In June, Maria, Francisco, Gustavo, Filipe and Francisco travelled to Arcus, Romania, to take part in the Don’t Worry, Be Happy exchange.
This exchange began with the need to help young people who are suffering with their mental health and who are finding it difficult to achieve their wellbeing. The pandemic has affected the lives of young people in these fields and it’s very important to empower them with skills and methods that will enable them to lead healthier lives.
Let’s see what they have to say about their experience:
“Don’t worry be happy” was probably the soundtrack that was on loop all week 🙂 Not only because of the name of the project, but also because of the great multicultural atmosphere (imagine that, more than 10 nationalities present!). We travelled to the small town of Arcus in Romania, a country where cultural differences can be seen with a naked eye, something that also brought a lot of learning to this group of five portuguese.
Here there was no lack of opportunities to share histories and experiences: with the main topic being Mental Health (which starts with each and every one of us), there was clearly no shortage of opportunities to do this, as well as to get to know the different realities of each country, each person, as well as the various associations we had the pleasure of meeting over the course of these days!
From here we don’t just bring the new friendships that have been created, and the lessons learnt, we bring above all a great set of memories that we want to take with us for life as well as for the mission that each of us has in our daily lives 🙂
Maria S.
I’d like to share my participation in the youth exchange programme in Arcuș, Romania. It was a memorable experience, where I had the chance to meet people from more than 10 different countries and make memories that will always stay with me.
Arcuș, a Hungarian minority town in Romania, made me feel like I was in Hungary – the place was super green and cosy!
Throughout the project, we had the opportunity to explore the various cultures, share histories and immerse ourselves in the daily life of each country represented – without a doubt my favourite part. Having the chance to interact with all these young people who, despite everything, are just like me. And even better, to do it lying on the grass in the sunshine. Furthermore, we had the opportunity to explore the rich Romanian and Hungarian culture. We visited some historical sites, such as the legendary Dracula’s castle!
This exchange turned out to be more than just a trip, it was an experience of self-discovery and personal development. Through the interactions with the other participants and the project itself, I learnt a lot about myself and acquired essential skills to face some challenges in my life – the inertia of action.
I feel grateful to have been part of this project. I take with me valuable memories, shared smiles and friendships that transcend any borders.
I recommend that everyone who has the opportunity takes it and participate.
Francisco Q.
“Don’t worry be happy” was the title of the youth exchange I took part in, and the title isn’t wrong, that’s what really happened. Surrounded by nature, I met incredible people from more than 8 countries, while getting to know myself a little better. Together, we carried out learning, sharing and self-knowledge activities on the theme of well-being. We also shared life histories, incredible moments and created memories and friendships that will last o ver time. I stepped out of my comfort zone and the return couldn’t have been greater. It was an experience that reminded me that you don’t need much to be happy, and that there are countless ways to manage possible worries. Don’t hesitate if you have the opportunity to take part in Erasmus+ projects, you won’t regret it 😉
Gustavo B.
Regarding my experience on this trip, I can say that, in general, it was quite good because I had a lot of fun. But I think the organisers of the other association fell short in many areas. As some of us mentioned in the WhatsApp group, the organisers weren’t particularly friendly. They didn’t smile much and none of them bothered to find out anyone’s name, it seemed as if they were doing it more for money than for pleasure. They weren’t experts in the subject of the project in question either, and this was very noticeable, and the expectations of many of the participants I spoke to ended up being disappointed. There was little talk about mental health and we did few interesting activities in this regard. Even so, in the last few days you could already see that some of the organisers (especially Eva, the “main” trainer) were making a bit more of an effort to be friendly, and that was nice.
As for where we stayed, I have no complaints whatsoever. The rooms were good, they were clean and the staff were friendly. The garden was amazing, well kept and had lots of space, which was great. The whole surrounding area was beautiful and suitable for walks. I don’t think the location was a problem at all.
With regard to the food, I think I can say that it was the main problem with this whole project. It wasn’t very appetising and, above all, it wasn’t healthy. We ate fried food many times and most of those times there were no vegetables or fruit included in the meal. The complaints came from all the participants, not just the Portuguese team.
I think the best thing about this project was the fact that there were participants from so many different countries, you could have some very interesting conversations and learn more about the cultures of the people from those countries. The participants were impeccable and this also helped to make some of the activities less tedious.
All in all, I think it was a positive experience that I would do again. I liked Romania, I liked the participants from the other countries and I really liked the Portuguese team. However, I think that the organisers of the Romanian association need to take more account of the topics they choose, I don’t think it makes sense to choose topics on which they have so little authority and knowledge.
I’d like to thank Check-IN for giving me the opportunity and the trust to take part in this project.
Francisco R.