Meet the Spring

🌸Spring energy hit us hard this week – in the best way. Gardens bursting, ideas blooming, and our hands constantly in the soil. Week 2 at Liveloula reminded us just how alive everything is out here.

🌿Under Chenny’s gentle guidance, we planted tomatoes, onions, basil, calendula, and more – learning which plants are good neighbors in the soil; and which ones aren’t. We had more seedlings than space, so Joey (our mentor) got a few tomato gifts for his own garden. It felt good to give back, even in small ways.

⚒️Meanwhile, something exciting has been rising beside the garden: a brand new outdoor wooden kitchen. Dartagnan and a few volunteers took it on with focus and flow. There’s something grounding about building something physical with your own hands; something that will feed future teams; and maybe even strangers who’ll never know your name.

🦎Beyond our land, we connected with Regreen’s community garden once more; and spent time in the nearby village of Seliana with Kyria Maria. She welcomed us into her garden, her routine, and her warmth. Each neighbor we meet is a reminder that community is both local and ever-expanding.

🪀We also played – a lot. Games from different cultures filled our evenings, and before long, we were translating the rules into Romanian, Italian, Georgian, and English. It’s funny how fast you bond when you’re laughing in four languages at once.

💭What stayed with us this week?

That learning isn't just about skills; it’s about slowing down, paying attention, and doing things together. Even the weeding became a kind of meditation.

🇪🇺 Eyes Wide Open is a European Solidarity Corps programme supported by the Education & Culture Executive Agency, and co-funded by the European Union. A Hopeland initiative hosted in Liveloula.