SOME THINGS I NOTICED WHILST WALKING AROUND

1. I like how locals dry their laundry outside, between the streets, balconies. Sometimes, when it's windy, I admire how their clothespins hold their clothes - I wish one day I had relationship this strong. I also love how the streets smell like Lenor Scent-Sational. 

 

2. There's trash everywhere. First I thought I am just spoiled with Estonia's clean streets. After a while I realized that of course there is trash everywhere, because there is no public trashcans! I was holding an empty sandwich package in my hand for at least half an hour before I quit looking for a trash can. UPDATE I found 3 public trashcans today. But they were full and trash was still everywhere.

3. I still can't understand why are there fences everywhere. Basically everything is hemmed with a fence! Some of them are so old they barely do their job, while others are made of thick metal. 

4. Traffic sign "no honking". That's the joke of the year. Everybody honks, all the time. First I thought I was walking in wrong place or doing something wrong, but then I realized - they just honk because they are happy, because they say hello to somebody, maybe because it's thursday...

MY FIRST DISH

 

I went to a grocery store to get the supplies for my first dish, and there was this curious cat welcoming me. By the way, italian cats say "miao" (estonian cats say "mjäu").

It's a stolen recipe, but it's something I crave from time to time. It's sour, it's sweet, it's light and it's nutritious. Basil and lemon make this the best tuna fish pasta ever. I think italians would put me in jail if they'd see how I disrespect pasta. Buon appetito!

MY FIRST WEEKEND

Today I went to a bicycle trip to the mountains. The weather was perfect - since it's winter now, it's not too hot. The journey was exhausting, I was panting almost all the time, because I have never done any sports in my life and because the air is thin in mountains. 

The landscapes were fascinating.

Also the plants were interesting. I admire how all this green life can handle living on such stiff surface. They ROCK!

I was wondering, why are there so many abandoned houses around, somewhere where there is no roads. I figured, whoever lived there, they died, because the view was so breathtaking.

I must say, I haven't felt like a human for a long time. Now, maybe because of eye vitamins, maybe because I was just physically active, maybe because of the sun, but I feel great!

Sorry for the low quality photos, I am on my way to buy a new phone, but I can't decide between android and iPhone. I must see my therapist I guess, the struggle is real.

These photos were made on top of THIS mountain.

MY FIRST DAY AS A VOLUNTEER

 Yes, I was still sleeping when the day started. My project partner woke me up saying there's a thing I have to participate in 15 minutes. She also told me to take one BLACK, one WHITE, one RED and one YELLOW object with me. 

So we went to terrace, the sun was shining and gathered in a circle. The teacher asked us to write down whatever associates to us with these colors.

Everybody could share what they were thinking and afterwards she explained what she meant with these colors.

Basically, these colors mean different directions (in your life).

I wrote down the questions which should help to locate yourself in this wheel.

BLACK
How can I reap the fruit of what I have sown?

WHITE
How do I let myself go?

YELLOW
How do I start something new?

RED
What should I actively do? What are the outstanding tasks? What prevents me from doing what I have to do?

Then we formed a circle and everybody got the chance to say something nice about everybody by whispering in their ear. 

After that, we had lunch together with all the other volunteers. It's the usual we do every day except sunday when we do whatever we want to do. 

The rest of my day just disappeared somewhere. 

It seems the volunteer gang has a thing with stickers, so there's the first they made about me:

MY TRIP FROM ESTONIA TO MUSSOMELI

 WARNING! It's going to be boring post about my travel details, so feel free to skip.

My trip started from Estonia, Põlva. I took my stuff and went to Tallinn by bus.

 Estonia was COVERED with ice and snow, it was raining ice. 

It was Estonian Independece Day when I left

I travelled from Tallinn to Helsinki by plane, then from Helsinki to Milan by plane. 
The plan was to spend the night in Milan airport and take another flight from Milan to Palermo.

 BUT I missed my flight.

The thing is, the airport managed to lose my luggage. They told me to wait until 6 in the morning until the Lost & Found office opens. My Milan-Palermo flight was supposed to go at 7, so I went on time to find my luggage. There was some italian guy, who checked my boarding pass, checked my handbag, my documents, then typed something in his computer and left me waiting. When I asked "excuse me, did you find my luggage?" he said: "ai do no". So it took too much time and I was not able to catch my flight nor to find my luggage. 

I had really good support from our volunteering organization, they were always asking where I am and if everything is okay. But obviously, since it was so early in the morning, nobody was answering and I just went to sleep somewhere quiet in Milan airport. 

It was not so easy task, because every 10 minutes it was coming the same phrase from speakers in english and in italian. "Please keep the distance at least 2 meters due to health reasons." It was said to an empty airport. Anyway, I slept and when I woke up, I had to arrange flying tickets myself. It cost me 250 euros, so don't be like me and just TELL if you have any problems. I thought that lost luggage was not worth mentioning since they promised to find it by 6 o'clock. 

I got my luggage when I went to Lost & Found office second time. The lady just took me on the back and there was my bag. 

I flew to Catania, where I had to find Bed & Breakfast hotel. I had another problem - internet in my phone was not working and there was no free wifi. So to find the hotel, I just used taxi. The taxi driver did not know what I was talking about, but somehow managed to take me to this hotel. He asked 20 euros to go just around the corner. It was under 2 km, just 15 minutes walking. Yes, I will give a bad review, because it was robbing!

Finally I arrived to this hotel. It was nice, I had three beds to myself. It was enough to get rid of my exhaust, with only 1 bed it would be impossible.

In the morning I took a bus to Caltanissetta and from there to Mussomeli, my final destination.

I enjoyed the bus trip alot, because when looking out the window, I could only see magical landscapes. I think I even saw mount Etna from distance. 

When I arrived to volunteer's house, I was awake for like an hour or so and then slept 20 hours until next morning activity.

PREPARATIONS

I got accepted to NYH volunteering project and I will start my travel from Estonia to Sicily in two days.

Right now I'm packing and panicking (a little). Have to pack for 7 months, I have never done anything like that. Usually I am light traveler, like when I went to Lapland for 2 months, I only had my handbag with me. Driver, who came to pick me up: "Where's your luggage?"

So I think I will pack a little more stuff this time.

If I could, I would take my plants with me. Right now they stay with their foster father and I'm always thinking if he waters them properly.