At the beginning of this trip, fear was the strongest thing I felt. When we arrived in Budapest, it hit me the hardest. I felt out of place and questioned whether I even belonged there. Surrounded by new people, I started doubting myself more than ever. Instead of withdrawing, I reached out to the project leaders. Those conversations made me feel seen and gave me a sense of safety in an unfamiliar environment. Then came Timișoara. After an exhausting 8-hour journey, we arrived late at night, tired and drained. It would have been easy to avoid everyone, but instead, we stayed. We talked, joked, and slowly, people began to open up. That moment changed everything. Conversations felt natural, and the people who once intimidated me became the ones I felt closest to. This experience taught me that fear doesn’t disappear by waiting; it disappears by facing it.
