Youth balance

Youth balance

Right at the start of the summer holidays, we, six Slovak participants, embarked on an adventurous journey to sunny Portugal. Our goal was to learn more about how we can strengthen our mental health and improve our quality of life by participating in various indoor and outdoor sports activities and active workshops. The youth exchange was primarily intended for young people living in rural and isolated areas, to introduce them to a different form of non-formal education and allow them to be part of a multicultural environment.

Our journey began at Budapest airport, where we, as the Slovak group, met and got to know each other for the first time. After a short delay, we boarded the plane and took off into the sky at dawn. Three hours later, we landed in Portugal's second-largest city, Porto. From there, we took a bus to our final destination, the small village of Aguiar da Beira, two hours from Porto. Greek participants joined us on the bus. In addition to Greece and Slovakia, participants from Italy, Spain, North Macedonia, Romania, and of course Portugal also took part in the project. We ended the first day with a great dinner at a local restaurant, then moved to our accommodation in the nearby school complex.

We started the second day with breakfast at the school and continued with icebreaking and team-building games to get to know each other better. Then we went for a walk around the village to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings, and from the local hill in the village, we had a nice view of the entire area.

On the third day, we had an orienteering activity, which was a typical and most popular sport in the area. Orienteering belongs to a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain while maintaining a certain speed. Therefore, we were divided into teams and given a compass and a map of the village with points we had to find and a small task to complete at each point. In the afternoon, we moved to the pool and enjoyed the rest of the sunny afternoon there. The evening belonged to our Slovak team to host the first intercultural night of the project. We prepared a short Kahoot quiz and danced a traditional dance, in which everyone participated, so we had a lot of fun.

The fourth day was dedicated to sports. After breakfast, divided into smaller teams, we participated in climbing, mini-golf, and mountain biking in nature and the local countryside. In the afternoon, we moved to a local river beach, where canoeing awaited us. Many of us tried it for the first time and enjoyed it very much. Then we stayed at the river beach to relax after a very active, but also very exhausting day.

On the fifth day, we visited the local mayor and received small gifts. The rest of the day was filled with team-building activities and tasting local cuisine at a market set up on the school grounds. The evening was dedicated to the intercultural nights of the other participating countries.

The fifth day was the last day of the project before the departure day. We spent most of our time at the river beach, relaxing and enjoying our last moments together. In the evening, a farewell party awaited us, and we enjoyed every second of the remaining time with the other participants.

Finally, the last day arrived, and we said goodbye to the cozy village and took a bus to Porto. There we parted ways with the others, hugged them tightly, and hoped to see each other again someday. Our Slovak team spent the day exploring the city of Porto and visiting its famous and beautiful places. Finally, we separated and flew safely back home.