Once upon a time there was a project, called “Sports is all around us”. It was youth exchange project, that gathered many people from many different countries. Tenczyn, Poland is place where youth been brought and I was one of them. We have been there for a week, mind you that week was extraordinary. Why so you ask? For me to explain it better a created an acronym – F.S.T. (Friends, Sports, Travel). So lets get in to it… Shall we?
Friends:
There was a lot of people, thirty five of them. Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania and even Ukraine had their representatives. It was a rainbow of people from different backgrounds and cultures. The best thing they all got along so well, the matter of fact a lot of us, that been there, became friends. We found similarities in taste, discovered new cultures by presenting ours, learnt skills like how to bake a true Italian pizza or drink Bulgarian Rakkia. There was trust games, name games, partys and so much more to glue us together. There was a lot of us so I can’t possibly mention all of them, because it would take fourteen pages, but a can mention that they were beautiful people and I don’t want to miss them.
Sports:
As it is written in the name, we couldn’t do a day without some type of sport activity. Football, volleyball, catch, basketball, dodgeball – it’s a few to name. In one case, we had to bring our own activities to the table, such as “Tumbi Jmbi” a crazy variation on football, rock climbing or yoga. What’s best is that there were a lot of us and it gave us a chance to separate into two groups and whatever we wanted. For example, if you don’t want to do yoga, feel free to sign up to football and so on. This dynamic of people and activities made sure that we all had something to do. Even better it was challenging and fun, fun and sweety, sweety and tiring, tiring and awesome.
Travel:
Travel… for me, one of most exciting categories of the acronym. Because we had two, one to magickal Krakow and the another to the misty Tatra Mountains. First of all, Krakow was a beauty. In fact, it still is, with its beautiful castle and eye opening cathedrals. In Krakow we split in four teams, each team had to think of tasks for the other group what to do in the city. Let me tell you, after these tasks were presented, we had a lot of laughs, believe me.
If this project could be diner, for me the main dish, for sure, would be Tatra Mountains. Imagine hills, forests and Mountains all around you and a nine kilometer walk to the core of the pie, the Morskie Oko, or as it’s translated in English “Eye of the Sea”. Deep green water and a wall of mountains with a sprinkle of mystery. Fortunately we got a chance to climb up a bit to see the eye itself from above and jaw dropping horizon of course. In my experience it was the pinnacle of the trip.
This project was the bomb as it ended with a sour taste of ‘not enough’. IF I’m given a chance to repeat this project, or even better to go to other countries with this kind of group, I wouldn’t miss it for a chance. All in all, I want to give my thanks to Innovation Office for a chance to go, Erasmus+, organizers Aga and Amir, all of the participants and especially, our Lithuanian group hero, Lukas, the driver. Thank you all for an amazing experience.
Agas, Agnus, Agnas, Agos, Game of thrones, Aigis or whatever my name is 🙂
