From arrival to awareness

As I prepare to leave Växjö, I find myself asking:
“What is an ESC journey?”

It’s a question without one clear answer.
It becomes whatever you shape it to be.

Some focus on work.
Others on free time.
Some dive into meeting new people.
Others find joy in simply sitting with a coffee, watching the day go by.

What matters to one may not matter at all to another.
It could be age.
It could be mindset.
It could be where and how you were raised.

The values we carry shape how we see the world.
Sometimes that contrast is beautiful.
Sometimes it stings.

This year didn’t turn out exactly how I imagined.
There were things I wanted to do and didn’t.
Things I could’ve done more.

But still, the journey took its shape.
Shaped by me.
Shaped by the people around me.

Regret visits everyone now and then.
But the moment you recognize it, you’re already closer to changing something.

I think about the ones who walked this road with me—
The volunteers, the friends.
The people I laughed with.
Cried with.
Cursed with.
Survived with.

This post is for you.
You’ve become a part of my story.
And I carry that with me.

I hope our paths will cross again.

And as I end (or maybe begin) this chapter, I want to leave with a quote that stays with me:

“Take criticism not as a strike at your worth, but as a tool of development.”

– Sigrit, fran Estland