The Discover EU project with LEVEL UP was definitely the best trip I have ever taken and the most interesting experience of my life!
During the trip, we visited many countries. We could see many worlds, and each of them differed in its culture. We visited Cannes, where a yacht festival was taking place during our stay – we saw many wealthy people there and saw a world quite different from the one we are used to. On the other side, we also saw rural landscapes of Spain, where poverty was visible, but we could also appreciate their charm. Another experience that let us see the contrasts of the world was visiting small local towns and big cities, in which life goes on a bit faster. I think that being in so many places really opened my mind. During the trip, I learned to act in emergencies, to plan the trip well, and I became more open to conversations with strangers in English. I also happened to use Italian to ask the locals about the timetable. The first crisis situation that happened to us was when a train in Spain got cancelled. We were then forced to travel by substitute communication, which was not very well-organised. It was a bit stressful, but we managed and even made new friends- two girls, our age, from Switzerland, who were also backpacking. It even turned out that we were sleeping in the same hostel!!!
We tried the local cuisine of every country that we visited, of course. I personally have the fondest memories of Italian cuisine. We managed to eat in a restaurant, where pasta is made on an ongoing basis, and on top of that, the waiter recommended us a local café with the most delicious tiramisu!!!
Most of the people that we met on our way were lovely and helpful. During the solar eclipse, we met a man who showed it to us and played the guitar for us!! When we didn’t know how to handle something, we texted the LEVEL UP Association and received the answer right away, so we were never alone while in doubt! We got help with our trip from the very beginning until the very end!
The biggest barrier for me was to break the ice in conversation with strangers, and in a foreign language. I think that I managed to do it very well. We also went on a hike in the mountains twice, which allowed us to check our physical strength and perseverance in pursuing our goals. The trip allowed me to appreciate the openness of people, get to know many cultures, and see different cities and monuments. Every day, I am more and more thankful for the project I could take part in!
I recommend everyone taking part in such a project or in a similar one when you have a chance! It is a blessing to be able to see so much in such a short time and take a risk and go on the trip! When you get back from such a trip, you appreciate the time spent on it and see how a person can change in only two weeks. I think that I recommend such a trip, especially to people who want to prove themselves in terms of entering adulthood, but with a youthful spirit. I have really learnt so much about planning and crisis management, as well as about myself, like never before.
Basia, 18 years old, A journey through various European countries, Europe Express
A train journey across Europe…
Travelling across Europe by train as part of the Europe Express project was one of the first truly adult, courageous decisions I made, and I will remember the moment I made it for a long time. It was the first time I was going away for so long, so far away, without my parents, and with a group of girls I had only met a short time before. This jump in at the deep end resulted in experiences that will most likely remain in my mind forever.
The process of organising the trip was extremely exciting, but the closer we got to the departure date, the more I began to worry about the potential challenges we might face along the way. The mind sometimes creates unpleasant scenarios, but as it turned out, in most of the situations, people around do everything to make each other feel good. Almost every person we met, and there were many, surprised us with their warmth and empathy.
Our trip included Montpellier in France, which did not initially appeal to us visually. We were rather disappointed and additionally annoyed by a delayed train, which meant that we arrived at France’s oldest botanical garden five minutes before closing time. The rescue came in the form of a very nice security guard, who smiled and allowed us to stay longer, joking with us as we left and wishing us a pleasant onward journey. However, this was not the only warmth we encountered that evening – there was a lunar eclipse, which an elderly gentleman with a guitar passing by reminded us of. We were on the Peyrou Promenade at the time, with the statue of Louis XIV on a horse in front of us. When the man played the guitar and showed us how the sculpture, from the right perspective, points its finger at the shadowy moon, all four of us felt the magic that Montpellier had to offer. Similar, more or less significant interactions, happened to us in all of Europe. It’s wonderful how other people can make our time more enjoyable, if not completely change our attitude towards a place, giving it a charm that wasn’t there before.
It’s hard not to feel immense gratitude when I look through photos or think about a trip that is now quite distant in time for me. For the opportunity that came my way unexpectedly, for the willingness and, above all, for every person who influenced our trip – the Level Up organisers, restaurant, hostel and café staff, everyone who gave us advice or took photos of our group when we asked them to 🙂 I am also extremely grateful to the girls with whom I spent these two weeks and to fate, which brought the four of us together! There were many sentimental moments and happiness that we shared, which I will remember for a long time to come.
Journeys open the heart. As clichéd as it may sound, I have never felt so open, courageous and grateful for everything I can experience, for the world I live in, as I do during trips and excursions.
Lena, 18 year old, A journey through various European countries, Europe Express
Not only new acquaintances, but also places and interesting facts…
I gained a great deal from the Europe Express project organised by the LEVEL UP Association, and it was a wide variety of things. Not only did I make new friends, but I also discovered places and interesting facts about them that I would never have imagined. We also experienced several crises- stressful at the time, but now we look back with a smile at how we handled them.
Travelling by train through smaller towns and villages reveals the true character of a country- not just the tourist spots. Additionally, we often met other travellers on the train. With similar goals and passions. And as we travelled, we often encountered kind people for whom it was just a day like many, but for us, it was often the only day we were there.
I am grateful to my team, with whom we spent a long time planning the route so that it would be a dream come true for everyone. For me as a leader, it was also a challenge – trying to reconcile many places that were often far apart, activities and attractions, and on top of that, two girls from the team had certain health problems that also had to be taken into account in the plan. It stressed me out, but I always had a plan B in the back of my mind. It showed me that I can probably handle any situation. When I had certain problems myself, I knew that I could ask them for help and I would get it. At times, it was difficult to balance planning the trip with other responsibilities, but thanks to the fact that we worked on clear communication from the beginning, everything worked out. In addition, the commitment, organisation and assistance provided by LEVEL UP – we could always count on their support, and when in doubt, I felt that we were under someone’s wing.
I am a student of intercultural relations, so this trip was, in a way, practical learning for me. I wanted to explore cities from a local perspective, taking into account historical and cultural aspects. That is why we often tried local cuisine. What surprised me most was a Spanish dish made from baby eels, which tasted and looked like pasta. At first, that’s what we thought, which later became a subject of jokes.
The diversity we experienced on this trip was fantastic. Everything seems to be happening at around the same time and on the same continent, yet how different. The diversity of people’s appearance and manners, delicacies, clothing, but above all, places. On this trip, we walked with Alpine cows in the cool Alps, bathed on the Côte d’Azur, sunbathed in sunny Spain, and wandered through the shady labyrinths of Amsterdam’s streets. We will definitely all remember this for years to come.
It teaches the most important life skills – such as organisation, critical thinking, communication and many others – through travel, which is the most enjoyable way to acquire such knowledge in practice!
Marcelina, 20 years old, A journey through various European countries, Europe Express
The Europe Express project was somehow a dream come true…
The Europe Express project was somehow a dream come true, which I am very grateful for. Thanks to the trip, I had a chance to get to know people from different cultures and see amazing places in a short time. This project also showed some of my weaknesses – even speaking French, which I will certainly continue to improve. I learned many valuable life lessons from the trip and saw how dangerous certain places in Europe can be, such as Paris. The project taught me many things- communicating in a foreign language, dealing with emergencies (such as substitute communication in France), and inner perseverance despite the trip difficulties. The whole adventure showed me also many of my good personality traits- for example, controlling the group in difficult moments or self-confidence.
During the mobility, I experienced a lot of new emotions. I met girls from Switzerland, who also travelled with an InterRail ticket. Together with my group in Montpellier, we met a man who played the guitar for us during the lunar eclipse, told us about his life, showed us his paintings, and drew our attention again to the reappearing moon- from our perspective, it looked as if the figure on the monument (Louis XVI) was pointing at it with his finger. I think it was the most magical moment of this trip. Except for a few emergencies, I think that our trip was hilarious. One such situation was when we were travelling through the south of France towards Italy, and it was difficult for us to communicate because few people spoke English. Despite this, we met a lot of other backpackers, with whom we supported each other and laughed about our situation when we got out in a sugar cane field. This situation also revealed my inner barrier, which is my fear of speaking French, something I will continue to work on. This moment also showed some cultural differences. I was very surprised that most French and Spanish people cannot communicate in English, which is currently unthinkable in Poland. I was also surprised by the French attitude towards foreigners (contempt), the number of homeless people in Madrid, and the narrow streets full of cyclists in Amsterdam. Another surprise for me was the very poorly developed transport system in Italy and the cost of living in Innsbruck. Each of the countries I visited presented me with different social and cultural problems faced by the inhabitants of these cities and countries.
The entire trip has left me with hundreds of memories- not only of my wonderful group of girls, but also of the local cuisine, people and atmosphere. Tasting snails in France, paella and baby eels in Spain, authentic Italian pizza by Lake Como and regional schnitzel in Austria was an incredible culinary experience. Each of these countries enchanted me with its unique atmosphere – Ghent in Belgium delighted us with scenes straight out of Harry Potter, the south of France attracted us with its blue sea and hot sun, and the Alps delighted us with their coolness and the power of nature- steep climbs and charming mountain streams.
I have very fond memories of my collaboration with the LEVEL UP Association. From the very beginning, we were in contact with the organisers, and during the mobility programme, Justyna looked after us the whole time, for which we are very grateful. We received answers to our questions very quickly. Before departure, we also had the opportunity to attend training sessions and meet with coaches and native speakers to prepare us for the trip, which proved to be very helpful. To sum up, I would like to thank the mobility organisers for their efforts and for taking care of every detail of our trip. The girls from my group also deserve my thanks, because without them, this trip would not have been the same. I could always count on their support and a helping hand.
I believe that this is an unforgettable adventure that will last a lifetime. In two weeks, I saw most of Europe, but I also had the opportunity to meet new people and experience the true culture of these countries. I recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience an extraordinary adventure, overcome their inner weaknesses, learn new things and, above all, see the world differently.
Wera, 18 years old, A journey through various European countries, Europe Express
