Something that surprised me during the Youth Exchange

Maria

If there was one thing to choose that surprised me the most during this exchange program, it would be the solidarity between all the youths that participated in this Erasmus plus. Since it was my first ever program and in general my first time abroad, I had never felt this union with people from all across Europe, that besides their different cultures and habits, they chose to stay united as a family, even during these hard times that we all came across. I will always remember the kindness and support that I received from all these wonderful people and I really appreciate this chance that was given to me to be a part of this family.

Vasileia

Throughout the multitude of sessions and workshops that took place during the “Restoration” we were in the position of identifying our favorite ones. The most memorable one was the workshop that Peter from Italy made. He called it “privileged”. He put the participants in a row (holding hands) and while drawing imaginary lines on the floor with an adhesive tape began to ask questions. Each question was personal and structured as follows: "if you've always had food in your home, take a step forward." In that case, if you personally had always food on the table you should have taken a step forward, if not you should have stayed at your line. There were also questions with a negative form like «if there was a day you didn’t have food in your table due to financial difficulties, take a step back.» So in that case, if you didn’t have food on your table for at least one day because your family or you couldn’t afford it you should have taken a step back and if not, you should again have stayed in your place. The questions were different but each one of them was accompanied by a step forward or a step back. When the questions ended you could see the social levels formed by the people and the most painful part was the division that these questions had created in the original chain of people. I was in the first row with the privileged ones, the élit. Then I saw this girl who was actually behind the first line. My feelings were crushed, I was always comparing myself with people in a higher and better place....that I actually understood that I was always unpleasant with myself although there were people that didn’t even have the essentials. I started crying I was "privileged" and embarrassed about the things that have given to me without trying. This unforgettable and full of emotion workshop was a lesson.

Stella

The locals surprised me a lot in this Youth Exchange. Both in Ommen and during our visit to Zwolle- where we had a bigger necessity to communicate with them, there were times when I was completely blown away. Firstly, it was amazing how open the locals were with us - a random group of young people speaking broken  English and being overly excited for no profound reason. There were times when we asked them to join us in doing pretty weird things; like tying our shoelaces, eating our chocolate, screaming with us… They laughed a little and they just joined us! In Greece, we typically hear about “northern people being cold and unkind to strangers”- that’s totally a lie! Some locals shared their deep, personal stories with us right there on the streets! It’s incredible what unique stories are hiding behind the small wall that you can tear down by just being kind and saying “hi”. After socializing with the locals so much, I feel like I’ve become more open-minded and brave to do so in different contexts. Also, I’ve “torn down my own walls” and I want to hear as many stories as I can from all over the world! 

Raffaela

So many different people.So many different cultures, religions, traditions, and sexualities. It is indeed an amazing experience living in the same place with such differences around you and learns how to cooperate with them. People from the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Spain, Italy shared their daily lifestyle and habits. People with different sexualities homosexuals, bisexuals, transexuals, heterosexuals all together explaining the differences and sharing their stories to a group of so many different but amazing people. The variety of ages was also something interesting in this program. How can people from 16 to 40 live together and find out how many things they have in common despite the age difference? Erasmus + programs as restoration are the perfect opportunity to broaden your horizon, meet new people, create new experiences and learn how to live and cooperate with someone without thinking of the differences that you have but only the things in common. Those kinds of programs help you to understand who you truly are and make you see the world from a different perspective than you used to.

Anastasia

In reSTOration we weren’t just participants, instead, we were members of a family. Each night 6 small groups of 5-7 participants gathered together to discuss the day, what went wrong, what was good, and what could be better.

Family Groups or reflection groups gave an opportunity to us to raise our voice, express our feelings, make proposals, and shape the outcome of the project. Moreover, Family Groups allowed participants to get to know each other better. Since the whole project had more than 50 people participating, it was impossible to socialize with all of them or to form a deeper relationship. In Family Groups everyone opened its heart, shared its honest opinion, and made the project more efficient for all.

Eirini

The second to last day of our little project had come, the day where each one of us had the chance to showcase their creation, their own story. The big show was our goal from the beginning, the days before it filled with frantic writing and re-writing, coming up with ideas, trying to draw inspiration from the little things surrounding us in Olde Vechte, or our own personal thoughts and concerns. Although the initial plan was to have the show in Utrecht, that was unfortunately canceled, and we were called to perform in our training room.  It was transformed into a stage with professional sound systems, colorful lights, and most importantly a happy and upbeat atmosphere. Many people had gathered, ready to listen to what each of us had to say.

It was a wonderful experience, and many times I found myself astounded with the creativity and execution of my fellow participants, especially given all the stress and the time crunch we had. It was beautiful seeing how differently everyone chose to express themselves, with moving stories, songs, dance performances, or theater showcases. I believe it showed how powerful it can be, offering someone a stage and giving them full authority over their creative process, not limiting it in any way, or creating a specific guideline for how things should be done. The result was a colorful and engaging collection of little works of art. And every person who chose to cut out a little piece of themselves and share it with the world that night can call themselves an artist.