We stayed with other project participants in a large, traditional, cosy and comfortable Cypriot stone house, with high ceilings, and sky-blue walls.
Every day, we went somewhere together, learning and discovering the island's history.
Once, chatting with Martin (the project's founder), I asked him what would happen to the house after we left. Since we were the last group of the season, Martin said the house would sit empty until May.
It all started on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, when my partner Jenya messaged me saying, "Hey, we have a chance to go to Cyprus through the Erasmus+ program, where we'll learn traditional crafts for three weeks."
At first, I wasn't too keen because I had ongoing projects demanding my daily attention. But after some pondering, I figured, why not go with the flow? So, we applied, and within days, got accepted.
Fast forward to October 23, we packed a small suitcase and off we went to Cyprus. We flew to a place boasting the best weather on earth that month.
Coincidentally, a few months before, I learned about the concept of coliving for digital nomads and was very excited about it. I planned to help guesthouses in my home country of Moldova develop this concept, because i had a travel startup that perfectly fitted.
But this house in Cyprus was ideal for coliving - with a large shared kitchen, lounge, and private rooms for each guest.
So I told Martin about coliving concept, how it works, its benefits, and that this house was a perfect fit for it.
He agreed almost immediately, and gave us the green light to get going.
From that spur of the moment conversation, we considered how we'd get started.
On November 16, 2023, we bought the web domains cypruscoliving.com and teleportcoliving.com - and at that point, we knew with excitement there was no turning back.
Just a month before, we couldn't have imagined managing a coliving space in one of Cyprus' most popular villages - Lefkara, visited by Da Vinci and other famous figures, where we knew people from all over the world would come not just to live and work, but also to discover themselves, make new friends, and simply enjoy life.
From that point everything happened quickly. We had plenty of hospitality and digital marketing experience, and were confident this new venture would be a logical continuation of our professional activities.
Now, when writing this article, we are happy that we were listening to our inner voice and going with the flow. We love very much to plan everything, but this experience showed us that sometimes we need to let go life to happen.
We believe that none of this happened by chance. Since 2020, we've been developing and digitizing rural tourism in Moldova, and that journey has led us here.
Rural tourism plays a crucial role in today’s world.
And co-living in the countryside is like an emerald—still hidden from many, yet full of potential.
But this is just the beginning!
Almost a year later, in October 2024, I had a new idea:
What if we extended the concept of co-living to an entire village? Instead of staying in a single building—a co-living space or guesthouse—guests and tourists would live in different homes but come together for shared experiences.
A mix between a tourist village, a hostel or coliving, and an all-inclusive resort—that’s what I call a co-village (coliving village)!
This way, everyone staying in the village gets the chance to meet, connect, and enjoy a richer experience than usual.
To test this idea, I conducted a small analysis and observed that tourists in rural destinations often explore on their own, following the same familiar routes. They visit the most well-known landmarks, eat at the same recommended restaurants, and rarely venture beyond what’s already been mapped out for them. As a result, their experience, while pleasant, tends to feel predictable and somewhat detached from the real life of the village.
I then interviewed several visitors, and most of them expressed a strong desire to connect more with locals and other travelers. However, breaking the ice isn’t always easy—no one wants to seem intrusive, and finding the right moment to start a conversation can be tricky.
I believe most experienced travelers would agree: the people we meet along the way are what truly make a trip memorable. Over time, cities and countries start to blend together, losing that initial sense of wonder. That’s why we want to focus on fostering connections and building a community of travelers.
Picture a Saturday dinner where, instead of sitting at separate tables like in a typical hotel, everyone gathers as one big family.
I haven’t seen this approach anywhere else, but I’m convinced it will only grow in popularity—it has too many advantages to ignore.
Of course, it’s too early to draw conclusions. Right now, we have a lot of work and experiments ahead of us. But that’s what makes the journey exciting!
The platform is up and running and since you are reading THESE letters, then all is well :)
That's our story and what we stand for!
Hope you enjoyed it.
If you've got a tale you're itching to tell or just want to chat about life, drop us a line via email or hit us up on our Facebook or Instagram pages. We're absolutely thrilled to connect with folks who share our values or have some fascinating experiences to share. Can't wait to hear from you!
Stas and Jenya.
