Jordania – Eu Aid Volunteers

Por Johan

One of the things that I did not consider when leaving friends and family in Sweden was the fact that I should meet people from all across the world that I later would consider being lifelong friends. Mainly, when I left for Jordan, my idea was that I should encounter a new culture, live alongside another religion than the one of Sweden, strengthen my CV, and build my own capacity within this line of work. However, what I did not think about was that this experience would lead me to people I would like to keep for the remainder of my life. It simply did not strike me.

This reality is one of the most important things to bear in mind when leaving everything that makes life that convenient wherever you are from. Because the friends of your previous life will always be there regardless of where in the world you are. In the meantime, you will meet new people, eventually turning into friends, and ultimately even becoming people you would like to hold onto for life. It is hard to explain how the development of friendships looks like but living together in a new context with a lot of new impressions is incredibly bonding if you are living and interacting with like-minded people. You travel to new places together; discover locations you could not believe existed. You go through ups and downs, but you always share something with these people. You share friendships and you share the longing for your home country, you share the feeling of being unfamiliar with a new context. Simply, you share so many delightful moments of everyday life that you would not like to be without. Crazy enough, this is something that just happens within a very short timeframe, and suddenly you consider people in your near surrounding as your very close friends, and you cannot understand how it has been possible to live without them for more than twenty years.

Honestly, this has been the reality for me, living in Amman, Jordan. I came for an adventure that would strengthen my own abilities, capacities, and understanding of the world. Nevertheless, I will be leaving with friends for life. Friends that I will invite to my favorite places in Sweden, and across the globe to continue building on these newly borne friendships. These friendships you did not know that you needed, but that you now cannot live without. So, remember that, wherever in the world you are going, there will always be amazing people ready to be discovered who also are ready to discover you.