Sometimes it is easier to go into the unknown than to return home from there ...
I joined the project as one of two participants from Slovakia. The communication has been provided by the sending organization, in this case, Youthfully Yours, and their organization was excellent. It wasnΒ΄t only about organizing the journey, their experiences from previous projects were also helpful.
IΒ wasΒ pleasantlyΒ surprisedΒ byΒ theΒ wonderfulΒ environmentΒ atΒ theΒ first moment. OurΒ firstΒ meetingΒ wasΒ inΒ RamalesΒ de la Victoria, so after the arrival we walkedΒ toΒ theΒ villageΒ center.Β TheΒ nextΒ day,Β activitiesΒ beganΒ andΒ weΒ learned how to use various methodsΒ and how toΒ focusΒ onΒ ourΒ thoughtsΒ andΒ developΒ them.Β The point wasΒ toΒ grabΒ thoseΒ thoughtsΒ andΒ startΒ workingΒ onΒ them. The lecturer showed us ways how to useΒ thisΒ method. IΒ rememberΒ theΒ momentΒ whenΒ weΒ startedΒ withΒ βpinakariβ. I doubted that the technique a bit, but in the end, it was spectacular. I usually have millions of thoughts duringΒ theΒ day, and I oftenΒ forgetΒ something. But this regular "thought exercise" was surprisingly effective. Interesting activities such as the purposeful loss in the forest helped us to find ourselves, but inside. Through the daily sharing of our feelings and thoughts, we have created excellent connections with each other despite cultural differences.
Sharing experience was crucial.Β WeΒ were aΒ great group of people, full ofΒ energy, humanity, and humor. We always shared ideasΒ andΒ innovations, we complemented each other. I would like to add that the food was excellent and everyone was satisfied. Every day we shared feedback after the activities, we experienced trips and exploredΒ Spain. We also had the opportunity to visit a museum and factories for a traditionalΒ cake, then Sardines,Β Santona,Β Castro,Β Santander, beautiful cliffs and so on. In spite of the large number of participants,Β theΒ timeΒ managementΒ wasΒ managedΒ byΒ theΒ organizersΒ veryΒ well. I amΒ extremelyΒ gratefulΒ thatΒ IΒ haveΒ beenΒ partΒ ofΒ it. It is not possible to be in touch with everyone after the project, but IΒ believeΒ thatΒ IΒ stayΒ inΒ touchΒ withΒ someΒ ofΒ themΒ forever. Iβ―recommendΒ everyoneΒ toΒ goΒ toΒ ErasmusΒ plusΒ project.Β Β
