“Do you really think you lived until now, or just survived?” Because we, on this project, do not think so. It seems that all 40 of us from 5 different countries, escaped from survival, only here in Poronin! On this project, we discovered what it truly means to live. Here all of us got an amazing opportunity to get detached from everyday problems. We had some time to relax and got to know a lot of amazing people. We got to learn from them: live your life to the fullest and bring back some values that will help us in our life from here on. These skills we learned from Cyprus, Italy, Romania, Slovakia and of course Poland. Every country views celebrations, friendships, and activities differently. For example, wedding preparations in Cyprus are completely different, even unique, compared to Slovak, Polish or the ones from other countries; here we were lucky enough to experience the Cypriot one on one of our intercultural nights. Even the dances are structured distinctly, steps and music are entirely special depending on our cultures. We managed to get introduced to the languages also, for example: “կյանքը za πικάντικο, takže si užij al tău peperoncino. Menő!” Life is too spicy so enjoy your peperoncino. Slay! Which is from one of our activities that we all engaged in.
These days gave us the opportunity to develop our social skills. Being people from diverse cultural backgrounds, “live not only survive” offered us the chance to collaborate, share ideas, and practice clear and effective communication. After discussing our ideas in small groups, presenting them in front of everyone was the next crucial step. This was a fantastic opportunity to enhance our presentation skills, build confidence, as well as refine public speaking techniques. Similarly, active listening was also emphasized as we learned to respect different viewpoints, ask meaningful questions, and engage in constructive dialogue, which promotes intercultural understanding and teamwork, key elements of the Erasmus+ experience. Various techniques explored during the program for effective time management beginning with setting “SMART goals.” Prioritize tasks by urgency and importance. Create a daily schedule about the things you need to do. Try various softwares to organize our days effectively (Trello, Asana) and limit the distractions, for example leaving aside the phone. A standout technique is the Pomodoro, it is the most preferable technique among us. This approach enhances concentration, prevents burnout, and makes even the busiest days manageable.
Another point that was very entertaining and essential, was balance. Balance involving work, life, studies, and life. We all managed to understand that everything in our lives must be harmonized to achieve the best outcome for ourselves. We learned this with the help of our workshops. For example, in one of our activities we had to work separately, give our ideas on how to balance and then we had a discussion. As fas as exploration goes, we did so both spiritually and physically. We were given the opportunity to detox by going to the humble town of Zakopane, but we also managed to explore the inner-most aspects of every one of us. By doing these exercises and all those workshops we grew to know each other and become a unit.
We all loved this place and hope to return to our intercultural home. Thank you, Erasmus+, Thank you Live not Only Survive. And thank you new and unique friends. We would like to involve reflections from some of our friends:
From Cyprus:
This project managed to make people get out of their comfort zone and be themselves. All
our workshops were very understandable, and we all learned a lot from them. This project was the best opportunity to communicate with people, raise our self-awareness,
and appreciate life more than ever.
From Italy:
- How to balance our life and our work in an efficient way.
- I have found lots of valuable and interesting friends.
From Romania:
This project managed to let me get to know a lot of amazing people and understand their
motivation and point of view during the team-work sessions. This project helped me find a balance between work and life, how to prioritize my tasks and gave me a chance to broaden my horizons.
From Slovakia:
This project helped me increase my confidence and act more boldly. My people skills have
skyrocketed, and I learned unbelievably valuable skills on how to balance work and life. It gave me a new perspective on things I had solid opinions on.
From Poland:
I found new people, and innovative ideas of how to connect my personal life with work. I
learned unfamiliar words in foreign languages, I learned task choice and time management. I found a friendly and open-minded environment where I can be myself!
Click here to see the video of the Project : Balance Between life and Study
Click here to see the video : Goals and priorities management
Click here to see the video : Time Management Team
Click here to see the video : Work life balance
