Before joining an Erasmus+ project, you usually have many questions in mind. Who will I meet? What kind of environment will it be? Will I be able to communicate with people from different countries? Will the project topic really change something in my daily life?

For me, the Digital Detox: Balancing Screen and Green project became an experience where I found the answers to these questions by living them. Between 2 and 11 June 2024, we came together with young people from different countries in Bansko, Bulgaria. The project focused on rethinking the balance between technology and nature.

For me, however, the project gradually became more than a process where we discussed digital habits. It turned into an experience where I met new people, discovered different cultures and built new connections.

From names to friendships

On the first day, we began with a fun game so everyone could get to know one another. Each person said their name and an adjective beginning with the first letter of their name. Then we continued by repeating the names and adjectives of the people before us.

Although it seemed simple, this game quickly eased the tension of the first day. Suddenly, we were no longer people from different countries who did not know each other at all; we had become people who knew each other’s names. We did not yet know that these first introductions would turn into friendships in the following days.

Starting to talk about the environment

On the second day, we started with an energetic activity prepared by the North Macedonian team. We played a chair-grabbing game, had fun and began the day with movement. Then we prepared presentations on one of the main topics of the project, the environment, and shared them with one another.

We did not only gain information about the environment. We also had the chance to see how each of us approached ideas and which environmental issues stood out in different countries. In another activity that day, papers were attached to our backs and other participants anonymously wrote what they thought about us. Reading what someone else thinks about you was both fun and thought-provoking.

Turning what we learned into production

On the third day, as the Turkish team, we prepared a video about protecting the environment and green spaces. Developing ideas, sharing tasks, shooting the video and editing it together gave us experience not only on the environmental topic, but also in teamwork and collective production.

On the fourth day, we continued our work by preparing different presentations and videos. One of the most beautiful things I noticed during this process was how people from different countries completed one another’s ideas while working on the same task. Sometimes an idea suggested by one person became something completely different with another participant’s contribution.

Moving away from screens and closer to nature

The fifth day was one of the days when we came closest to the meaning of the project’s name. Together, we went on a nature walk towards a lake in Bansko. In our daily lives, we are constantly surrounded by phones, computers and other screens, so walking in nature felt very different.

We walked together, talked and explored our surroundings. In a way, we experienced the Digital Detox theme instead of only talking about it. The same day, we also played a traditional handkerchief game in an energizer activity prepared by another group. It was tiring but very enjoyable.

Cultural nights and shared joy

Cultural nights were among the most colorful parts of the project. In the evenings, discovering presentations, food, dances and traditions prepared by our friends from different countries became one of the most enjoyable parts of the experience.

On the sixth day, it was Türkiye and Romania’s turn for the cultural night. As Turkish and Romanian participants, we introduced our cultures. We had a very enjoyable evening with music and dances. We danced halay, and our Romanian friends performed their own traditional dances.

While we had thought the two cultures were quite different, it was interesting to see how similar some dances and forms of entertainment could be. Thanks to cultural nights, the idea of people from different countries also began to change for me. I no longer saw them only as participants from other countries, but as friends sharing their cultures with us.

Searching for solutions together

On the seventh day, we had one of the most enjoyable days of the project. We were divided into random mixed teams and played a game where we followed given tasks to reach a prize. The random formation of teams made the activity even more fun.

When you are in the same team with someone you normally do not talk to much, you naturally need to communicate, produce ideas and make decisions together. At the end of the game, I realized that these kinds of activities develop teamwork and communication in addition to being fun.

From the digital world to the career world

On the eighth day, we watched fun and instructive presentations prepared by another group on CV writing and career planning. It was very useful for me that the project touched on topics extending from environment and digital detox to career planning.

In Erasmus+ projects, we do not only work on the main project theme. We also develop many different skills that we can use in our daily and professional lives.

Competition, laughter and Oscar Night

On the ninth day, we played capture the flag on the tennis court. Although it was tiring, it was one of the most enjoyable activities. During the day, we moved, competed and acted together with our teammates.

In the evening, Oscar Night, one of the most enjoyable closing activities of the project, was held. In two teams, we chose the “most” memorable participants in different categories and evaluated the days we spent together in a fun way. Moments like these are when you most strongly feel that a project is coming to an end.

What did this project leave me with?

When I started this project, perhaps my biggest expectation was to see a different country and meet new people. But as I left the project, I felt that I had gained much more than that.

I built new connections and friendships with many people from different countries. I believe these connections will continue to enrich my life and perspective not only during the project, but also in the coming years.

We were constantly in solidarity with Turkish friends and participants from different countries, both in mixed groups and individual work. We experienced working together, listening to different ideas and acting towards a shared goal.

We also thought about the environment and nature, spent time away from screens and in nature, discovered different cultures and had a lot of fun.