ESC 2020/2021

9 months ago I did know just two things about Cyprus: that it was really small and that it was somewhere close to Malta. Spoiler: one of my two knowledges was definitely wrong. In my defense, I almost had never heard about this country in my life. When I discovered I would have left, I started to collect information and paying more attention when I heard people or radio talking about it. In this way, I began to be more conscious about the place where I was about to live for 1 year: the language, the correct geographical position, the political situation...Still, I was not able to keep expectations.  Then I arrived, and I almost immediately fell in love, before with Lefkosia, then, as soon as I had the chance to travel a little bit, with Cyprus.  

It has long been said that travel makes you an open-minded person, but this concept has been rooted more in our culture than in fact. At least, till recent times. This theory has been difficult to prove and, worldwide, psychologists and researchers are still analyzing how being in varied or different environments can train individuals...

I have always thought of the words as essential, in everyday life: even more than gestures, even more than glances, words have always been everything to me. Letter by letter, to form entire speeches. How can you communicate without a common language? How can...

The tradition of coffee is something that I grew up with. In Naples, my hometown, coffee is not just a drink you have during the day to boost your energy but a true ritual. There are many traditions linked to the consumption of coffee...

Global environmental change, such as climate change, is a topic that engages scientists, politicians, activists as well as artists working with many art forms. Specific features of art, such as its ability to evoke emotions1, differentiate this form of communication from standard climate change communication...

As your parents probably said to you many times: never waste food, it’s a shame! But what’s the actual meaning of food waste? And food loss? How can we, people with individual and social responsibility, act to tackle this increasing phenomenon? Let me give you...

In Cyprus, locals eat A LOT of meat. Really, a lot. At mezes restaurants, you will always find yourself not knowing anymore how many types of meat dishes you ate, or how they were cooked, or what kinds of meat you ate. But you...

Summer has always been my favourite season of the year: long days spent at the beach soaking in the sun and relaxing by the sea with friends. However, summer in Cyprus has proven to be a tough one with its very high temperatures...

Last summer, while staying at home in a difficult period affected by the Coronavirus restrictions, I was looking for some job opportunities abroad and I came across the European Solidarity Corps (ESC) programme. I didn’t know a lot about it, so I started to...

Change is never simple. You leave behind all that is easy and comfortable to embark in a new adventure into the unknown. However, when you decide to board that plane and start a new page of your life, you want to live this new...