Everyone was curious about what someone had to say about their
country…
We gathered a great group from countries such as Portugal, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Italy and Greece for the “It’s on you” project. We were greatly in tune. In fact, we were divided into smaller groups, however, we always had someone to have an interesting conversation with. We talked a lot about cultural differences, stereotypes and our interests. Everyone was curious about what someone had to say about their country. Contrary to appearances, we were really in agreement in many ways.
We had a great chef during the project, who not only cooked very well, but was a wonderful soul who always showed us support.
Slovenia, despite its small population, was one of the most open countries I’ve been to. People weren’t embarrassed to answer questions that are generally uncomfortable, such as those about abortion or racism.
They were always friendly and helpful, and some of them offered to help us.
The project was a complete step out of my comfort zone for me. Constantly speaking in another language was hard because I had never been exposed to English on such a scale. Although it was hard and I often got it wrong, the most important thing was to just talk, because along with practice comes skill. I encourage you to participate in non-formal education mobilities, as each experience is an unforgettable memory. For many people, it can be a get out of their comfort zone, and even if someone is already confident enough it’s always fun to expand their skills. It is worth going through such an experience for the isolation of cultural differences, great memories and unforgettable experiences.
Amelia, 17 years old, youth exchange in Slovenia – “It’s on you“
See also: More about the It’s on you project
Thanks to the people I met here, always smiling, with whom I felt as if I had known each other for years…
I remember a slight anxiety when I crossed the gates at the airport…
But now I know that it was unnecessary… And although I have been on one exchange before, the “It’s on you” project will stay in my memory for a long time, because it seemed different from all of them.
Idrija is a village nestled between mountains, where the evenings are quiet and the sky is covered with stars. Today I can say that there are as many of them as there are memories that I carry home with me. Because I will associate it with a place where I just felt good. Thanks to the people I met here, always smiling, with whom I felt as if I had known each other for years. Together with them we hiked in the mountains, covered the town making videos, played uno or debated
important issues. We explored ourselves from different perspectives, shouted as long as we could, cooked by the light cast by flashlights. Maybe it’s because of the cooking together and the two nights without electricity and hot water that I feel more confident now? Today I know that, although getting out of my comfort zone can be difficult, it is worth the experience. It’s always something new, and how can you go ahead without exceeding your own limits? The project in Slovenia consisted of many activities showing how different each of us is, but still similar.
It opened us up to other cultures, cuisine [each day a team of a particular country prepared a meal], and people from Greece, Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria and Slovenia, who became close after 12 days. I am grateful to have had the chance to take part in the project, to be there and to catch the moment with a smile on my lips. The world is open to us, if only we reach out to it ourselves!
I encourage you to take part in non-formal education mobility because it is always a new experience, a chance to meet other people and gain knowledge. “It’s on you” to take the initiative and experience it by yourself.
Zuza, 17 years old, youth exchange in Slovenia – “It’s on you”
See also: More about the It’s on you project
It was an amazing experience for me…
I remember the exchange very well. I met a lot of new people on it, with whom I became very close (the last day was not without tears). I have learnt to work despite stress and unfavourable situations with the widest variety of people. The Slovenians welcomed us wonderfully, and we spent a lot of time with the local people doing various tasks, asking passers-by we met on the street questions and carrying out surveys. An unforgettable experience for me was a stay in the village of Psenk. The village was without electricity and warm water, and our phones were taken away. In addition, we did not receive ready-made meals, only produce, we had to cook ourselves. We had to burn in the furnace and try to get wood ourselves. We all slept in the same room, which was a completely new experience for me.
I can say without hesitation that I experienced a three-day survival experience. It was an amazing experience for me.
During the exchange, I understood the importance of interpersonal communication, how much can be
done by a person who wants change, that basically nothing is impossible. You just have to want to and be able to adapt to the current situation.
I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in this project and it will be an unforgettable experience for me.
I encourage people to take part in non-formal education mobilities because I see these types of projects as an opportunity to spend the teenage years in a beautiful way. If I hadn’t participated in mobility, I would never have met people from outside my country, I would never have visited such faraway places and I
would never have experienced so many new things.
Kasia, 16 years old, youth exchange in Slovenia – “It’s on you”
See also: More about the It’s on you project
On the project I learned to express my opinion and to listen to
people…
My main aim of the trip was to improve my communication skills in English. I can proudly say that I have opened myself up to conversations in this language and met wonderful people in the process. On the project I learned to express my opinion and to listen to people and that our lives and what we do depend on our decisions, sometimes good ones, sometimes bad ones. I have learnt that in order to resolve conflicts one should just talk, not get angry, no war is needed.
I had the opportunity to meet a lot of lovely and valuable people. I keep in touch with people from Greece. I am so grateful to have met such wonderful people on my path. As for the cuisine and food, it was delicious! Our chef Patricija was cooking for us, I love her food. We also had a National Night where we prepared the most popular dishes from each country and various interesting facts about the country as well as dances. Miha and Sara (the main organisers) were up to the
task and created super activities and tasks for us. They spent a lot of time with us, including free time. During the first day of the exchange, we were already tasked with going out into the city and ticking off the various tasks they gave us. Then we had the ideal opportunity to meet local people. The people of Idrija are very friendly and courteous. It was a great surprise to me that every one of them spoke English. They answered all our questions in great detail, which was great.
A funny situation… there were a lot of them haha! One of my favourites is teaching other people my native language, for example. There were tongue twisters and much more. I had help from our coordinator Klaudia, who inquired and worried about us. I would like to thank the LEVEL UP organization that qualified me for the project and I had the opportunity to experience all these beautiful moments and develop myself. I encourage you to take part in non-formal education mobilities because you have the opportunity to use your language skills and have a super adventure.
Adrianna, 17 years old, youth exchange in Slovenia – “It’s on you”
See also: More about the It’s on you project
