Volunteering In Spain!
I discovered La Alberca when I was 13 years old & fell in love with it almost instantly. I can remember it like it was yesterday, my mom running into my room to tell me about “Diverbo;” a unique 1-2 week long language immersion program that “i’d just love,” and was being shipped to. Leaving my friends back home to go off to a two week English immersion camp in Spain, did not sound ideal to me at the time. But looking back now, I’ve realized that this camp was one of the most important and shaping experiences of my life.
Upon arriving I was pretty quite and stayed to myself. I met all the other camp-goers a day late, so everyone had already met and formed their cliques. I was extremely nervous but knew I had to make the best of the situation since I would be stuck there for two whole weeks. Pretty quickly I made friends, and before I knew it, I felt my fear and anxiety completely melt away.
The camp was comprised of two groups; Anglos and Spaniards. As an Anglo, or a volunteer at the camp, it was my job to share a piece of my world and language with the Spaniard campers who had paid to have me there. I was excited to help, but what I didn’t realize, was how much these people would help and share with me in return. Exchanging stories and bits of our cultures was far more rewarding than I had expected. Everyone was so warm, inviting, and exciting; pretty soon, we all felt like family.
With the way everyone seemed to get along so naturally, the camp itself quickly became a playground. Loads of space to run around and explore. Friends everywhere you looked, playing cards, cracking up, sharing stories, and shaking you out of your shell. There were bonding activities every other hour, and hot gossip spicing up the dynamics within our groups. We had time throughout the day that was designated to our phones or reading, or whatever free time activity we wanted to engage in, but other than that, our world was temporarily shrunk down to fit the perimeters of the camp. No family to check up on you constantly, no boyfriend girlfriend drama, and no spending hours on socials. It was the first I felt real freedom & bliss .
My ego was nowhere to be seen. It just me and the new experiences that I was destined to have. The feeling I felt in this bubble of a camp, was life changing. The warmth and joy that I felt from being a little volunteer, able to fully immerse myself in this incredible camp surrounded by enchanting individuals, yummy new food, and a plethora of beautiful memories, sparked a whole new appreciation of life and travel within me.
La Alberca is the birthplace of my freed soul. I owe this place the world for shining it’s light on me, opening my eyes up to the magic of community, and unlocking the love and passion for exploration within me.
Since this experience, I try and volunteer with Diverbo any summer I can escape long enough to. And to this day, I still can’t get enough.
