🇫🇷 From Kraków to Provence: How One ESC Project Changed My Life 💫

by Olga, 23, 🇵🇱 Poland → 🇫🇷 France

Bonjour! 👋
My name is Olga, I’m 23 years old, and I come from beautiful Kraków 🇵🇱. A year ago, I never thought I’d be living in a tiny village in southern France, surrounded by sunflowers 🌻, lavender fields 💜, and the laughter of children.

But then came the ESC opportunity that changed everything.

I joined a 9-month ESC volunteering project in Provence, working with a local non-profit that organized creative workshops and outdoor learning activities for rural youth. The idea was to bring art, play, and curiosity into small communities where resources were limited but hearts were wide open. 💡🎨

It was my first time living abroad alone — and honestly, I was terrified. 😅 I didn’t speak much French at first, and my suitcase felt heavier than I was ready for. But within weeks, I found myself painting murals 🎨, teaching basic English through games 🗣️, and helping teenagers express themselves through photography 📸.

I remember one day we built a giant cardboard castle with a group of 10-year-olds — they named it “Le Château d’Espoir,” the Castle of Hope. 🏰 That moment stayed with me.

But it wasn’t just the kids who learned.
I learned how to lead a group, how to live slowly, how to cook ratatouille without Googling it (finally 😅), and how to ask for help when I needed it. I made friends from Spain 🇪🇸, Italy 🇮🇹, Germany 🇩🇪 and beyond. We laughed, cried, got lost in Marseille, and always found our way back.

The local community welcomed me like family. Every Wednesday, Madame Colette, the neighbor next door, would bring me warm croissants 🥐 and correct my French with a smile. 🧓💬

This project gave me something no university ever could:
🌱 Confidence
🌍 Cross-cultural friendships
💪 Purpose

Now that I’m back in Poland, I feel like a different version of myself — still Olga, but with a heart stitched together by all the people and places I’ve met. 💖

If you’re hesitating to apply for an ESC project — don’t.
Your adventure is waiting somewhere, maybe in a French sunflower field, just like mine was. 🌻