When I found out last May that I had been selected for an experience of European environmental volunteering in Iceland I couldn't believe it: while the world was immobilized by the pandemic, I was offered the chance to make a dream come true.

Iceland is an enchanting land and has been on the list of countries I have dreamed of visiting for years, one of those places that attract you and make you feel at home without knowing why. Well, in the case of Iceland you can imagine why it is a dream destination: glaciers ending in pristine beaches, gigantic mountains hiding villages nestled in fjords, dramatic landscapes, steep and rugged cliffs, majestic volcanoes, magnificent and massive canyons, waterfalls amazing and much more.

 

Since I was a child, I have always loved spending time surrounded by nature, enjoying long walks and hikes.
My aspiration in life is to be able to make my contribution to protecting the environment, remedying pollution and environmental damage and helping people through communication and education to be more aware of their behavior, preferring a style of sustainable life. I believe this was the reason that pushed me to become a volunteer by applying through the European Solidarity Corps with SEEDS Iceland.
The main activities of SEEDS are linked to the promotion of environmental protection and awareness, intercultural understanding and peace through commitment to social, cultural and environmental projects.

I arrived in the Land of Ice and Fire on July 3, 2020, when sunset and sunrise merged in the total absence of darkness, while my project ended on December 21, 2020, the shortest day of the year with only 4 hours of light. Due to the pandemic, unable to find plausible solutions that would guarantee my return to Italy, I continued to carry out volunteering activities until January 17, 2021.
My role during the last few months has been to coordinate workcamps where groups of volunteers from all over the world lived and worked together, generally lasting between 10 and 15 days.

During the summer I had the opportunity to lead projects with some local hosts. The outdoor camps included hands-on nature conservation, environmental protection, renovation and restoration activities for local communities and mostly took place outside Reykjavik (so they were also a way to explore and visit wonderful places: the best reward after so much effort!). I will never forget the days spent in the Icelandic highlands between two glaciers, one of the remotest parts of Iceland with otherworldly landscapes and picturesque mountains, or the unique experience of abseiling into the magma chamber of a dormant volcano, during my first labor camp .

 

Since October, due to the cold, the camps have been held in Reykjavik. Even during the dark winter there are so many alternatives to entertain and have fun, and my main task was to develop workshops, discussions, games, presentations, etc… The capital is even more magical covered by the white blanket of snow, illuminated by countless lights Christmas lights and the Aurora Borealis dancing in the sky!

Although I lived this beautiful and exciting experience in a critical period characterized by challenges and unexpected events due to the spread of COVID-19, new stimulating opportunities have always arisen from the difficulties. An example is having coordinated virtual camps that have given me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, continuing to raise awareness of environmental issues through a continuous and rich exchange of ideas and looking for solutions capable of thinking about new development models and sustainable lifestyles.
In my spare time I was able to explore the culture, history and traditions of the place, I toured this wonderful island far and wide and understood even more that when you live in close contact with Icelandic nature, so rebellious and spectacular , it is immediate to have respect and care for it as well as to draw inspiration from it to reflect and improve. In fact, during the fall, I spent a month in an adorable little house in the middle of the Reykjavik Botanical Gardens, which was deeply inspiring to pick up passions like painting and writing that I hadn't pursued in years and discover the love for photography.

Being involved in various solidarity and environmental projects, collaborating with voluntary organizations such as Icelandic Red Cross, Icelandic Forestry Association, Iceland Family Aid, The Blue Army of Iceland, Sea Shepherd Iceland, has also helped me acquire new skills and enrich myself human: especially during the Christmas period, having given a smile and having contributed through charitable initiatives to making the holidays more pleasant for people in difficulty, have given me back an authentic happiness that I will remember as the best gift.

   

Without a shadow of a doubt, the best part of this magnificent project is the possibility of having made myself useful for a common goal capable of improving people's lives and environmental conditions, in the name of sharing. I believe that the willingness to cooperate between individuals is the basis of humanity: the European Solidarity Corps aims to promote solidarity in European society, bringing young people together to build a more inclusive society.
Accompanying me on this incredible adventure was a group of fantastic volunteers from all over the world, with whom I experienced unforgettable moments and shared most of the time between laughter, fun and light-heartedness, but not only. Each of them managed to inspire me, to contribute to a necessary but feared change that turned out to be completely positive: something that will stay with me forever and that taught me how important the will and the courage to pursue one's dreams and the believe in yourself, even when it seems that the world is falling apart in the grip of a pandemic.

In the end, I can say that the real journey was the one in people's lives: getting to know new personalities, respecting the ideas and choices of others, finding oneself in the life experiences of others, recognizing oneself in the different and welcoming cultures, languages, habits, beliefs as if they were their own, it is their essence.
If I had to summarize this experience in one sentence, I would choose this quote: "As a body all are single, as a soul never".
Valeria Basciu