From September 19 to 27, we participated in the project (youth exchange) The Trust-Fall of Healthy Relationships, which took place in Romania.
When our applications were accepted, we were really excited!
At first, we were a little afraid of this project and asked our coordinator if it was even legitimate, since few people signed up at the beginning. Fortunately, it was.
It wasn't long before the whole arrangement of transport and documents began. First of all, we had to find a way to get there. Insurance, buying tickets, filling out and sending all the necessary documents... It took us a while. But finally the day finally came. A day when none of us got much sleep, because we left very early in the morning from the bus station in Bratislava. We gathered and set off. When we finally sat on the bus, we were very curious about what was waiting for us. We were ready for a journey into the unknown full of adventures and challenges.
Before this exchange, we would never have thought that 12 hours on a bus could pass so quickly. After arriving in Cluj-Napoca and meeting colleagues from other countries, we continued our journey together by minibus to Valea Verde. It's almost impossible to describe a bus trip in key words, but we're pretty sure no one will ever forget it. Finally, we finally reached our destination. The mood was calm and the night was deep, so our only logical option was to go to sleep (we honestly had a magical sleep), which resulted in us coming out the next day refreshed and ready. We also felt this deep desire for knowledge and expanding our horizons.
Erasmus was a beautiful example of how we can all respect each other, we didn't know each other at the beginning of the week, but when we left we felt like we were leaving a family. We experienced moments of crying, but also moments of joy and harmony. There were days when we discovered things that showed us how much we needed love and support. Each of us has been forced to some extent to be honest with others, which also requires a great deal of trust. A beautiful project with different cultures enriched all of us, even if for a while after leaving we felt the feeling of emptiness left in us by the people with big hearts and even bigger personalities. Of course, we will always remember them with happy memories.
And then it was time to leave. We booked the bus back home a little later so we could explore not only the beautiful Romanian countryside but also the amazing Romanian city life. Several of our friends from the project accompanied us during our one-day visit to Cluj-Napoca. They showed us that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover and made us regret not extending our stay to explore the city more deeply. After that, with tears in our eyes, we had to say goodbye to Romania and travel back home. We will all look back on this week as one that marked our young lives forever.