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WE FOUND HAPPINESS! “The Dopamine Quest” comes to a successful end.
Young people from different countries, with different stories, habits and perspectives, came together for The Dopamine Quest Youth Exchange. Yet from the very first moment, one common question was with us all: What truly makes us happy?
The first day was all about getting to know each other. We explored our new surroundings, learned each other’s names and, together, created a safe space where we could think, ask questions and experiment over the days to come. The closeness of nature already promised a certain sense of calm, while all those curious eyes made it clear that an exciting journey lay ahead of us. With plenty of laughter, team-building activities and our first intercultural evening, we quickly began not only to get used to one another, but to genuinely enjoy each other’s company.
Then, step by step, we moved closer to the big question. We first tried to define what happiness means to each of us and what values are necessary for a happy life. We built representations of the things we considered important using LEGO, learned about the hormones connected to happiness and explored the differences between fast and slow dopamine through theatre-based activities. Of course, we did not only learn about happiness, we also experienced it. Sometimes it found us in a meaningful conversation, sometimes in shared laughter, and other times during a karaoke night.
And then came DETOX Day; One whole day. Zero minutes of screen time.
We put away our phones and smart devices so that nothing could distract us. Instead, there was art, conversation, play, reflection, challenges, creativity and, above all, real human connection. It was not always easy. When we are used to immediately filling every empty or boring moment with a screen, it can feel strange at first to simply be present.
But perhaps that was exactly why we managed to get closer to what we had been looking for. We realised that when we give ourselves time, our brains are capable of searching for answers, creating, connecting and discovering new things. Sometimes, however, we first have to move through boredom or an uncomfortable beginning. But the result is worth it.
Over the following days, each national team showed us what truly makes them happy. We danced, brought back childhood games, solved an escape room, relaxed and talked. We also visited Sighișoara, while in the evenings we discovered each other’s cultures, stories and flavours.
Perhaps that was when we truly began to understand that there is no single definition of happiness that applies to everyone. Different things recharge and fulfil each of us, yet connection, shared experiences, play, freedom and being true to ourselves somehow appeared in all of our stories.
On the sixth day, we tried to pass on to others everything we had learned, discovered and experienced so far. We worked in three different creative groups, using theatre, creative DIY activities and digital content creation. Posters, educational T-shirts, a photo exhibition, Reels and even a theatre performance were created.
The final days were far from ordinary. We had time to reflect, look back on the week, reveal our Secret Friends and deepen everything we were taking home with us. On our last day, however, we joined the celebration of A.T.A.’s 15th birthday.
We performed the theatre piece we had created together, exhibited our posters and photographs, shared the videos we had made about happiness and also took part in organising the other activities of the celebration. We played and created with children, painted colourful masks, laughed, relaxed and celebrated together.
And somewhere along the way, the whole picture finally came together: We realised that happiness cannot simply be caught and locked inside a box. If we try to possess it, hold onto it or make it permanent, it quickly turns into something else. So, in the end, we let it go. But now we know where to look for it.
It lives within us when we give ourselves time. It is all around us when we truly pay attention to one another. It hides in shared laughter, in creating something together, in nature, in play, in a good conversation, in a new friendship or even in those rare moments when we finally do not wish to be anywhere else but exactly where we are.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us! We will miss you!
