Andromachi is one of our European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteers. She spent two months with us at the Siena Art Institute, taking part in two of our programs: Brandeis in Siena and SienAgosto Music Academy.
My time in Siena by Andromachi Nalmpanti:
My time in Siena began on the 6th of July and ended far too soon. I came here as a European Solidarity Corps volunteer to support two events: the Brandeis group of American students studying fine arts, and the SienAgosto Music event.
Every day, I was surrounded by art, beauty, music and creative people, not to mention the magic of living in a medieval city like Siena. Waking up in my apartment near the Duomo, with a view over Siena’s terracotta rooftops, felt like a dream come true. My housemates and fellow volunteers, Camille and Vanessa, were a delight to live with, and collaborating with them on the SART events was such a joy.
Together, we organized a really fun event for the musicians of the Siena Music Academy. They conducted a very informative tour of the Giardino Nascosto of the Institute while I planned the aperitivo. We helped to bring people together and enjoy music, food, nature and most importantly, each other’s company. I will remember that night as one of the most colorful ones in Siena.
As part of my personal project, I also began a collaboration with the University of Siena to conduct research on the well-being of international students. As a psychologist, I felt deeply inspired to continue exploring human behaviour while I was here. The kindness and willingness to help I encountered from professors who had never even taught me was genuinely moving.
Italy has always held a special place in my heart. It’s where I did my Erasmus, where some of my closest friends are from, and where I first discovered what it feels like to live abroad. It was the first foreign language I learned after English, and the first country outside my own where I truly felt at home.
Spending a summer here again reminded me of who I am, of the best version of myself, and of what it feels like to be truly alive.
The people I met here already make saying goodbye incredibly difficult. But perhaps precisely because of them, I highly doubt this is really a goodbye. It feels much more like an “arrivederci”.
Thank you for this opportunity. Being European truly is a blessing.
More information about ESC - European Solidarity Corps
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