Back-to-basics personal development retreat
Ithaca Journey- 24-29 August 2012 (UK bank holiday), Camena, Romania
Are you looking for a truly experiential journey?
Do you want to discover the genuine simplicity of life in a Romanian village?
Join our Ithaca Journey this year and you will benefit greatly from our 5 days personal development back-to-basics retreat including interactive workshops, personal coaching, engaging rural activities and study tours in the Romanian region of Dobrogea. At our back- to- basics learning centre in the village of Camena, in Romania you will finally take some time away for yourself, you will regain the confidence in your uniqueness and ability to follow your dreams. In the same time, you will experience the simplicity and the charm of a small village where people still bake their own bread, breed animals and make their own cheese. It all happens in a relaxed atmosphere in tune with the idyllic surroundings.
As you can read in their Testimonials and see in the 2010 Photo gallery, the participants of the 2010 Ithaca Journey had an insightful and fun experience.
The fee for this year 5 days retreat is 795 pounds per person. All cost for the workshops, rural activities, study tour, accommodation, transfer to and from the airport, meals for the duration of the event (24-29 Aug.2012) are included in the program fee. All other costs are for your own account.
There are only 15 places available! Subscribe now using our Bookings page by paying a minimum of 30% deposit. Registration works on a first come first served basis. If you register by May 31st you will benefit from a 10% discount.
What can you expect from your participation to Ithaca Journey?
Ithaca Journey is a truly experiential personal development journey inspired by the legendary journey Odyssey made to Ithaca after the Trojan war and the insightful Ithaca journey poem by P. Cavaffy. The Ithaca Journey’s way of personal development starts with understanding your individual’s situation and personal goals before joining the retreat in order to align the program to your needs and for you to get the most from the time spend there.
Phase 1: Rediscover your uniqueness and strengths. Draw up your personal mission for the Ithaca Journey
A first coaching session takes place in your home country and will be followed up by a structured personal development exercise that will allow you to identify the key goals & values, the strengths and weakness in your ability to reach those goals and to get some other people’s feedback. This first phase will help you get ready and get the most out of the experience!
Phase 2: Prepare for the journey
The next step is to get your ticket for Romania!!! Depending on preference and budgets you can chose to fly or even drive, if you don’t mind a 2-3 days of travel. From London to Bucharest direct flights are operated from Heathrow by BA and Tarom and you can find fares at about 270 pounds if you book early. There are cheaper flights from London Luton airport with Wizzair that can be as low as 100 pounds if you book timely. From Amsterdam, most direct flights are operated by KLM and they tend to be 250-350 Eur. A handy site for finding the cheapest rates is: www.whichbudget.com
If you would like to read a bit about Romania before yout trip, have a look at the Romanian Online Guide. Ten days before the event you will receive a Welcome letter and specific joining instructions.
Phase 3: Embark on your Journey
So, if you have your ticket, you had your coaching discussion and you paid your last due deposit…. you are ready for the adventure. The time has come to board that plane and make your way to Romania. In Bucharest, on Aug 24, Thursday at noon, at the airport of your arrival, you will be expected with open arms by the smiling Ithaca Journey team. Aboard one of the cars rented by Ithaca Journey you will make your way on the Bucharest – Constanta highway towards Camena. The 2-3 hour road trip is a great opportunity to get to know eachover, interact with fellow participants and enjoy the views.
Phase 4: Enjoy the Journey
It is Thursday evening and you arrived at the Ithaca Journey Learning Centre in Camena. After an warm welcome from the Ithaca team you will be checked in to your rooms.
Main ingredients and program day by day
- Workshops and activities facilitated by a Learning Professional
- “About You”- re discover what’s really important in your life by reflecting on your life defining moments and dreams
- Every day rural activities guided by a local villager: milking the goals/cows, working in the garden, baking bread, making cheese cooking on an outside clay stove, brewing homemade wine or palinka etc.
- Individual coaching with an certified coach and the possibility practicing coaching
- A study tour to discover the regio
- Personal Change & Attitude – become aware of own rational and irrational beliefs and find out what the inner barriers to follow your dreams and goals. Learn how to overcome your beliefs when interacting with other people by using simple tools to improve communication
- The ultimate rural challenge – the entrepreneurial approach – learn to deal with different working styles, decision process to get things done, how to get innovations working and apply the learning in a competitive 1 day team challenge in which the team faces the roughness and beauty of the rural life
- Every day rural activities guided by a local villager: milking the goals/cows, working in the garden, baking bread, making cheese cooking on an outside clay stove, brewing homemade wine or palinka etc.
- Individual coaching with an certified coach and the possibility practicing coaching
- A study tour to discover the region
Accommodation
As an Ithaca participant you will be hosted, depending on your preference and availability , at the Ithaca farm house or at one of the guest houses in the village or at the nearest 4 star hotel in Baia town (15 min driving distance from Camena – transfer will be arranged).
- Ithaca Learning Centre
- Guest Houses in the village
- Hotel in Baia: www.complexhamangia.ro
Practical details
All group workshops will be held in the new training centre next to farmhouse, which has a training room plus additional facilities: showers, washrooms and an open terrace for evening dinner and BBQs. The programme starts in the evening of Aug. 24th and finishes on the morning of August 29th. For the rest of the days we will start at 8.30 am and aim to finish the learning workshop in the early afternoon to allow time for flexible rural activities and study tours. Most breakfasts, lunches and dinners will be at the learning centre with the exception of the study tours. All workshops and coaching will be in English and you will have an English- Romanian translator for the rural activities.
Phase 5: The trip back home
On the morning of Aug 29 the Ithaca team will say good bye and drive you to the airport. The journey back it’s a perfect time to reflect on how you will incorporate all your learning and perspectives in your life at home and to capture our thoughts in your learning journal.
