#alternativevacation

Kostas Dimitrios is the responsible of the Nikita’s Village project and owner of the Dimitri’s farm, the place where I stay. The farm was belonging to his family, that were within the first inhabitants of the island. It is well known because of the 200 years old vineyard, that permits him to produce the best wine in loco, 100% organic from the growing and harvesting to the production itself. Though, the wine is only one of the numerous organic products that the farm offers. 

Kostas has lived for several years in the United States and had successfully worked in the food industry and among other things won a price as the best pizza maker in his 20′s. After the loss of his parents, he felt compelled to come back to Lipsi and taking care of the farm. But something else came in his mind, an ambitious project: the Nikita’s Village. So, let me explain you better what are the main objectives of it.

Lipsi is one of the few islands in Greece, that despite tourism and inescapable progress and development, is maintaining strong traditions and customs. Therefore, the Nikita’s Village will be a resort that will not undermine the territory and the local population. In other words, create the conditions for practicing sustainable tourism. In addition to that, the intention is to raise awareness about food consumption and production, emphasizing the positive consequences of organic food and an active lifestyle on individual’s health. And this is where I come into the picture. I am here to support during the multiple courses and activities, that the tourists can enjoy and use during their staying to reach a better understanding on how to “feel and live better”. It is meant to be an alternative travel experience, where the mental and physical well-being is set as the primary focus, with the hope to send out precious knowledge, facilitating this way endurable changes regarding lifestyle, once back in their homeland. More specifically, I will run food workshops with the aim of spreading awareness about nutrition and organize some physical activity sessions…but I will be back to that in my future posts.

As a matter of fact and as the Jarvis’ model of adults learning suggests: learning is situated and happens always in a specific context, being intimately related and affected by the world in which the learner lives in . Furthermore, the process of learning in adults is more effective when the topic is related to their own health and person, gaining knowledge at their best in a situation, in which people feel at ease and have fun. What's better than a vacation, then??!! The expectation is not only to have a cognitive outcome, as the one associated with an academic environment, but promote learning through concrete experiences, in which senses, feelings and emotions will be the protagonists. This will make possible for the participants to associate learning with “feeling good”, so that an emotional and affective outcome may be learnt too.