Once upon a time in Idrija, Slovenia a group of young international volunteers gathered in the towns hostel and youth centre to participate in the renovation work of the hostel.

The group of volunteers came from all over the European union and England, aged between 18-26. Awaiting in the hostel were a group of wonderful and welcoming staff to guide us on our journey. The mentors were incredible professional both in their technical knowledge and organisation. They provided an extreamly relaxed and warm environment for us where everyone felt very comfortable. Idrija is a small but charming town located in the center of the even more charming Slovenia. Even though Idrija is a small town their is a lot to discover like the historical mines and a thriving cultural art movement such as the independent cinema and our personal favourite Swenak. The work was very fun but we as a group really started to bond on the amazing weekend trips. Where we had the opportunity to discover and explore Slovenia. We went to such vibrant places like the countries capital Ljubljana and Bled. We were blown away by the hospitality of the Slovenian people. But also the work days and evenings/nights were entertaining. The staff gave us a lot of independance in our freetime. Also during the work we learned and developed our manual skills through carrying out activites like plastering and painting. Overall we gained a lot of confidence and developed our teamworking and personal DIY skills.

One of the most valuable experiences we took away from this project is the exchange of each others cultures, music and food. Such as setting up a group music playlist or organzing movie nights. And taking turns to communally cook for eachothers dishes from our home country. The hostel provided a varity of spaces like the lounge area where everybody could hang out after finishing work or the communal kitchen. The hostel operates on an open door policy where locals are encouraged and welcomend to spend time at the youth center and use the facilities. This provided a livley and fun atmosphere in the youth centre.

At the end of the three weeks we are now sitting down not as strangers but as friends trying to write this artical, but we are struggling to truly express the experiences and feelings we have about this amazing project.

Written by Eva, Alessandro & Jakob