Hi, it’s Miriam and this is the blog of my first Youth Exchange experience. I wish to had known about this kind of opportunity before! How cool is it to travel and learn about new cultures for free? Also, not every day you have the chance to go to a place where locals show you around and teach you their culture. Curious about Eastern European countries I chose to participate in the Youth Exchange “Creative Plans for Present and Future” in Lithuania. 

Our first stop was a little visit to the capital, Vilnius, where I met for the first time the Italian group participating with me in the experience. We had one day and a half to explore the city and then we took a train to Mažeikiai, an important industrial pole of the country. There we were hosted by a local hotel; we had big rooms of 6/7 people and a common room where we did all the activities. At the end of the week, we moved to the Lithuanian countryside, in Renavas where we spent two nights in a beautiful cottage. The weather was lovely, and we had the opportunity to do activities outside during the day like swimming in the lake and the night by the bonfire. We also visited Telšiai, its beautiful lake Mastis, and its surroundings, including the cathedral, the archeological park, Samogitian Village Museum, and the Plokštinė’s missile base, now the only visitable Cold War Museum in Europe. 

Throughout the week, teams from different countries were actively involved in the activities. We were asked to organize energizers and workshops on topics related to the business world and entrepreneurship. We explored concepts such as Social Business, Co-financing, Social Problems, Cultural Stereotypes, Branding and Advertising, Competition in Business, and the Importance of Planning. We enjoyed creating and presenting our projects, honing our skills in public speaking, creativity, and collaboration. This experience allowed me to talk about topics I’m passionate about to people who were new to them. I discovered a new passion for eastern countries and their history and finally, I made new friends I’m still in touch with! 

To wrap up our journey, we flew back home from Riga, Latvia, after spending a day exploring the city. During our visit, we had the opportunity to meet the team heading to Tallinn for a Training Course. We had an amazing night sharing our thoughts about our experience in Lithuania and discussing the future of Romagna+. That night made me realize how powerful is this organization and the amazing human beings it connects. Onto the next experience!!