Our longest ESC volunteer Daniel tells his story: The fact that I travelled to Slovenia for only two months but ended up staying for almost a year at Mokovec Farm says it all.

My time at Mokovec was a precious gift. It came right when I needed it, at a moment in my life when nothing else but what this project was offering could have given me exactly what I needed.

I remember not knowing what to expect at first. In fact, even once my application had already been confirmed by Prija, I didn't want to go at all, as I was not really sure if going to this farm could add anything of value to my life that I hadn't already learned in other permaculture farms; I was more than wrong, and I'm glad I made the wise decision of giving it a try.

Life completely slowed down the moment I set foot here and, ironically, so many doors slowly started to appear and open. And, of course, let's not forget it's a farm after all: there was always physical work to be done, but I enjoyed every inch of it. From building a barn roof in the traditional natural way, to harvesting and making delicious apple juice with a bicycle, there was always something new and exciting to be done. Well, almost always, it's a farm after all and, like in every farm, you'll also have your share of normal farm stuff like harvesting, seeding, cleaning around, cooking, fixing stuff, chopping and storing wood, or weeding, or weeding, or weeding... Ah! Did I mention weeding? Yes, now that I remember I think I weeded a couple of times.

Many projects came along the way and I took part in them. It's even hard to remember all of them, but they were probably the most valuable gift I received because they allowed me to meet and get in touch with so many precious people.

It was not an easy time for me, I was not coming from an easy place and there were so many challenges waiting for me. But the truth is I was not alone: I felt supported in every step of the way.

It may sound cliché, but the truth is I learned, I discovered, I grew, got wounded, I healed, I challenged myself, pushed myself, and after all of it, I can confidently say that I feel really proud of the person I’ve become.

And of course, I also fell in love, broke my heart and healed again… and I would do it all over again.

My time at Mokovec changed me, and I’ll always feel thankful to Prija and Peter. Now it’s time for me to build a new chapter of my life in Hungary, where I just moved, and it would have never been possible without all their help and support, and without everything I took with me in my heart from my time there.