ESC volunteering at Outward Bound Croatia

Noah (25, the Netherlands) moved to Gospić, Croatia, in September 2025 as part of his long-term European Solidarity Corps volunteering project at Outward Bound Croatia. For the past six months, he got to experience rural Croatian life, worked on many OBC programs, and explored the various outdoor opportunities that the Lika region has to offer. In this blog post, he shares his thoughts about his volunteer period.

Why there?

“Why am I going there?” That is a question I asked myself a lot before moving to Gospić to work at Outward Bound Croatia (OBC). It was difficult to put into words at first. “It feels right” felt like a lackluster explanation. But now, at the end of this journey, I know that it was the perfect answer.

In 2021, I joined a two-week European Solidarity Corps (ESC) project at OBC that left me feeling inspired, hopeful, and more self-aware. After finishing my studies in Journalism at home, I was eager to repeat that experience, this time as a long-term volunteer.

In the Netherlands, nature is not always as untouched as you would hope it to be, and mountains do not exist there. A big part of the appeal for me was the chance to work outside, in nature, away from the tumult of cities and densely populated areas.

After finishing my studies, I wanted to slow down. Getting an office job right out of the gate did not feel like me, so I was curious to learn more about myself and the world while volunteering. In the Netherlands, I had already volunteered as a social worker supporting people with developmental disabilities. This experience, paradoxically, gave me more than I had given. So I knew that doing more volunteer work would be a rewarding experience full of growth, while at the same time contributing to meaningful programs for young adults.

And what better way to do this than abroad, where I could travel in my free time and get to know many different perspectives on life. Living in the European Union, we are privileged to be able to work, study, and travel wherever we want, visa-free. There are lots of opportunities out there for young people, so I wanted to take a step forward and make use of them.

Work, tasks and nature

As nice as all of this sounds on paper, I felt none of this when I arrived. I quickly realized I was in a completely different environment and felt quite daunted. Luckily, I stayed calm, knowing that a routine and meeting people would make things better. And I was right. From the get-go, my fellow long-term volunteers Katrina and Alex aided me in settling in and showed me the ropes.

The first programs I worked at were full of laughter and sunshine. Croatian high schoolers really surprised me with their English proficiency, and we had many funny and interesting conversations. Every program started with team-building exercises and lots of energizers to get to know each other and the setting before going camping.

During the various programs, we showed participants how to set up tents, pack their bags, what knots to use, and how to run a campsite. Camping outdoors with groups of people, gathered around a cheerful fire while roasting sausages and playing games, felt exactly like what I came here to do. I particularly enjoyed sleeping in a hammock and watching the stars while falling asleep.

However, a long-term ESC project is quite different than a short-term one. You have to carve out a whole new life for yourself in a place that feels quite unfamiliar. This requires a lot of initiative and was definitely not easy. My other co-volunteers left two months after I arrived, so I spent four months alone in Gospić. Luckily, the local mountaineering club welcomed me with open arms (despite the language barrier!) and I also befriended my barber.

Despite the challenges, those months were filled with unforgettable moments, like being chased by seven dogs outside of Gospić (which was not necessarily fun), seeing poisonous snakes in the wild for the first time (poskok!), swimming in the river while it was snowing and falling in love with the ajvar that a colleague’s mom made for me.

Youth exchanges

When the winter season started, I was nervous that there would not be enough work, as there are fewer camps in the winter. But then my coordinator asked me if I would like to organize, lead, and manage the next Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges together with Azra, a dear friend and fellow employee at OBC.

This was new territory for me, but I felt ready for the challenge and dove in headfirst. Being responsible for the experience of 20–30 young people from all over Europe felt like no small thing. I wanted to make sure that their time in Veliki Žitnik would be worthwhile.

Together with Azra and our amazing driver Franko, we organized several non-formal educational activities about nature, sustainability, and mental health, which I’m very proud of. For example, we did a listening walk, where participants were asked to walk through the forest for 45 minutes while writing down everything that they heard, saw, smelled, and felt; a biodiversity workshop, where participants used the iNaturalist app to scan different types of plants, fungi, and animals to get points (and got bonus points for mushrooms!); and multiple trash walks where we cleaned the local neighborhood. We also invited guest speakers (like those from Earthbound Sneakers), hiked up various peaks, visited nearby cave parks, and made land art using materials found in nature.

I think the key to the success of these Youth Exchanges, and other OBC programs, were the evening circles. An evening circle is held at the end of each day and provides a platform for people to share what is going on inside their heads. We always sit in a large circle around a campfire or some candles and discuss what we did, what we are grateful for, and other matters related to the theme of the program. These were truly safe spaces for sharing important thoughts and vulnerable moments and contributed to a more positive atmosphere.

Running these programs was an absolute blast, but also a lot of work. Twelve-to-fourteen-hour workdays are normal here, since the program lasts most of the day. And while I love to work with people, I ultimately am still an introvert. To recharge my social battery, I often ate my meals alone and went to bed early.

Luckily, I was also blessed with an amazing team. Azra supported me in every way and came up with the most ingenious ideas to make all the activities even more amusing and interesting. Her experience of being an instructor at Outward Bound and working with all types of people, whether from Croatia or abroad, made every program better and made me feel more at ease.

Franko, our logistics superpower, always brought an exuberant energy with him that lifted the mood in every room he entered. He is someone you can fully count on, which is important during these types of programs. Lastly, Vlad and Lesja worked wonders in the kitchen, and we often received praise for the food because of them.

The biggest compliment I got during these six months was when some participants from my first Youth Exchange came back again for the last one. They wanted more, and I was happy to welcome them back to Veliki Žitnik.

What I take home

Participating in this ESC adventure has opened my eyes to many new aspects of life. I now know what it is like to be a facilitator and manage the experience of large groups of people. The mountaineering club I joined in Gospić has opened my eyes to the world of (proper) hiking. And the many wonderful people I met during the programs have taught me a lot about different European cultures.

My work at OBC taught me how to lead, read a group, and take responsibility for a complex and sometimes unpredictable program. These skills are invaluable in any career I might have in the future, and I feel that working with people in this way brought me closer to who I am and allowed me to explore an outdoorsy side of myself that I might otherwise never have discovered.

I leave Croatia with a greater appreciation for rural living and a much better understanding of the parts of the country that don’t appear in tourist brochures. Gospić is quite different from Amsterdam, but happiness can be found in both.

Nevertheless, this kind of intense, program-based, and very social work is not for everyone. You’re not always freshly showered with eight hours of sleep. But the experiences you get in return are very worth it.

Still doubting?

For anyone still doubting if they should partake in an ESC project: go for it! You never know what you will find on the other side. ESC is your best bet if you want to travel on a budget, gain relevant work experience, and learn more about the world all at the same time.

Of course, every experience will be different, filled with ups and downs, but in the end, you’ll always learn something and have stories to take home. Moreover, there is an on-arrival and mid-term training to help you settle in, reflect on your experience, and make new connections.

By doing volunteer work, you always get more back. Whether it is in experience, knowledge, gratefulness, or delicious local foods (like that time I enjoyed homemade ćevapi on Brač while overlooking the Adriatic and the mountains above Makarska). So take a step forward, your future self will thank you.