I’ve been dreaming of participating in such a project for a long time.
I’m very happy that one of my dreams has finally come true.
I gained a lot of experience, had a chance to learn about other cultures and meet new people, and collected many fond memories from the project. What I enjoyed the most about the entire amazing trip was our organisation. Even though each of us lived in a different part of the country, didn’t know each other, and the whole process was handled remotely, we managed to find time for communication to make it happen, despite many questions. The whole project taught me cooperation and organisation in particular. It made me more open to new experiences and improved my communication, especially in foreign languages.
I was concerned about many aspects of communication before leaving.
I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to overcome the language barrier, so conducting the research would be a challenge for me. However, I was getting used to speaking in another language day by day, so communicating and asking for directions turned out to be easier than I expected. I think the project also taught me how to be better organised and especially plan this type of travelling.
Daily location changes, travelling by different means of transport and frequent transfers from one means of transport to another taught me how to adapt to changing situations and be flexible.
We managed to visit four countries in total. Each country had something different and amazing to offer, and each of them surprised me in its own way. I was very surprised by the cultural diversity, completely different mentalities, traditions, customs and lots of delicious food! We managed to try traditional Spanish, French and Italian cuisine. The Spanish paella, Catalan cream, and, of course, delicious Italian pizza are the most memorable dishes for me!
Another positive surprise was the number of helpful and friendly people, who were willing to help us find our way, answer our questions and fill out the research questionnaires. My group was also a pleasant surprise. Each of us was completely different, but it’s what created the atmosphere. We managed to bond, joke and spend time together playing our favourite puzzles. If necessary, we were able to support each other, stay calm, and move on.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the project.
I’ll miss the delicious food, the amazing views and the people that I could meet during the project. I hope I’ll have a chance to have such an adventure again someday :3
Aleksandra, 18, Discover it yourself
I’ve been dreaming of taking part in such an adventure for a long time!
Travelling across Europe by train was a dream come true! Of course, it wasn’t without its difficulties and challenges, but the entire project gave me a lot of satisfaction and joy.
The problems occurred during the preparations, as not everything went as planned. A significant issue was the remote contact between our group members (we’re from different parts of Poland) and the fact that the most intense preparations fell on a holiday period – it was difficult for us to agree on the time to meet online.
However, we finally managed to get everything right and go on a trip full of adventures! My group turned out to be very well-prepared and independent. The girls supported each other and helped each other if necessary. It was wonderful to spend the time in such company!
Visiting different countries definitely extended my historical and cultural knowledge, but it also made me appreciate the beauty of my country more.
The variability of the language, the customs or the types of public transport tickets was an interesting experience for me…
And all these changes occurred every few days! Sometimes the differences were really large. However, I’m glad we managed to see and experience so much – we climbed mountains, relaxed on the beach in Marseille, visited museums, historic temples, squares, streets, ate local dishes and desserts, and above all, spent the time together, sharing our responsibilities and insights on the cities and countries we were exploring.
During the trip, we met many kind people who willingly completed our survey about volunteering and the Erasmus+ program +, gave interviews, and helped us find the right metro line or station, even when we didn’t ask them about it – when they saw that we were lost, they just came up to us 🙂 It was sweet of them! The highlight of our relationships with friendly people was meeting a representative of a Barcelona organisation. We’ll remember the Catalan approach to the world for a long time. 🙂
I’ll definitely miss the long, sunny days, the lack of rain (almost none, because it was raining a bit in Paris) and the charming views from the train windows. At the same time, I even more appreciate the Polish potatoes and tomatoes now 😀
It’s hard to put it into words, but this project has definitely enriched my experience in many areas. I’m grateful I had the chance to participate in it!
Justyna, 26, Discover it yourself
The “Discover It Yourself” project was my first unique trip, thanks to which I met five wonderful girls from different parts of Poland.
We made a good team that remotely planned the route, train reservations, accommodations and attractions. We spent our time on the trains chatting, playing riddles and sleeping, of course.
The project gave me wonderful memories, many new experiences and the chance to discover new cultures. I’ll remember the azure water, limestone mountains of Calanques National Park in Marseille, and the joy and openness of the people in Barcelona for a long time.
During the trip, I had good conditions for communicating in English.
Thanks to the project, I could overcome the language barrier and conduct some research on the Erasmus+ program. I also have nice memories of a meeting with a representative of a Catalan organisation, which was filled with positive energy.
Sometimes I was really exhausted due to the intense pace of the travel.
We travelled by different means of transport in each country. It required persistence and adapting to new circumstances.
From my culinary experiences, I have very fond memories of traditional Spanish dishes. I tried paella, Catalan cream, churros and turrons.
The LEVEL UP organisation provided us with great support from the beginning to the end of the project. A great advantage was organising regular English classes before the trip.
I thank the other girls for the wonderful time we spent together. I’m grateful that I had the chance to participate in this project.
Amelia, 18, , Discover it yourself
This project was a great challenge for me.
It allowed me not only to learn about many new cultures and customs but also to spend time with amazing people. Due to the fact that our task was to plan the whole trip through various European countries, I managed to learn how to plan and stay calm in stressful situations. I also had the chance to develop my language skills by interviewing and conducting surveys with people from other countries.
We met with French scouts and a representative of a social organisation in Barcelona, whom I also briefly interviewed.
If I had to choose one thing that surprised me the most, it would be Paris. I’ve never liked this city before; I mostly associated it with trash and rats on its streets. It was probably because people often claim that Paris isn’t as great as it seems. However, after exploring a large part of the city, I just fell in love with it. The Parisian architecture is amazing, and despite popular opinion, the French speak English pretty well. Unfortunately, I didn’t dare to try the French frogs or snails, but the macarons stole my heart. They are far better than the ones I had in Poland, and I really regret that I didn’t bring them home.
We also spent a lot of time travelling by train.
I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get enough sleep due to the fact that we sometimes had to take the night train and sleep in it. It was outside of my comfort zone, and it made me wonder if participating in this project was really a good idea. However, we managed to find time to rest after all, which allowed us to explore all the places peacefully and at our own pace. It might seem that participating in a 12-day project with total strangers would be stressful. However, after the first day, we’d felt as if we’d known each other for years. Although the “Discover It Yourself” project wasn’t my first one, it was the best project I’ve ever participated in. I’m very grateful to the “Level Up” association for giving me the opportunity to experience such an adventure and learn so many useful things.
Karolina, 18, Discover it yourself
The project provided me with wonderful memories that I can share with the amazing girls I was in the group with.
It taught me a lot and helped me discover my strengths and weaknesses.
My time management skills definitely improved, which was very useful when I had to put stories or posts on Instagram at a designated time while taking part in previously planned activities at the same time. My sense of direction and the ability to navigate public transportation in unfamiliar cities also improved, which was previously really challenging for me. I believe this adventure also allowed me to develop my ability to work in a group and discover ways to make it run as smoothly as possible. We met many kind people who willingly agreed to take part in the study or give interviews. We dealt with many positive people who helped us many times.
Every city surprised me in some way.
Although Vienna wasn’t the warmest place on our list, it definitely had the largest number of free water taps/watering places. Austria was the country where the most people spoke English, including the elderly. Milan was unfortunately very landfilled outside the city centre despite its wonderful architecture. It was also difficult to get to any restaurants, as many of them were closed. Marseille was the biggest surprise for me. I thought it was just an ordinary seaside city, but it boasts beautiful monuments and a breathtaking sea and mountain landscape. Unfortunately, it’s also a place where I wouldn’t feel comfortable going out alone at night.
What I liked the most about Barcelona was the mentality of the people living there,
especially their positivism and relaxed approach to life. I also enjoyed the Spanish cuisine, including seafood paella, turrons, and churros. However, Paris proved to be a city alive with elegance and culture. I was surprised when I learned that it was less than half the size of Łódź. Its downside is the rats running on the sidewalks. We’ve experienced many funny situations during the trip. One of them happened when we arrived in Marseille and were about to get on a tram in order to get to our apartment. When all the girls were already inside and I was the last one to get in, the doors just closed in my face, and the tram drove off, leaving me alone at the station. Luckily, another one arrived after a few minutes, and I joined the group without any trouble.
We were getting the support we needed during the project,
both from the leader and other people involved in LEVEL UP. Whenever we were unsure about something, we asked other people about it, and we’ve always received answers or the necessary help. There are many things I’m grateful for. One of them is the above-mentioned support and getting the chance to participate in this adventure.
I’m also grateful to the girls for the great time we spent together. I appreciate the perfect organisation, long conversations on all topics and wonderful atmosphere. Thank you for allowing me to meet you and experience these amazing moments with you.
Kinga, 18, Discover it yourself
The “Discover it Yourself” project was a great experience because I met five wonderful girls with whom I spent 12 days exploring various parts of Europe.
The LEVEL UP association took care of every detail of this trip. We received great support from them in the form of meetings or English classes, and we could contact them at any time and get answers to all our questions. We were allowed to plan our own route and where we ate or slept.
I’m very grateful to the organisers of this trip and to the Erasmus+ project for trusting us and creating such an awesome project. It’s certainly a beautiful memory for me, which I’ll share with other people for the rest of my life.
Urszula, 18, Discover it yourself
