From the 9th till the 15th of October, our volunteers alongside young people from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Portugal took part in an International Youth Exchange program in Poland.
The Youth Exchange aimed to improve their skills while living in nature and learning ways to survive, through a variety of interactive and outdoor activities.
In the following lines, you can explore the experiences that our volunteers gained through their participation.
Nena:
During these difficult times we traveled to Poland to participate in a project called “Come close to nature”. It was my first time as a leader and I was a bit concerned, but with the help of Nikos from GYM I learned a lot. When I saw the willa we were about to stay, I realized that the title of the project will be fulfilled. The small village, fires at night, stars in the sky, the hut with the fireplace, even the snow of one day. Everything was so peaceful, exactly what we needed to calm from the noisy cities.
We learned techniques for survival, how to use a compass, how to make sticks and weapons using only stones and branches from trees. The vibe of this village made the experience so magical. If you combine this with amazing people, Portuguese, Slovakians, Polish, Hungarians and Greek you can understand the whole experience. But you can’t feel it. That’s why I advice every young person to participate in these projects and reveal new sensations they never knew they existed. I’m so glad I was part of this. I can’t describe how thankful I am for the dances, laughs, conversations, shared experiences. This small village and each of the people I met, have taken a small piece of my heart.
I never regret working with Greek Youth Mobility because with the responsibility, the discipline and the amazing ideas about projects, makes my experience much more comfortable, much more fun, and of course during the Corona virus times, safer. Thank you!

Tasos:
This was my first Erasmus+ experience and it was something different for me. I really enjoyed the workshops that we did as they had a very interesting topic. I got to know people from other countries, different cultures and ways of thinking and I had a nice feeling when working in teams with them on a common purpose. It would be my pleasure to be part of such an experience in the future.
Thank you Greek Youth Mobility for providing me with such a great opportunity!

Theo:
The whole experience through this program was very important to us in several ways. Firstly we learned how to work in teams and how to interact and communicate with people from different countries and cultures. Everyone learned from each other and we exchanged knowledge about our different lifestyle and about our languages as well. For me, getting to know people from abroad is very enthusiastic because the whole interaction with them makes my perspective get better and at the same time one can make new good friends, like I did. Additionally, the program taught us unique skills in getting to know nature in a different viewpoint, with the positive point being that each Erasmus participant shared his knowledge among all of us.
Additionally, the way the tasks were done was very innovative, both for the inside tasks that were very creative and for the outside tasks that motivated us to be more energetic and wilful to do things. With the above and with the combination of the “secret friend” game the whole group became a really good team with a lot of new friendships coming up through this program. The experience we had was one of the best travel experiences in my life and I will never forget either this beautiful Polish village or those wonderful people that I met. I think that the risk to travel through those difficult covid days finally was worth it for all of us, Greeks, Portuguese, Slovakians, Hungarians and Polish as well.

Victoria:
It was one of the best experiences in my life! I learned new things about the nature, like how to make tools and how to survive. Plus, I hiked on the snowy mountain that was so exciting! I met people from different countries and made friends for life. You cannot imagine the friendships you can form in such a short period of time. Maybe that part of the journey was the most important. Life is all about experiences, and this one was worth a lifetime.
Thank you Greek Youth Mobility for this opportunity, I hope we will meet again soon in a new project!

Dimitris:
I am Dimitris and this was my first Erasmus+ Project.
Firstly, the organization divided the participants randomly, which means that I had to live with a foreigner for 6 days. For me that was the best part because I came really close with my roommate and I understood that no matter the distance or the religion there are guys that live 2500 km away from you and they have the same dreams and hopes for the future. Actually I think that the friendships I made at this project are the true purpose of Erasmus.
Moreover, every day we participated in outdoor activities that concerned the environment so as a result we came in touch with the nature and the wildness of Poland. I found this part of the project really exciting because in general I m interested in the flora and the fauna of an ecosystem.
Last but not least, every night a different country group presented something about their culture and customs, as a result we understood each other and we learned a lot of information that helped us perceive the differences and the similarities between our countries .

Eleni:
Participating in an erasmus+ project during these difficult times is no piece of cake. We were sceptical before we decided to participate, we encountered difficulties during our time in Poland, but none of that really mattered when I think about everything that I gained from this project, all the nice people that I met and everything that I have learned and experienced. After each erasmus I find myself different, like I discovered another part of myself and I’m closer of putting all the pieces together and realizing who I am. Although that’s the thing, it’s not about realizing “who you are”, because in the end it’s something that is not static. We develop, we grow, we constantly change and all that due to our experiences and the people we meet. It’s so hard to talk about such a strong experience and share with someone else this feeling, I think there are not enough words for this. But there’s this quote that comes to my mind after coming home from each erasmus, that goes like that: “You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place”. And just like that, I left another piece of my heart, this time in Poland and in return I took with me the most precious thing of all. This feeling of gratitude, for having met the most amazing people, for having worked with them for 5 whole days, for having shared more than anyone can ever imagine that it’s possible to share in this small amount of time. Nothing could describe my feelings better than this quote.
Thank you Greek Youth Mobilty for making this happen, despite the difficult times.

Eugenia:
My experience in this Erasmus+ project was just amazing!
First of all the topic of the project was very interesting. I learn a lot of things about survival skills and the outdoor activities of each country. Moreover, I am very happy that I cooperated with people in my age and I shared my knowledge with them. About the accommodation I would like to mention how nice and warm the hotel we stayed was. The ladies on the kitchen were upsolutely helpful and their food was delicious. Our facilitator, Ola, motivated us, helped us and made the program even better. She might be a little bit strict about the hours and the tasks, but I think it was needed. Lastly, I really like the new friends I made from each country and I hope one day to see them again.
EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT. I WOULD DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN!

