What brought me to the Czech Republic?
To understand how I ended up in the Czech Republic, we need to go back some years… In 2020 a young and motivated Roc left university with a sociology degree. I quickly hit a very ugly reality: my degree was not valued enough in the job market and the few jobs in Spain related to sociology required some previous job experience. Because of this I had to adapt to the situation by doing many other different jobs from waiter, environmental educator, dog caretaker …
After some years doing purely physical jobs I felt that it was time for change and to try to find a job related to what I studied, but it was not easy because the experience I got all those years had nothing to do with social field jobs, which was my “ dreamed job goal”!. One day I had a brilliant idea… if I cannot work in Spain for what I want, why not try abroad where the job market is bigger? The problem? My English was more basic than a sum of two single digits. So I grabbed my things and I moved to Ireland. For two years abroad I worked hard and improved my English until I felt ready to take a step forward and look for a job abroad related to my passion: the social sciences.
Was in that time when I discovered the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), one day searching among offers I saw one that jumped to my eyes just by seeing it, they offered a volunteering position at INEX as Incoming Officer (basically coordination of volunteers coming from abroad to workcamps in the Czech Republic). I applied without thinking, because in my country a job like that asks for years of experience in the sector, which I don’t have. I was accepted and happily packed my bag to go to a new challenge, this time in theCzech Republic!
I am very grateful for the trust they had in me
This was the first time I did “office work”, and let me tell you something, it was fantastic! Changing physical force for other skills like organization, administration, communication (basically use the brain) was a super enriching experience for me.
Even though I came as a volunteer, I had to work very hard, almost like any of the other office colleagues. The fact that my position had a lot of important responsibilities was really rewarding for me, since it gave me the opportunity to gain very valuable skills.
I am very grateful for the trust they had in me. It was a great opportunity and challenge to learn to work with autonomy in projects strictly related to the social field. I am also completely grateful for the freedom they gave me to develop my tasks. This allowed me to explore new methodologies, understand my job better, give new ideas and let my creativity act, which is one of the biggest motivators for me in terms of feeling happy in a workplace. I felt valued and loved by all the team and especially the Dobro section , they helped me emotionally and also professionally. Being surrounded by smart and nice people it’s always a luxury.
Nowadays I have a PhD in „pivo“ and a Master in „klobasas“
As you know dear reader this is not the first time I lived abroad, the reason why I had some confidence to survive and adapt quickly . But even so, different from what I thought, it was not easy… different from previous experiences I could not understand anything of Czech, even the smallest things , like what products in the supermarket I could eat or not because of lactose intolerance… After some diarrhea I learned fast!
Not understanding anything of the local language it’s a huge challenge , makes you feel trapped and not able to do basic things like take a bus with sure that you are not taking the opposite direction one . So the dilemma was simple: learn Czech or learn Czech, there was no other option.I think the only way to have real and pure experience in a foreign country is speak the local language, to travel to rural places, speak with locals, participate in community events…therefore I started learning .
I started learning by myself, asking a lot, memorizing a lot, and most importantly, not having fear of speaking even if I was making up most of what I was saying… After two months a workmate Alča proposed to me to start a language exchange. She would teach me Czech and I would teach her Spanish. These classes helped me very much to survive day to day without having to use any English. The language exchange not only helped academically but also personally, because I built a very beautiful relation with “moje učitelka” Alča, thanks to her I have, and still today, the opportunity to dive in Czech Republic lifestyle in the most daily and real way, going to family lunches, barbecues, parties, celebrations… a cultural immersion that I really enjoy. Nowadays I have a PhD in „pivo“ and a Master in „klobasas“, Jsem napůl český, napůl katalánský. Haha!
Our life must flow, renew and transform constantly
After living abroad in three different countries and working in completely different jobs, I can recommend the following: never be afraid to try new things. Life offers millions of opportunities, both professional and personal. New experiences are vital for growth and self-knowledge, but often we see only the risk of failure (like the popular phrase: “you have to try and fail to learn”).
It is true, change involves risk, and risk and error are related like bread and flour. But risk also brings improvement, awareness and reflection, things that often stay silent like experiences or results of trying new things. Not all experiences end in error or require radical changes. On the contrary: many experiences also bring success. In both cases,the value is the reflection: understand what you learn, integrate it, and adapt without needing to break with everything. Grow is not only moving forward, it’s about understanding why you move and what the journey means.
So if you are lucky enough not tied to strict linear life, allow yourself to explore. Growth is continuous, like thought should be. Our life, like ideas, is not made to fossilize: must flow, renew and transform constantly.
I like to imagine life like a path that climbs up to the top of a mountain or some other unknown place. If you always stay on the same path, you’ll never fully understand it: you won’t be able to compare it or see what other routes can give you. For me, understanding the path means enjoying it, so don’t be afraid to try new routes that help you see better what you do and, above all, who you are. So explore your way and enjoy the journey, because you never know where it will take you!
And now what?
And now, what’s next? Well, I don’t know, and it makes me nervously happy. What I do know is that I am leaving the Czech Republic with a smile that doesn’t even fit on my face, and also with the valuable work experience I had been looking for so much. I am very happy with everything I learned and all that they taught me. I leave behind a small family here in the Czech Republic, and also really good friends like Kláry, Anna, and especially Eva, who was absolutely indispensable for my emotional support. But I also take many things with me, both mentally and physically, because thanks to this experience I had the chance to meet a wonderful person, whom I hope will stay by my side for a long time.
Thank you all very much! <3
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