Bolivia, my unforgettable dance

Mariachiara Bianco - Italy

When I decided to travel to Bolivia as a volunteer, I also decided to overcome my limits and fears. I’ve always been someone who likes to be organized and know what I’m doing, so traveling alone to the other side of the world felt like something huge, way bigger than me. But I was so curious, eager to learn more and challenge myself, that I almost didn’t even realize I had booked my plane tickets. I also didn’t really understand what I was getting into until I arrived in Madrid. There, sitting and waiting for the plane that would take me to Santa Cruz, I felt like a foreigner for the first time — I felt different from everyone else. I was scared, but also happy and excited. It was my first time traveling alone and spending so much time away, so leaving my "comfort zone" and going that far seemed crazy.

But I got on the plane and went. I cried the whole trip and on the day I arrived in Santa Cruz, but it was a cry full of many things: I was emotional, afraid, in a very different place, speaking another language, and facing a big time difference from Italy. The truth is, the first two days were intense. When I arrived at the Santa Cruz airport, Reina and two of her children were waiting for me. I wanted to talk to them and find a way to overcome my shyness, but the truth is I couldn’t understand them well and didn’t know how to respond. In the end, I think all of that was necessary. I needed time to process everything that was happening.

The day after I arrived, I started working with the children — which was also intense, due to the language barrier and not really knowing what to do. But as the days went by, things became much easier. Reina, her family, and the aunts at the Clara Luz Center welcomed me like family, and everything became lighter and more fun.

Bolivia is an amazing country, but very different from Italy. What stood out the most to me was the different way of valuing things and deciding what matters and what doesn’t. I was also struck by the closeness to nature — something that’s a bit lacking in my country. I believe the reality at the Clara Luz Center is incredible; it’s a virtuous example of resilience and love for others. The work there feels a lot like family — you can feel in the air the desire to work and to do it well, so that the boys and girls can live well.

There’s also a space dedicated to volunteers, which I think is great. I worked with joy and enthusiasm; the children were incredibly sweet, and the teachers were patient with me. We learned from each other.

 I enjoyed sharing lunch and dinner together, telling stories, and going on walks. I also learned to eat different types of food together and from the same plate (something that doesn’t happen much in Italy, where we usually eat one thing at a time) and how to communicate better with children.

I spent the first ten days of my volunteer experience alone, but then Jessica, a volunteer from Argentina, arrived, and I shared the rest of my time in Bolivia with her. She was like a sister to me; her presence was essential and made things easier and more fun. We talked a lot about everything, and we also had many opportunities to exchange emotions and thoughts with Reina and her family. We played volleyball with her grandchildren and the whole family.

I truly discovered something valuable in them — they are people who open the doors of their home and welcome you as if you were their daughter. I will be forever grateful for everything and for every moment of my volunteer journey.

I returned home with the feeling that I received much more than I gave — not just in terms of work, but as a person. I learned that sometimes it’s okay not to overplan, and that we can travel alone too. I learned that where there is love, there is family — and that you can be family anywhere in the world.

While I was there, I missed many things from home: my parents, my boyfriend, my siblings, and everything else I had left behind (including the food!), but I never felt alone, unsafe, or abandoned. That’s why, when I returned home, it was difficult again — because I had left something that I lived so deeply and that allowed me to grow in many ways.

I left behind people with whom I felt at home; and so, going back to “normal life,” but with new ideas and a different way of seeing and living things, was a challenge — but the whole experience was incredible. It’s something I would recommend to anyone who has the chance. I would do it all over again, exactly the same.

Bolivia was my unforgettable dance — I’ll be forever grateful.