The Beginning of Something New

Looking back at Valeria’s first two weeks at Lindersvold

Valeria wrote this reflection during her second week at Lindersvold, while the routines, people and experiences were still beginning to feel familiar.

I’ve been in Lindersvold for two weeks now.

Time passes differently here. Sometimes it feels like I’ve been here for a few hours, other times I feel like I’ve known this place for years.

What seemed like a novelty is becoming a habit.

In the morning, I wake up early to go for a walk and admire the colours of the sunrise, have breakfast with bread, butter and jam, and then the cleaning tasks begin.

I see all my classmates busy around the school, some vacuuming the hallways, some washing dishes, others cleaning the bathroom.

Between one good morning and the next, we rush to get changed for our sport hour.

Some love running, some prefer to enjoy the beautiful nature we have around us more slowly with a walk, some do Zumba in the gym, and some are learning to ride a bike.

In Lindersvold, there’s room for everyone, for those who love silence and for those who couldn’t live without music.

In the blink of an eye, half the morning has already flown by.

Every Day Is Different

What I appreciate about this school is that every day is new, from the people you share tasks with to the activities that take place.

Liberation movements from colonialism, imperialism, narratives. Every day, a piece of a huge puzzle is added to help us understand today’s complexity, the injustices, and the power we have to change.

And in all of this, we are never alone.

Lunchtime arrives, and I see two of my classmates who helped Belinda in the kitchen come out with the dishes.

After a game of cards or ping pong, it’s time to return to class.

Today’s assignment is to research the concept of Negritude with the trio and present it to the rest of the core group.

At 6:30 PM, dinner is ready, and immediately afterwards it’s my turn to wash the dishes. But I have to hurry because the cultural team has prepared a birthday surprise.

No One Does It Alone

The cafeteria in the evening is the perfect place for deep conversations, and I’m realising how easy it is now to open up to those people who were strangers two weeks ago.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in these two weeks, it’s that if you need a hand, just ask your comrades.

That it doesn’t matter if you don’t know everything.

That the important thing is to enjoy the journey and share moments.

And so another day in Lindersvold has passed.

Valeria