“There are many ways through which one person can experience the beauty of the world, but ERASMUS is the best!” ~ Theognosia Petrou

My name is Theognosia Petrou and I am currently working as a Project Manager/ Researcher the Center for the Advancement of Research & Development in Educational Technology (CARDET).

Due to my work, I have the opportunity to travel very often and to meet with people from different countries, exchange practices, ideas and knowledge and to experience new adventures across the world. However, nothing compares to my first travel experience through ERASMUS where I had the opportunity to witness a whole new world for myself.

Czech Republic, and more specifically Prague was the first destination at which I got to travel and live by myself, out of my comfort zone during my ERASMUS studies. Studying in that dazzling city for six months, I had the chance to meet and connect with young people coming from different cultural backgrounds and at the same time to get familiar with the idea of living abroad and becoming more independent as a person.

Sundays were always special for us since we would gather with all our friends/ neighbors living at the same floor in our dormitories to have a ‘family’ dinner together. A person (or two) coming from the same country would cook a traditional dish from their country and share this with the rest of us.

When I had to cook -along with my other Cypriot roommate, we decided that it would be a great idea to cooperate with our friend from Turkey who was also living at the same floor with us. In that way, we did not only prepare a beautiful dinner for our neighbors but we also proved that ERASMUS is another opportunity for people to come close and remember what connects them rather than what other people decided to divide them.

Travelling might be one of the best forms of education that empowers young people to integrate more easily to their social environment, grow and become more independent. I will always be grateful for this experience and the opportunity that Europe offered to us since that experience was the first step to many more that I dared to take afterwards in my life.

There are many ways through which one person can experience the beauty of the world, but ERASMUS is the best!

Organization: CARDET