The main lesson I learned from the project was to be more open to people and to want to get to know them.
The main lesson I learned from the project was to be more open to people and to want to get to know them. I really didn’t always enjoy spending time with new people I met, and after this project, I can already see that this has changed for the better. I have learned how to cooperate better and how to deal with crisis situations. I met very interesting people who didn’t even live in Europe, and I noticed that they had different and equally interesting views on everyday life in European towns. I was positively surprised by the openness of the people in Italy: they are always smiling, friendly and helpful. This kind of attitude is much better, and it is much better to spend time among such people. Speaking about the food in the countries I’ve been to, I can’t hide the fact that Italian cuisine prevailed, and I remember it fondly. Probably because I like it the most. I have tried Italian pasta and pizzas and it is certainly different from the Italian cuisine that we have in Poland.
I tried to break down my barrier regarding communication in a foreign language. It didn’t always go well for me because of the stress. But while I was doing the surveys, I tried to get rid of unnecessary stress and speak fluently. I am incredibly grateful for the group that was assigned to me. Even though everyone was different in their own way, we still got along very well. There was non-stop laughter, whether on trains or in restaurants, as well as during games of UNO. We had good time with each other, everyone supported each other and there were no unpleasant situations. The funniest moment I remember was making masks on the train, from which we were thrown out moments later due to breakdowns. Fortunately, shortly after that another was travelling to the same location, so we made it through without any major complications.
LEVEL UP Association was very supportive of us throughout the preparation and travel phase. We were in constant contact with them, and if we had any concerns, they helped us to resolve them.
Thank you very much to everyone in my group for time well spent, respect, support and help (Michał thanks for the backpack). I would also like to especially thank our leader Paulina for her amazing organisation skills and help. Without her, I’m sure this trip would not have looked as it did, which was great. I remember the trip wonderfully, I tell everyone about it with great excitement. It was truly amazing to meet so many people and visit so many new places in such a short time. Thank you again for the opportunity to take part in this project.
Nina, 18 years old,DISCOVER IT YOURSELF
The Discover It Yourself project has definitely been my biggest adventure in life so far.
It taught me how to organise trips, how to deal with difficult situations and, above all, how to leave my comfort zone. I met a lot of wonderful people during the trip. I’m glad I was able to be in a group with them and experience this journey together. Although we were different in many ways – we quickly got on very well, which made even the several-hour train journeys enjoyable. There was no lack of laughs, jokes and, of course, card games.
I am a person who loves to learn about new cultures or try traditional foods, so the whole project was an amazing experience for me. I am very happy to have been given this opportunity by LEVEL UP. Thank you for preparing us very well for the trip and helping us during it.
The whole trip was full of adventure and visiting amazing places. My favourite memory is one of our visit to the Jazz Club in Paris, where we danced to live music and immediately afterwards went to admire the Eiffel Tower at night. I also really enjoyed Lake Como. I fell in love with the views and would definitely like to return there one day. One of the funnier situations I remember was doing masks on the train, only to find out moments later that there was an emergency, and we had to get off. Thankfully, everything worked out, and we made it to Berlin in time to check into the hostel.
I am glad that I could be part of this project and experience this unforgettable trip. Thank you.
Anastazja, 18 years old,DISCOVER IT YOURSELF
It was the first major project in which I had the opportunity to take part.
I can say without a doubt that it was the most active of my trips so far. Visiting so many beautiful and unique places only made me realize how much the world hides from me. I was especially charmed by Vienna, which surrounded us with a wonderful atmosphere and architecture. Moreover, I can admit that after this trip, each person in our group became almost an expert in organizing expeditions. 🙂
I cannot fail to mention the truly wonderful people I had the opportunity to meet. We immediately found a common language and maintained a positive atmosphere throughout the entire trip.
If I were to give one piece of advice to someone who would ever be thinking about taking part in such a project, I would say not to hesitate and take it blindly. It was a wonderful 12 days that will remain in my memory for a long time. Everything I learned from this trip is one of the most important lessons of my life.
Mateusz, 18 years old,DISCOVER IT YOURSELF
The project meant a lot to me because I gained many beautiful memories from it and learned how to organize trips for the future.
It was a great opportunity to explore Europe and meet new people, cultures and tastes. Western cuisine was something new for me, which, unlike ours, is very light. Snails and croissants were the most important novelties in Paris. The journey was also associated with breaking barriers, it was during this trip that I broke the language barrier, which I was most afraid of. I am grateful for the opportunity given to me by LEVEL UP Association and I hope that I will be able to go on a few more trips, because they are unforgettable memories. Such a situation is when we were at Lake Como in Italy, jumping into the water, wonderful landscapes and walking home barefoot because of broken flip-flops. I would like to thank LEVEL UP Association very much for creating such opportunities for young people and for allowing me to participate in one of these trips.
Michał, 18 years old,DISCOVER IT YOURSELF
I can honestly admit that it was one of the best trips of my life.
It’s not only about the amazing places we visited and that have always been my dream (Paris), but also about people. Before leaving, my family and I were afraid of what it would be like and what kind of people I would meet, but the project completely exceeded my expectations.
As a group with Milan as its target, we dealt with many crisis situations, when, for example, everyone was ordered to leave the train on the way to Berlin. The Discover It Yourself project is, above all, about people – without them nothing would be possible. Thank you very much to Justyna and Zosia, who were a great support for us. During the trip, I improved my awareness of European countries and their cultures. We tried many regional dishes that matched our taste buds. Due to the theme of Italy, it was mainly pasta and pizza.
I am grateful for the opportunity to travel with amazing people. In retrospect, I appreciate every moment even more and I like to think back to my best memories, e.g. when we were sitting together on the steps in front of the Eiffel Tower at night, accompanied by romantic music.
During this time, we also opened up to other people from Europe, conducting interviews and surveys, but also exchanging travel experiences and smiles. I think that initially everyone had a little bit of a barrier to interacting with strangers, but together we supported each other and slowly learned new skills.
This project certainly made me even more eager to travel and get to know the world and people.
Natalia, 18 years old, DISCOVER IT YOURSELF
This project taught me to expect the unexpected.
That if the train leaves, there will always be another one and I think this experience can be transposed into everyday life. That there will always be a solution despite the difficulties on the way. I met wonderful people who were my companions during the trip, and I also met great people by doing surveys, interviews and visiting organizations. My fondest memory is Italian cuisine, which is my favorite. Eating the food in Italy during the trip had my taste buds on cloud nine during that time. Although the food in other countries has not disappointed me either. I don’t think I had any major barriers during the trip. The only thing I was afraid of was whether I would be able to cope as the group leader. I am incredibly grateful for the adventure I was able to experience thanks to the LEVEL UP organization, because I fulfilled my dreams during this trip. I would like to thank Justyna and Zosia very much for the support I received before, during and after the trip. These girls are irreplaceable. A funny story during the trip was that I kept telling my group to drink water and refill it (we had water bottles with filters). At some point I reminded myself to hydrate again, and then I realized that my bottle had been left in the post office where I was sent a postcard.
I would like to thank LEVEL UP Association very much for choosing me as the project leader, because during this trip I developed my organizational skills very much and fulfilled my dreams.
Paulina, DISCOVER IT YOURSELF
