Hi everyone! My name is Žaneta, and I come from a small village in Slovakia. Since I was a child, I have dreamed about exploring new countries and discovering different cultures, and that curiosity is still very much a part of me. I would say that my journey of exploring the world began with a…
Ahoj! As we say in Slovakia. Where I am from, sometimes during the winter, we get to play ice hockey on frozen lakes. I love it. The freedom, cold air and the sport. Other than moving in any way possible, you name it: tennis, ping pong, football, swimming or ninja… I will gladly join! I…
While some celebrate New Year or Christmas a silent, eldritch species is threatening the world, the Woodcrawlers. They are not animals. They are tall, silent, and move wrong. They mimic voices and hide in plain sight, becoming part of the trees. The forest falls unnaturally quiet when they are near. When you go to the…
Hello and welcome to the November edition of VOICES, This month, we sadly say goodbye to two long-term volunteers at VCS. I’m Cassandre, also a long-termer, and watching volunteers leave is always bittersweet, especially Terry and Chloe, the last ones from when I first arrived. In this editorial, they share their final thoughts and reflections,…
Hello! My name is Arthur, I graduated in Philosophy, and have worked as a French teacher for more than one year now. I come from a small city next to Lyon, France, which I really like, but the call for adventure was bigger than that love for my hometown, so here I am. As a…
Hallo! I’m Nelli, an 18-year-old from Thuringia, the green heart of Germany. After finally finishing high school this spring, I knew it was time to try something new before choosing my life's path. Also, because different cultures and countries have always interested me, I thought volunteering for a year would be an awesome opportunity to…
Hallo! My name is Lea and I am an 18-year-old high school graduate from Germany. For as long as I can remember, I always dreamed of moving abroad and discovering new places and cultures. After spending a lot of time researching for opportunities to do exactly that after finishing school (honestly, most of the research…
Since I arrived in Macedonia, I have felt a small shift inside me. It might be the way people open me their doors without hesitation, or how a shared drink can turn strangers into something closer. The welcome I’ve received here has been more than politeness, it feels like a real invitation to belong, to…
In April, I was sitting on campus in Ankara, just thinking about summer internship plans. I had no idea that in just a few weeks, everything in my life would change. While browsing through the university’s programs, I came across a three-month volunteering opportunity in Skopje, Macedonia. At that moment, I realized that something important…
Hi there! My name is Loline, and I am 21. I am from Reunion Island but I live in the region of the castle of the Loire (that you should visit). I was always surrounded by this mix of cultures and histories. That is why when I have the opportunity to travel and study I…
If you told me five years ago that I’ll live in the Balkans for a year, I would probably assume you’re joking. Not only Balkans, but Macedonia out of all places – a country I never really heard much about, maybe apart from the characteristic red flag with yellow sun and location on the map…
Bonjour! My name is Cassandre, I’m 21 years old and I come from the French mountains. I’m always thrilled to have some great conversations and to learn from everybody. If you like jazz music and life philosophy, it's sure we will get along. I love drawing, playing piano and photography, especially in the sun. I…
Dawid: As my time in Skopje slowly nears the end, I find myself naturally becoming more reflective about my volunteering journey. Stumbling upon the opportunity, struggling to write an application, accidentally missing the interview (thanks to my poor judgement of time zones) and arriving at the airport, all of this seems like it happened a…
Hey there! I am Lucia, but you can also call me Lucy or Lucka. I come from Nitra, a city in Slovakia. I am 24 yo and I studied Applied Ethics in Human Resources. But who am I really? If you want to get to know me, talk to me about travelling, specialty coffee, plants,…
Hello! My name is Dáša, and I come from Slovakia. Ah, it’s always at the moment you are asked to introduce yourself, that you forget everything you have ever known to be true about who you are. Nonetheless, I remember that I enjoy basic things like watching movies and series, listening to music, reading books,…
“Trust yourself, everything is just going to be ok” This is what I kept saying to myself on the plane coming to Macedonia. And, I have to admit, I lied, yes… Everything is not just “ok”, everything is INCREDIBLE (I know, I scared you). If I’m not saying that when I return home then I’ll…
My name is Mathieu and I'm 19 years old. I'm French and I really like photography, videos and video games. When I have time, I do at least one of three things. My schooling stops with the obtaining of my baccalaureate, and directly after I have taken the decision to get out of my comfort…
Hi :) I’m Maike from Bonn in Germany. I recently graduated from high school, but before going to university to maybe study interdisciplinary science, I wanted to make new experiences, especially intercultural, interpersonal and personal ones, as well as learn things outside of school. So that’s what led me to VCS and Skopje :) As…
Hello you all! My name is Sophia and I am 18 years old. After graduating from high school this summer, I left my beautiful hometown in southwest Germany to build a new home here in the amazing city of Skopje. I am very interested in exploring everything possible about this special place in the heart…
Sharing… What is sharing? Before I came to Macedonia I knew that one of the main tasks is writing Voices. It’s not my main hobby to write articles but when I found out the importance of writing I was thinking deeply about what sharing is. According to Cambridge dictionary, the definition is “to tell someone…