When you move to a new country, everything feels unfamiliar especially the streets, the
language and even the silence sounds very different. Everything was new: the culture, the
environment and even the rhythm of daily life. At first, you might think adapting means simply
learning how things work. Step by step, through small conversations and shared
experiences, I started to meet people who made this new place feel warmer. Sometimes it
was just having coffee after work, preparing a workshop together at the youth center or
talking about our countries and dreams. Those simple moments slowly turned into
meaningful bonds. So, after a while, you realize that the real key to feeling at home is
¨connection¨ the people you meet, the friendships and the small moments that make you feel
included.

These connections helped me understand the country on a deeper level , and not just
through its landscapes and traditions, but through the people who live here. Their kindness,
openness, and willingness to share made me feel like I wasn’t just visiting, but belonging.
Building new relationships here also taught me a lot about myself. It helped me become
more open, patient, and confident. Every new person I met showed me something different
like a new perspective, a new word in Slovenian, or a new way of looking at life. Now, when I
walk through the town and see familiar faces, I realize how much has changed since the first
day. What once felt distant now feels like a part of me. And that’s the beauty of connection
because it turns a place into a memory, strangers into friends, and experiences into growth
which also means adaptation. And It has been just two months that I am here..:)

Now, whenever someone helps me with a smile or takes time to explain something
patiently, I think, this could easily happen in my hometown too. And in those moments, the
distance between Turkey and Slovenia feels a little smaller and almost as if the world itself
becomes a bit warmer and slowly but surely closer.

This similarity between our cultures made me feel at home. It reminded me that kindness
doesn’t need a common language because it’s something universal that connects people no
matter where they come from. So, thanks to the people I met, now I know that kindness can
cross every border, that it truly has the power to make a stranger feel like they belong. These
small gestures carry so much meaning.

As a teacher, this feeling became even stronger through my experiences at school. As I
observed the students here, I was surprised to see how similar their behavior and energy are
to the students I have taught in Turkey. The way they laugh with their friends, the jokes they
make, get distracted during class or proudly share something they have learned it all feels
so familiar. Sometimes I catch myself smiling because those typical student moments seem
truly universal. It’s a beautiful reminder that children everywhere share the same curiosity
and joy for learning.

Lately, I’ve decided to add a song to each of my blog posts something that reflects the
feeling or message of what I’m writing about. Music has always been a big part of my life and
I believe every experience has its own soundtrack. So, the song's name means ¨could not be
happier¨.

Se vidimo :)

~ Mor ve Otesi – Daha Mutlu Olamam

 

– Zeynep,

ESC prostovoljka