This meeting was a genuine experience for me as it was my first trip to a foreign country. I was really happy to find out that this foreign country would be Greece, the cradle of the ancient civilisation. Even now whenever I say the name of this country, my mind flies away to the Gods and heroes of Olympus, the blue sea, the clear sky and the shining sun of Elada. The thought of having visited the places where great philosophers such as Homer, Herodotus, Pythagoras and others lived is really enjoying.
The climax was the entrance in Patras, our hosts’ town. I will always remember that I was looking forward, in the hotel lobby, the arrival of our new friends. I was quite nervous, but I smiled all the time, as I was truly happy to be there. I believed I was indeed lucky because at my host’s place other three students were living: from Turkey, Poland and Croatia. I consider this a lucky experience because (even if there was a little competition for the girl’s attention and sympathy) we made friends with them and I had always someone to talk to. The Patras students’ high school seemed very well-organised to me and it made a good impression on me. The teachers were very open and, in my opinion, very well trained. The students were truly hospitable and made us feel at home. My real joy was to interrelate with students from other countries and to participate in the scheduled activities. We spoke English all the time (and it was difficult, but I liked it) and this made me realise that, although I managed to do it quite well, I still have a lot to learn.
I am aware that I’ve improved my speaking skills after this experience and I’ve become more receptive. The activities were enjoyable, we sang, we learnt how to dance traditional Greek dances and we visited a lot of interesting places such as Olympia and Nafplio. When we left I felt joy, but also sadness because I was about to leave my new friends, my new little family. It was moving.
Now I keep in touch with a good friend from Greece who is very dear to me. I miss everything that Greece represents and all the people I met there. I am aware that this Comenius Project has been a genuine opportunity and that is why I am very grateful. Moreover, I had the possibility of assessing myself and to see how much I have to work to get where I want. It was unique… something that I will never forget.
Cimpoesu Lorena- School “Elena Rares” Botosani
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