Cyprus was the 20th foreign country where I have traveled to and I really wanted it to be special and now that I think about it, I realize that I couldn’t ask for a more special 20th travel experience. The third largest island in the Mediterranian became a home for around 30 young people from 10 different countries for 1 week. What I love about Erasmus+ projects the most is that in the beginning we are all strangers to one another but by the end of the project we all become really close friends (which btw makes it really hard to say goodbye). The world feels so small when you gather around people from different parts of the world in one room sharing their stories and giving you the pictures of what it feels like to be a person of their nationality. This is the type of learning which broadens your horizons and makes you see the world from a different perspective.
My favourite part of the project was cultural nights where all the participants had to present their countries. Despite the numerous political or socio-economic problems, everyone seemed so proud of the countries of their origin and tried to present them in the best and most accurate way possible. We also had a chance to taste some food and drinks from each country and even performed traditional dances (the Ukrainian one was my favorite).
Cyprus itself was a really interesting place, especially for a Georgian team I would say, because we discovered a lot of similarities between Greek and Georgian cultures. The architecture, churches, mosaics, the way they make wine… all these little cultural elements seemed so familiar. But still, their culture has its own unique characteristics too, let alone the Greek language. We really enjoyed sightseeing in different cities in Cyprus. The landscape looked semi-desert but the beaches in Cyprus and its crystal clear water did not leave us disappointed.
Overall the project ‘OUT OF THE BOX’ was really successful both on a professional and personal level. I am truly grateful for the life-long friendships that I have made and memories I have collected during my time in Cyprus. I want to thank BITISI for giving me this opportunity and ACPELIA, our hosting organization in Cyprus, for making this project possible.
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BITISI 