I traveled to Denmark to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve with my aunt and cousins. They took me to a couple of cities. The first one was Esbjerg. My cousins took me to see the Four Men by the Sea. Then we went to see the Fisheries and Maritime Museum. I saw the seals swimming in their pool. Another stop in Esbjerg was the deer park. I got the chance to feed them and pet them a little. Finally we watched the new Avatar movie “The Way of Water”. For the final step, we went walking in a wooded area near the beach. It was amazing seeing the trees with the ocean in the background!

At New Year’s Eve, I celebrated with my cousin in Odense. She introduced me to her friends and we danced the and ate and played games. Everyone was firing fireworks all around. It was so beautiful since in was raining, a bit foggy, and colors were shooting up all around. Then I came back to Switzerland, to get ready to get back to work the next week.

I traveled to Denmark to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve with my aunt and cousins. They took me to a couple of cities. The first one was Esbjerg. My cousins took me to see the Four Men by the Sea. Then we went to see the Fisheries and Maritime Museum. I saw the seals swimming in their pool. Another stop in Esbjerg was the deer park. I got the chance to feed them and pet them a little. Finally we watched the new Avatar movie “The Way of Water”. For the final step, we went walking in a wooded area near the beach. It was amazing seeing the trees with the ocean in the background!

At New Year’s Eve, I celebrated with my cousin in Odense. She introduced me to her friends and we danced the and ate and played games. Everyone was firing fireworks all around. It was so beautiful since in was raining, a bit foggy, and colors were shooting up all around. Then I came back to Switzerland, to get ready to get back to work the next week.

This week, I was invited to dinner by my boss at the farm. The next day, I went to Schwarzsee. It is a town in the Canton of Fribourg. During the winter season we will be working in a Ski School there. We were introduced to the area and the place alongside the ski instructors. For most of the week, the temperature was below 0 degrees and it snowed in the city.

Thirteenth Week:

This week, I went to the Christmas market with my friends in Bern. It was cold there were small fireplaces scattered around the market. They also provided wood for us to use to keep the fire going.

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Fourteenth Week: 

This week I went to the Christmas market in Lausanne. The city at night was breathtaking. There were a couple of locations where they held the Christmas market. One of them was decorated with a bluish light and it created a relaxing atmosphere.

Eleventh Week:

One of my friends form back came and stayed the week at our place. On Wednesday, I took a day off from work and went with him to Bern to show him around. I also contacted my other friend who is a volunteer and is living in the city to join us.

Twelfth Week: 

This week was full of adventures! On Friday, I went with my friend to Bienne and we walked around. We went to the lake, and we walked on the port and walked through the downtown of the city. Luckily enough, we met his friend by chance and we had a coffee together before going home. On Saturday, we were joined by a friend from back home who came to visit for a couple of days. This time we went to Interlaken and Hasliberg. On Sunday we spent the day in Thun.

During my work at the farm, I noticed a small cow walking around and barely standing. I called my boos to let him know that one of his cows just gave birth.

My friends from back home contacted me and told me that they’re going to come to Switzerland for a one week course and they’ll be in Bern for some time before going to the location of the program. We walked in Bern, and a couple of volunteers also joined us as well and we had great time.

This week a mama cow gave birth to a healthy baby. We only heard about it from our neighbor who came to inform and congratulate my boss. At that time, the baby was already walking and standing up, so we assumed that it had been an hour before the delivery. The baby has a dark brown fur. The next day, we were going to check on the new born, me and my boss, when he asked me to name it. I was excited and I named her Leil (Arabic for night).

On the last weekend, I went with my friend on a tour in Bern and we got to see the famous moving clock. Then we went to a restaurant where we tried cheese fondue. Then there was a cheese festival near the restaurant, they sold locally made cheese. Then we sat in the Rose Garden which overlooks the whole city and watched a part of the sunset.

Me and my friends decided to go hiking in Lucerne On Sunday. We decided to hike on Pliatus Mountain. It’s about 2,128 meters high at the top. First, we got on a cable car, then we took some time to take in how high we were and make sure we eat a little, have our bottles filled with water, and to make sure we’re ready for our 4 hours hike!

At first, we were walking and it wasn’t a difficult walk. The hike started going downhill which was a good warm up before the hardest hikes of my life. In about 20 minutes, we reached a hut where we refilled our water bottles from the faucet next to it and took a small break. Then, after resting for about 5 minutes, we started hiking upwards.

The rocks were slippery because it had rained the previous day, and the soil was wet as well. It took us about 2 and half hours to reach the first stop in our hike. I was personally happy because we had more than a couple of dangerous steep parts of the hike that we had to go through. We rested at the spot enjoying the view and listening to music before deciding to continue to the top.

The higher we got the harder it got me to breathe and I got a little dizzier. However, reaching the top after that difficult journey felt rewarding. I felt tired of course but more energized. We could see the Alps clearly in the background all the time. Afterwards, we enjoyed the view from the cable car station at the top. /then we went down to our hiking starting point. Our last activity for that day was the Toboggan Run. The whole trip was the best way to end my week!

Sixth week:

During this week, the weather was noticeably getting colder. There was a little bit of rain, a lot of changes in the temperature. A friend asked me to help her with apartment hunting on Sunday afternoon. After we were done with viewing the apartment, it was already dark. We were close to the Aare river in Bern and we decided to walk there. However, little did we know that the walk next to the river would be dark with no lights on the tracks. Walking there felt like that one scene from every horror movie where the killer gets his first couple of victims. Glad to say we survived that!

Seventh week

The changes in the weather got more intense. During work, I could clearly see the mist on the nearby hills. During our ride to work, we can see everything covered in fog and you can barely see anything anymore. The temperature is dropping in a noticeable pace. On Sunday, 

On Wednesday, I mostly worked with my boss in the farm. We did a few things like preparing a fence for the cows to eat the next day, move the sheep to a new field, cut the grass to make food for the cows during winter. After lunch, I stayed in the farm to pick apples. The horses were in the field next to me, so I threw apples for them and they would come next to me and eat. I pet them a little bit now and then.

After work, my boss suggested that he’d take me to the mountain in front of us. He said that it’s not that far from the farm. I agreed of course and on the way there we could see parts of the Alps. Being on top of the mountain felt really relieving and freeing, especially that you have nothing to block your view, the sun was setting, the weather was cool (not too hot, not too cold), and the view with all of the mountains around you was spectacular.

3rd Week

We had our EVS On Arrival Training. They explained all about how the program is operated and what we should have as volunteers in the program. We met other EVS volunteers and we had a lot of activities to break the ice and get to know each other. 

On Tuesday, we went hiking for 5 hours in a mountain not far from Solothurn where we stayed. Getting to the top for me was a nightmare. I like nature but it was too difficult at some point to continue. On our way back, we took the cable car and we got to see the whole area. 

On Friday, I met with a few of the EVS volunteers and we spent the day together. We watched the sunset in Bern. 

4th Week

This week, the weather got colder by the day. A lot of rain has been falling and I love it! 

I started working on the farm again, and I was told that farmers are bringing their cows back for the winter. On Wednesday, I saw farmers guiding their cows to town where I work. And later that day, they got back to their farms with flowers on the cows. 

This week was less busier for me than the first week. On Saturday, Raz and I went swimming in an open pool near our village in the afternoon. We didn’t spend a lot of time there as we had to get ready for that night. We were invited to dinner by our friend Oliver, the founder of so we had to get back, get dressed then leave. We met his wide and their 2 daughters. We talked and laughed and enjoyed our night. They were very hospitable and kind. On Sunday, I decided to take things slow for the day. I spent the day planning the week, organizing myself. Surprisingly, my roommate Raz had to leave on Monday, and she would be back to the apartment on Sunday.

On Tuesday at work, we went to help a fellow farmer to prepare food for his cows for winter. Before lunch break, his wife called us saying that one of the cows just gave birth to a baby. Although I missed seeing the cow giving the birth to its baby, but I saw how the cow cleaned its baby. An hour later, we saw how the baby cow started walking a little bit. It was falling again and again, yet it also came back up to learn again.

On Wednesday, I didn’t do anything outdoors. It was getting colder and we had a thunderstorm too. I did some cleaning and did the laundry and rested for the rest of the night. On Thursday, I had office hours in Bern. The weather was getting colder and it rained on the way to the office. It was such a beautiful weather.

After arriving to the apartment in our hometown on the 29th of August, I had an introduction to my hometown and the rules of my neighborhood by my supervisor. I arrived in the afternoon. After my supervisor left, I went to a near supermarket to buy some food and things I didn’t bring with me on my flight. I called my family and friends, made sure to let them know I arrived safely, then had a quick dinner and went to sleep.  

The next day Raz, my roommate, arrived. After she settled in, and she was introduced to the system of the apartment and how to run things here, we got introduced to each other and we talked until it was time to go to bed. She seemed really interesting and knowledgeable.  

Wednesday, both Raz and I went to a neighboring town to start with official papers, to help our experience become easier. We spent that day going through and applying for the necessary papers. I found how things were going smoothly for just really fascinating. I saw it as a good sign to start the new chapter in a new home. 

The next day, we went to the same neighboring town we went to the day before using our bikes for the first time. We checked out different shops and looked for what we needed for the apartment. Then, the next couple of days, we spent them discovering our surroundings and discovering our neighboring towns. 

On Friday, we went hiking in the valley of a beautiful town nearby. At the train station, we met a lovely young couple who walked us all the way to the valley. Even though they weren’t headed in that direction, they were nice enough to walk with us and guide us there. We thanked them and then proceeded to walk in the valley.  

During that week, we got introduced to one of our neighbors who invited us with her to the river in the city of Bern on Sunday. The weather was warm and the water was cold and refreshing, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their day off. Although I didn’t swim in the river myself, but Raz and our neighbor said it was wonderful and peaceful being in the river. I passed my time sitting on the beach and observing my surroundings. I saw people jumping into the river, or just spending time with their kids, family, or friends, walking their dogs, or reading a book. What surprised me even though there were a lot of people, it was calm enough to enjoy nature and its calmness.  

Monday was our first day of volunteering. It takes about half an hour to get to work from where we live. When I first arrived there, I didn’t know anyone there, and I thought I won’t be able to connect with them because of a language barrier. However, after meeting them and getting to know them, I found out that most of them speak English very well. We can easily communicate. They were really nice and they tried to include me as much as they could. They were really helpful and patient with me as I worked. They also answered my questions to the best of their abilities. 

On that day, I helped the owner of the farm setting a portable sting fence to have the sheep inside. Then, we guided the sheep from a nearby place to the new field. However, one sheep wasn’t feeling well, so I had to carry it since it wasn’t able to walk. After that, we went into a local resident in the area to help fix his wired fence. Later that day, the owner checked on the sheep and it turned out that it got better.  

Tuesday was my second day at work. This time I helped out in the field. We started by tiling the soil around the plants to get rid of the weed around them. After lunch, we worked on harvesting white and red cabbages.  

On Wednesday, which was my last day of volunteering this week, I was surprised to see about 4 more volunteers who came to help with the farm. First, we started the day by picking up beets from the field. Some of the volunteers went to help picking up potatoes. Then after lunch, I went to the field and planted a lot of new plants. It was warm during the day, but by the time we finished, light rain started to fall. 

On Thursday, we have our office hours. We went to Bern where we work in the office. The office is located in a really quiet area of the city. Including our office hours, we will be having our online German course.  

My name is Issa Rishmawi. I’m known as the quiet guy. However, I love meeting new people, getting to know their experiences in life and learn from and hopefully I can do the same. The best experience I’ve had so far is participating in Tech2Peace and having myself to spend time with new people that I don’t know for a long period of time. There I’ve met a lot of interesting, fun, loving people during the seminar or the alumni activities and it helped a lot with my personal growth. However, now I’m looking for a bigger challenge to further extend my knowledge and develop my skills.

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One thing that makes me a bit nervous is that I’ve never traveled before. Therefore, I don’t know how challenging it would be to adjust to the new lifestyle and routine. However, I’m willing to focus on the experience with all of its up and downs and what it would offer.

I have a few hobbies that I like to do when I have free time. First, I like to watch anime, which is a fun and a helping way to learn Japanese. I also like to read books from time to time, whether novels or self-help books. Currently I am reading Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules For Life. Finally, I am passionate about nature. I like to spend some time outside to enjoy the beauty of nature and to be under the sun.

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Working as a receptionist for about two and a half years collectively helped me improve my patience, perform well under pressure, and improve my team work as well. Although I can seem like an introvert, I like to stay communicative when it comes to teamwork. In addition to that, it helped work in a more organized environment. Also, working at a fast-food restaurant helped me further in working under pressure. Finally, working with costumers and guests directly helped me develop a more positive attitude towards people that I carry even I my everyday life.

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I am a motivated person. I am very passionate when it comes to learning new languages or cultures. I like working in a team where we can help each other reach a certain goal. In addition, I am a calm person which makes people around me feel a bit more comfortable. And I like to constantly improve myself, whether skills or personal traits. This have helped to not only discover new things about myself, but also improve my performance at work.

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Looking forward to working with you. Issa