Swedish with only a few turns to English, which from time to time surprises even me since my native tongue is so different.
My purpose of stay was to work at PeaceWorks, an organization encouraging peace and understanding, an organization consisting of wonderful people, of which some are real driving spirits. My engagement there grasped everything from making coffee for the 3 pm. coffee break (“fika” in Swedish) to actually preparing volunteers leaving for war zones around the world. This is how peace works! I got to learn a lot about the Swedish society thanks to my host organization. The including spirit was perhaps the most noticeable feature, and in all the time there was invaluable.
I could not have imagined that being a volunteer could yield this much besides volunteering.
I got to know people that I could never have met otherwise; I got a taste of a completely new culture and got to know my own abilities. It thought more about life than I could expect.
My year in Sweden went by surprisingly fast. Now I am glancing back at the time when I left Turkey and my friends Melike, Ozge, Yusuf and Evren just to realize that I am now leaving Isabel, Lisa, Maja, Hanna and Johan and, of course, Sweden. I experienced one of my best years ever in life. The volunteering has given me an experience that money can not buy.
One year later, in August 2011, I am again packing my bags, but this time they are full of joyful memories from a year more than worthwhile. I realize that this time I do have something to lose and I come to think of the sign I saw one year earlier, the sign saying “Welcome home”. It now warms my heart. I am leaving for home – and leaving home. My bags are packed. Thanks for all!
