WPRiders 2025 Team Building
Last Updated: March 20, 2026
Another year, another adventure! After the whirlwind of remote work, video calls, and the occasional “Can you hear me now?” moments that defined our year, the WPRiders team was ready for 2025 Team Building. But this time, we had a radical idea: what if we just… relaxed?
After last year’s adrenaline-packed adventure in Colibița (ATVs! Airsoft! Kayaking! Exhausted IT professionals!), we decided to try something radically different for 2025: absolutely nothing. Well, not nothing nothing, but close enough!
The plan was simple, the execution was perfect, and the results? Let’s just say we might have discovered the secret formula to the perfect team retreat.
The Philosophy: Dolce Far Niente
For those unfamiliar with this beautiful Italian phrase, “dolce far niente” translates to “the sweetness of doing nothing.” And boy, did we take that seriously! No action-packed schedules, no military-style itineraries, no guides waiting to take us on epic adventures. Just 10 enthusiastic WPRiders, one gorgeous villa, and the simple mission to… chill.
The Start of 2025 Team Building
This year, our team of 10 travelled to Brașov from all corners of the map: Romania, Switzerland, Albania, and the United Kingdom. Some came by plane, others by car, and some brave souls made “the best decision ever” and took the train (their words, not ours, but we’re inclined to agree because trains are pretty cool).
The journey itself was part of the experience. Watching colleagues travel across borders, through mountains, and for hours just to spend time together? That’s when you know you’ve built something special. Some flights were smooth, some train rides were scenic, and everyone arrived with the same excitement: finally, we’re all together again!
Our home base? Casa Ambient in Brașov, a place so amazing that it received unanimous 10/10 ratings from the team. The villa itself? A solid 10/10. The area? Another 10/10. The vibes? You guessed it: 10/10. We’re starting to see a pattern here, and we’re not complaining.
The villa had everything we needed: space to breathe, rooms for everyone, common areas where we naturally gravitated together, and most importantly, no pressure to be anywhere or do anything at any specific time. This was our playground for two days of pure, unstructured bliss.
What We Did (Or Didn’t Do)
Here’s our packed schedule:
- Day 1: Hung out
- Day 2: Also hung out
Okay, fine, there was slightly more to it than that. But the beauty of this year’s team building was that nothing was mandatory, nothing was scheduled down to the minute, and everything happened organically. Want to play pool at 2 PM? Go for it. Feel like a sauna session at 10 PM? The sauna is yours. Prefer to just sit and chat with colleagues you rarely get to see in person? Pull up a chair and stay as long as you want.
This wasn’t about filling every moment with activities. It was about creating space for real connection. And surprisingly (or maybe not surprisingly at all), when you give people the freedom to just be, magic happens.
The Pool & Sauna Experience
We had a pool! And a sauna! Did we use them? Absolutely. Did we have to book time slots or follow a schedule? Absolutely not. This is what peak performance looks like, folks.
The pool became a natural gathering spot. Some went for actual swims, others just enjoyed floating around, and a few discovered that the best conversations happen when you’re relaxed in the water with nowhere to be and nothing to do but enjoy the moment.
The sauna? Excellent.
Pool (The Table Game Kind)
Turns out, when you put a pool table in front of IT professionals, magical things happen. Competitive spirits emerged, questionable shots were attempted, and everyone discovered that they’re either secretly good at pool or hilariously bad at it – no in-between.
Activity & Video Games
What’s a tech team gathering without some games? We dove into rounds of Activity (charades meets Pictionary meets pure chaos) and fired up some video games. Nothing bonds a team quite like trying to guess what your colleague is frantically drawing or teaming up (or facing off) in virtual worlds. The trash talk was real, the laughter was endless, and the competitive spirit was alive and well, even in relaxation mode.
The Goodie Bags
Everyone received a special goodie bag, and tucked inside was something truly special: a hand-made picture of each team member. Because nothing says “you’re appreciated” quite like someone taking the time to create something personal just for you. (Yes, there may have been some emotional moments. No, we’re not crying, you’re crying.)
These weren’t just generic gifts, they were thoughtful, personal tokens that showed each person they were seen, valued, and celebrated. It’s the little things that make the biggest impact, and watching everyone’s faces light up as they discovered their personalized pictures was worth everything.
The Swiss Surprise
Marius came all the way from Switzerland, and he didn’t come empty-handed. He brought custom Toblerone chocolate bars with the WPRiders’ name on them. Yes, you read that right: personalized Toblerone!
It’s such a Marius thing to do. Flying across Europe and thinking, “You know what my team needs? Chocolate with our company name on it.” And honestly? He was right. It was the perfect blend of thoughtful and fun, and it definitely didn’t last long. Nothing brings a team together quite like Swiss chocolate.
The Food Situation
We ate at Nakla, a family-owned restaurant that delivered what we can only describe as “very very good” food (direct quote from our feedback). When a family puts their heart into their cooking, you can taste it. And taste it we did; repeatedly.
There’s something special about family-owned restaurants. They don’t just serve food, they share their story, their tradition, their passion with every dish. Nakla wasn’t just a meal; it was an experience. The kind of place where the food is made with care, the atmosphere is warm, and you leave feeling like you’ve been invited into someone’s home rather than just fed at a restaurant.
We gathered around the table, shared plates, traded stories, and laughed until our sides hurt. The food was delicious, but the real feast was the company. Good food plus good people equals unforgettable memories; it’s a simple formula, but it works every single time.
The Feedback Is In
Our post-event survey revealed some gems:
“Location was AMAZING. The villa was 10/10, the area nearby was 10/10 and the food was very very good.”
“Best decision ever to go by train.”
This person gets it. Trains are underrated.
What We Learned
Last year in Colibița, we learned we were stronger than we thought, that we could push ourselves out of our comfort zones, and that airsoft is harder than it looks on TV.
This year? We learned something equally important: sometimes the best team building is just being together.
No forced activities. No proving ourselves. Just conversations that lasted into the night, laughter over pool games, the quiet comfort of the sauna, and the realization that after working remotely all year, sometimes all you need is to share the same space with the people who make your workdays better.
We didn’t conquer a mountain this year, we conquered the art of presence. We didn’t battle on an airsoft field, we battled to see who could be the most relaxed (spoiler: everyone won).
In a world that constantly tells us we need to be doing more, achieving more, hustling harder, there’s something revolutionary about choosing to just… be. To sit with your colleagues without an agenda. To laugh without a schedule. To connect without a checklist.
We learned that you don’t need extreme activities to build a strong team; you just need time, space, and the willingness to be present with each other. We learned that some of the best conversations happen when there’s no pressure to have them. We learned that after a year of screens and schedules, the greatest gift we can give each other is simply our undivided attention.
And perhaps most importantly, we learned that we’re not just colleagues who work together. We’re people who genuinely enjoy each other’s company, who care about each other’s stories, and who are building something bigger than just a business. We’re building a community.
The Verdict
Did we nail the “dolce far niente” assignment? According to the feedback, absolutely yes. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat.
Here’s to another year of good things, whether they involve ATVs at full speed or just lounging by the pool with the best colleagues a remote company could ask for.
Until next time, WPRiders. Same time next year?
Arrivederci from Brașov!
