These two weeks in Naples have gone by much too fast for me to even comprehend. I arrived on May 9th in the morning thinking I would start my volunteering right away. However, the email I sent to my boss Ivan did not go through and he was unprepared for me to come. My first impression of the apartment was that it was extremely messy. The main table was filled with open food and the room I was staying in had clothes that were thrown all over the place. I met the two girls I was going to stay with for the day, Claire and Diana, who were both from the United States and had been with INN (International Napoli Network) for over a month. Claire was on her last day that day, so she was trying to get her things together to travel other areas of Europe. I put my stuff in the room and then went through an orientation that basically explained more about the city of Naples to me, but nearly nothing about my volunteer work. Italians will be Italians. I went through my orientation with Aino, who is from Finland and arrived the night before I did, and Izzy, a medical student from the UK. We were all there to complete different types of volunteering. The rest of the day went by kind of quickly. I went to dinner with the rest of the group, trying my hardest to remember all of their names. The next day, I was able to sleep in and then go around Naples a little with Aino. She showed me where the supermarket is and we walked back carrying my groceries to the apartment, which was conveniently located in the Naples Historical Centre. Around 2, Ivan came and took me to my volunteering placement. It took around 45 minutes to get there. I ended up volunteering in Scampia, which Google has dubbed the “Worst Neighbourhood in Europe”. I was highly unaware of this distinction until it was pointed out to me. I spent a wary first day trying to communicate in Italian to children and coaches alike, feeling a bit out of place and awkward. Every day was like the first. I started with young children and then moved to an older group within the 5 hours of my volunteer time. I would play with the older group of boys and girls because there was not much the coach wanted me to teach them/that I could communicate with them. I went home from Scampia that day very satisfied with my decision to volunteer for the two weeks I had. The next morning, Aino and I went to the Cathedral of Napoli and the gardens there, taking pictures and looking around the church and museum. In the afternoon, we both went to our volunteering opportunities and then came home. Every day, I got to know Clara, Lidiana, Anastasia, Diana, Aino, Sona, and Laura. I definitely fell in love with their big hearts. Clara is from Paris and left soon after I arrived. Anastasia is from Germany and has the kindest soul. She taught children German. Diana did some volunteering at a clinic in the morning, so I always knew when to wake up. Lidiana (Liddy) is from the UK and has such a huge heart and a calm presence about her. Laura is from Switzerland and maybe the most like me. She was very mature and would not take no for an answer, especially if it was something that was bothering the majority of the group. Sona was a God-send. She made fantastic meals every day and let each of us have a bite. She worked in the clinic at day, want to be a doctor, and is from Holland. This group went on throughout my first week, some people leaving and a few arriving. The new arrivals were Lilli from Luxembourg, Louis from Switzerland, Mathias from France, and LMF (a nickname) from France as well. I went to Pompeii on Friday and was honestly not too impressed, even as someone extremely interested in history. It was the same building again and again. However, I did learn that the people in Pompeii were obsessed with sex, which was fascinating to hear about their daily lives and interests. That portion, and the casts of the bodies, were the most interesting part to me. I also went into the modern city of Pompeii and saw a huge Italian wedding at an ornate church in the street. I honestly thought that royalty was in Pompeii. That is how huge of a deal it was. On the weekend, my body was hurting from the close to 3 hours of exercise a day. It felt somewhat like pre-season, as I would run and run again. Over the weekend, I started studying for the MCAT again and began a PSYC 101 course I will be doing with VWU over the summer, keeping me busy. I hoped to go see my 8-year-old team play on Saturday, but their game was canceled. The next week, Mathias and another volunteer from France (who has been in Naples for 4 months) called Leo went to football training with me. It was a little difficult because they spoke Italian much better than I did and many of the boys took to them much quicker than me. However, it was fun to see the younger boys looking up to them and having people to go to and from Scampia with. Which, by the way, I totally disagree with the reputation that Scampia has garnered. The children and coaches had been nothing but loving and welcoming to me, making even me detest the bad reputation the neighborhood has. I continued to do homework in the mornings and volunteer in the evenings until Friday, when I fell ill due to being a woman (as all women know this pain). I knew running around would have not been the correct choice. On the weekend, I did homework and went out with the other volunteers to thrift shop. It was me, Anastasia, and Laura, and I am thankful for the time I got to spend with them 1-on-1 and get to know them better. Seeing sights is fun, but getting to know people abroad is even more rewarding. This I have learned, and wrote about, before. Saturday night is when disaster struck. We had a little house party (with neighbors and children invited) because Sona was going to leave the next day. Many of us went out to Piazza Bellini, which was a 4-minute walk from our apartment and is a popular area for young adults to hang out and drink. While there, I got drugged. I knew I had been drugged and ran home to avoid any trouble. Thank God for the other volunteers, who took care of me throughout the night. Obviously, I will not divulge all the details on this blog about what happened, but I felt truly horrible and out of control. Those who know me know that I am a very in-control type of person and I felt very ashamed that I was attacked. The next day continued to be a nightmare as I threw up for the majority of the morning. Eventually, I had to call an ambulance (and tell my parents, which I was not looking forward to) to get IV fluids. The hospital gave me an adult diaper to throw up in and Anastasia, Diana, Lilli, Aino, and another volunteer Mariel did much to help take care of me throughout the day. I came back to the apartment around 3 PM and slept for the rest of the day, my body finally having relief from illness. I woke up and called Anita, Connor, my sister Hannah, and my parents to explain how I was doing and what had all happened. The next day, I missed my final volunteering due to being unable to complete any packing or work on Sunday. I think the most disappointing part of the whole experience is that my volunteer coordinator did not believe that I got attacked. If ANYONE would have seen me, there would have been no question about this. All the other volunteers agree and it just seems like the volunteer coordinator wants to protect his city. I understand that but feel angry that the issue is not recognized or believed. Disaster struck again, as my phone shorted out and stopped working on Monday (yesterday). Before that, I got to spend time with my new friend Sophie from Australia and bought her the first Neapolitan lucky charm she received. It looks like a red pepper but is actually a red bull horn, symbolizing good luck and fertility. I am most worried about all the pictures and videos I took being lost. And also navigating. I am in Rome today, flying out tomorrow morning, having seen nothing due to the inability to navigate. I was very anxious after what happened Saturday night and ended up spending more money on a hotel right near the airport to make travel as easy as possible. Despite this, the travel to Rome was quite difficult as I had to wait 2 hours for a ten-minute train, did not sleep the night before out of anxiety (sorry to Aino for keeping her up), and did not know whether to get off the train at a certain town because there was no platform. I made it to where I am now around 3 PM (3 hours later than expected) and have been working on homework. For my final real meal in Italy (for now), I went to Ida Renato e Figili. It was quiet and I was the only one in the restaurant, hogging all the amazing food they gave me. The people were so kind, and the food was absolutely delicious. I gave my first tip out in Europe due to this. Definitely, a must-try when near Rome or going to the Ciampino Airport.
Picture Descriptions
Top Left: Anio getting her first Cornicello
Top Middle: View of the top of Naples
Top Right: 1st night with Neopolitan Pizza
Middle Left: Historic Center a 5-minute walk from where I stayed
Middle Middle: In the Cathedral Gardens
Middle Right: On Lugomare, walk by the sea
Bottom Left: Vele di Scampia, notorious buildings that give Scampia a bad reputation
Unsurprisingly, I am a bit shaken by recent events. I have no reliable source of navigation and I experienced something traumatic. Italy has not been the kindest to me so far. However, the people I have met and the kindness of the locals has made up for it ten-fold. Of course, I will remember the mishaps that are bound to happen when traveling (especially as a single female), but I think I will remember the people much more. I would recommend volunteering in Naples or anywhere, even if you were just going on vacation. It is the most rewarding experience I have had so far abroad. Giving to others, and being around other volunteers who have the largest hearts, really fills your soul with peace and joy.