To be honest, living in UK was never in my plans. But deep inside, I always wanted to live abroad, and the opportunity finally came. When I decided to leave Brazil two years ago, I began to prepare myself financially and psychologically, because the change was very hard for me. After the decision, came the question: where to go?

That's when I found Igloo Hostel at the Worldpackers volunteers website. I had no idea where Nottingham was, nor had I heard about the city before. But as soon as I found the opportunity and started reading the description, I became very interested.

Having decided the country, city and hostel, it was time to say goodbye and start a new cycle in my life. I confess it was not easy at all. I resigned from my 5-year job, and the day after Molly confirmed my application, I booked my flight ticket. It was done, there was no turning back.

I arrived here on August 1st, aiming to stay at least 6 weeks. I ended up staying almost 3 months. I was very welcomed by everyone from the staff to the volunteers. All of them were kind and helpful.

The work is easy and consists of cleaning and housekeeping. It's four hours a day and two days off a week. Everyday the hostel has to be cleaned from the bottom to the top. I also had the opportunity to work for a few days at the reception, which was one of the biggest challenges for me.

Another nice thing about volunteering at Igloo is being able to work in four different buildings (Pods, Annexe, Hybrid and Shed). Thus, there is no routine itself. And it may vary, the workplace was very good.

During this time I learned a lot. I met people from all over the world, from Estonia to Malaysia, from Canada to Argentina, and so on. That was the best part, because understanding and knowing other cultures is very valuable to me.

Apart from work, there are two days off and in a row. Thus, there is a chance to know nearby cities. I had the opportunity to visit some like Cambridge, York, Lincoln, Stratford Upon Avon and Liverpool. All of these are within easy reach and a maximum of 3 hours away by train from Nottingham. At the same time, I visited some cool things here in the city. An interesting walk is to go to Wollaton Park, where the movie Batman - The Dark Knight Rises was filmed. Another option is to stroll along the banks of the Trent River and the canal that cuts through the city. In the city centre there are several options of pubs and restaurants as well. And as I particularly love cinema, one of my favourites was Broadway Cinema located at Lace Market.

Well, it's kinda hard for me to write this because it brings back so many nice memories which makes me so nostalgic that it hurts. And, reading and writing it all now makes me happy and sad at the same time. Glad because I connected with very nice people and got a sense of duty fulfilled by everything I did and learned. And sad because I'm gonna miss this place so much.

My time here was beyond my expectations and I loved every minute of. The people I met, and the beds we made - all of it has a special place in my heart now. I will remember everything and everyone with great affection: Molly, Sarah, Marine, B, Sebastian, Giuseppe, Georgia, Paul, Xanthea, Nicky, Attila, I'm so grateful to have been part of this amazing team. Thanks for everything, from the bottom of my heart, guys. And be sure I'll be back sometime!

Deborah