Hello! My name is Polin. I am 29 years old and I am from Vratsa, Bulgaria. Vratsa is a small and beautiful city surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. Since I was born I have always been surrounded by Nature so it is not surprising at all that I want to connect better with it by joining as a volunteer the ESC project of the Permaculture Association of Bulgaria. I am currently studying a master programme in Developmental psychology but Nature and more specifically permaculture has always been part of my heart and vision of my future. The first time I heard about permaculture was while volunteering in “Tribodar”- a permaculture eco community in Nisa, Portugal.
I remember how amazed I was by all the ideas and techniques that I was studying about. I felt like a kid in a candy shop. I was so happy while working with the soil and natural materials that I couldn’t stop dreaming about designing my own garden and space some day. I met with a couple living off-grid in a tiny renovated sheep barn and I felt so inspired. This life-changing experience happened in 2016 and since then I have read a lot on the topic and watched many documentaries but haven’t experienced it fully the way I am about to do it now in this project.
Psychology and Nature have always been fascinating for me. As a psychologist I am interested in Nature therapy and how the connection with nature or the lack of it affects mental health.
I believe that by joining this project I will learn a lot about the principles of Nature and will be able to connect it with human psychology. For example, I am currently reading “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben and I see a lot of connections between the way that trees communicate and how people communicate. I am excited about what the future holds for me. I will keep you updated about all the things that I have experienced in my journey.
See you soon,
Polin
