Our place, the one where we were staying was in the middle of nowhere…
I had never been to Norway before and I wasn’t planning to go there anytime soon, because of the high prices. The prices were indeed quite high, especially the transport between cities, so I was even more grateful that at least part of the costs would be reimbursed to me. Our place, the one where we stayed, was in the middle of nowhere, it was more than a kilometer to the nearest shop, but we didn’t mind. It was a small red wooden house with a Norwegian flag on it.
The surrounding area was mainly woods, lots of cycle paths and trails, and places for campfires. Apart from the exchange participants, I met very few other people there. The program was quite flexible, so we had a lot of leisure time. I relaxed like I had never before, and went on many walks exploring and experiencing Norway’s unspoiled nature. 🙂
I also managed to visit a few Norwegian cities such as Oslo, Hamar, and Lillehammer, which I was very pleased about.
I met many kind and wonderful people, with whom I had many great conversations, also related to the topic of our exchange, that is, democracy and political situations in their countries.
It was also an interesting experience that most of the other participants were from Slavic/Balkan countries, so we often compared our languages as well as customs, after which it turned out that we have many similar words, traditions, and dishes. I especially enjoyed the cultural evenings, where we learned a lot of new information about a country. I am very interested in learning about new cultures, languages, customs, and even religions, so for me, this was one of the most interesting parts of the plan. I was also very positively surprised by some of the activities like team-building games, which I had not known about before.
I highly recommend these types of trips to anyone who only has the opportunity. I think you can learn a lot of interesting things, meet new people, a new culture, and maybe go and see some places you haven’t been to yet, which may not be a common and obvious destination for traveling
Zuzanna, 22, youth exchange as part of the “Be active!” project.
I became the president of the trip. Twice…
I am grateful for the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. A great opportunity to improve the language and learn new words in other languages. I explored 3 bodies of water (including the North Sea).
I opened a chess club. I became the president of the trip. Twice.
I highly recommend Erasmus+ exchanges. A person opens one’s mind and completely switches to a foreign language. Great experience.
Mikołaj, 24, youth exchange as part of the “Be active!” project.
The biggest surprise in Norway was the white nights…
Norway is the land of lack of sleep and making dreams come true! For many people, this place is unattainable for example because of the high prices, but everyone would like to mark it on the map with the signature, „I was here”. Thanks to participation in the project, “BE ACTIVE” I could make this dream happen, and at the same time learn many valuable things. During the exchange, I was able to learn what democracy is. Is this the best way to control people? What are NGOs and what is Erasmus+? I created an ideal country/language/anthem. In creating NGOs, I paid attention to women’s rights and the problems of people with special needs. In addition, I was able to listen to other participants about how they see the world and what we should change to make our lives better.
The biggest surprise in Norway was the white nights! When it was already night in Poland and everyone was going to bed, we were still talking about current events or looking through our project gossip box which was an interesting variety!
I highly recommend these types of exchanges! They allow us to learn to get out of our comfort zone, fight the language barrier, and at the same time meet wonderful people from all around the world!
Marlena, 23, youth exchange as part of the “Be active!” project.
The theme of the exchange was being an active citizen, so I broadened my knowledge of democracy…
This was my second Erasmus+ exchange, I enjoyed the first one in Egypt very much, so I had high expectations. The theme of the exchange was being an active citizen, so I broadened my knowledge of democracy, but in my opinion, the theme was not fully revealed. But despite that, I met a lot of kind people, the atmosphere within the team was friendly, so I have a lot of positive memories after this exchange.
I 100% recommend taking part in such exchanges because it’s not only an opportunity to learn something new about the subject but also a possibility to meet new people, make friends and improve your English.
Danil, 20, youth exchange as part of the “Be active!” project.
What’s amazing is how open-minded Norwegians are…
The trip to Norway was my first exchange with Erasmus+, so I had high expectations and didn’t know what to expect. The exchange was centered on topics related to democracy and being an active citizen, and I can honestly say that the workshops showed me that every voice matters.
Most of all, I learned to be more open to other people and that each of us can see the world very differently.
I met lovely people, mostly from the Balkan countries. The funny thing was that very often we got along better in our native languages than in English 🙂 The best contact, however, I maintained with Turkish people, who always knew how to improve my mood.
The biggest surprise in Norway? People, people, people! It is amazing how open-minded Norwegians are. During the exchange, we had a day off and I decided to explore the city alone. Children said good morning, and passers-by smiled and talked to me without any problem. Even when I was sitting on the bench a gentleman approached me, he did not know English at all, and attention – somehow we managed to have a 20-minute conversation 😀 .
The biggest obstacle during the entire trip was opening up to others and trusting them. However, it was getting better every day.
I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the project. Several moments will definitely stay for a long time in my memory.
I really enjoyed the game in which each of us had to do something with the “Lilith” statue and pass it to the next person. Some gave it a kiss, shook it, and even turned its head! In the end, it turned out that we had to perform the same actions on the person next to us.
I also liked the morning wake-up activities. They brought us together a lot.
In my opinion, every young person should go on such an exchange at least once. It is an opportunity to learn about other cultures and languages, and most importantly to make friends who often stay for a long time.
Klaudia, 24, youth exchange as part of the “Be active!” project.
