After two months in Hanoi, I must admit that I still have a hard time doing the city justice when attempting to describe it to an outsider. On one hand, first impressions can be rough. The barrage of unfamiliar scents and sensory stimuli can be overwhelming; not to mention the temperature, …

Everything started with the need to take a break from the exhausting pace of modern life and reconnect with ourselves. This search took us to Portugal, where the project “EmpowerED: Pause. Reflect. Reconnect.” was held between September 21 and 28, 2025. The official goal of the project was to provide youth workers from Estonia, Italy, Portugal, Türkiye, and Poland with tools to support their mental health and prevent burnout. However, this week turned out to be much more than just a training course.