Here I am, ready for a new adventure, that I am sure will enrich not only my professional skills and knowledge, but also my life experience. I am now writing from the ferry, that from Piraeus will bring me to my destination. The island is a bit difficult to reach due to not so many connections with the ferry (once a week from Athens-Piraeus) and the trip takes approximately 10/11 hours, though it is worth it all because of the incredible landscape and sea view.
I am Italian and feel blessed because I had the opportunity to grow up in a country, that is the first in the world for biodiversity and offers so much opportunities related to organic food and culinary experiences. I am educated as a tour leader and had worked in the tourism industry for several years, but when I moved to Copenhagen 10 years ago, I started working in canteen, catering and food production. That is probably why, my already existing passion for fresh, natural ingredients and tastes has developed, setting more focus on the nutritional and social aspect of food. Thus, I felt the need to know more about what I was working with and that is what encouraged me to study Global Nutrition and Health with specialization in Lifestyle and Health Education.
But why did I choose Dimitri’s farm and Nikita’s Eco-village to work as an intern?
Well, I was supposed to conclude my internship in spring and because of that, I applied for different organisations and NGOs in Copenhagen. For writing my application, I took inspiration from models and templates on the net, though with not so much success. Furthermore, for personal reasons I had to postpone my internship in summer time. That’s where I had the idea to find a place abroad, overall to put in practice what I studied during the course regarding intercultural communication and health promotion in an international and/or multicultural environment. My aspiration was also to find a setting, in which I would have been able to work with nutritional advice and health coaching, while improving my cooking skills and gain precious knowledge of food production. It was enough for me to google 3 simple words:” Internship, Nutrition, Greece” and the first result that pop up was Dimitri’s farm and the Nikita’s Eco-Village. I followed the procedures for the application indicated on the website (motivational essay + CV) and immediately sent an e-mail to the responsible of the project, but this time without following any standard template…I only used words coming straight from my heart. All I had to do was to express my passion for nutrition, Greece and Greek food culture and traditions. After only 2 hours I received a phone call from my actual host supervisor (Kostas) and passed the interview and so accepted as an intern…yuppie! I was so happy because Greece is a special place to me and have the best memories about it...like that time in which at only 4 years old with the help of my father, I have learnt to swim in the beautiful water that this country offers.