Born to be alive

Born to Be Alive

Thanks to our organization Youthfully Yours, we had the opportunity to participate in the Born to be Alive program, which took place in Raches, Greece. We were accommodated in comfortable modern tents (NISI glamping). The area and nature around this campsite were magical: a few meters from the sea and surrounded by beautiful towering mountains. Our Slovak team consisted of 6 girls from all over Slovakia. Other participating countries were Spain, France, Denmark, and Greece. We all quickly became friends and fully enjoyed every day together. The host Greek organization Fthia in Action prepared a program filled with outdoor activities and projects focused on the environment.

Our Slovak team had a full day off after arriving in Athens, while we waited to be picked up and join the other groups. This was an excellent opportunity to see the city center and many unique historical monuments such as the Acropolis. We were all enchanted by Athens, and after this day, we immediately became very good friends.

During the first days of the project, we played many ice-breaking games, which helped us get to know people from other countries. This continued with group presentations on global warming, sustainability, and planet pollution. Since we were in this beautiful environment, we did many outdoor activities such as water sports like kayaking, paddleboarding, playing volleyball, and cycling.

The owner of the Nisi glamping site, where we were accommodated, organized many interesting activities with us. For example, ceramic workshops, a scavenger hunt, and he also showed us an inspiring presentation about his own volunteer organization, Wheeling to Help. We learned about their volunteer programs in countries like Africa and Nepal. Their documented videos deeply moved all of us, and we gained a lot of information on how to help people in need.

Probably the best experience for us were the 2-day trips. One day we went on a small hike along the river to beautiful waterfalls, where we could swim. The second was a visit to the typical Greek town of Lamia, where we learned about its history and its sustainable building powered by solar panels. Then we went to natural thermal springs, where we relaxed after a long day by bathing in the warm water.

Throughout the entire Erasmus program, we had the opportunity to meet amazing people from different countries and thus gain a new perspective on the world. We learned many things from each other, but most importantly, we formed wonderful friendships that will last a long time. I certainly speak for everyone when I say that we look forward to more youth exchanges and opportunities that Youthfully Yours offers.