It all started interestingly with a long 17-hour journey by bus and a 5-hour journey by local busses. We have reached our destination. A cosy resort in a little village Hassmersheim in Germany…
It all started interestingly with a long 17-hour journey by bus and a 5-hour journey by local busses. We have reached our destination. A cosy resort in a little village Hassmersheim in Germany. The vibe there was beyond words: a small river and a stable just around the corner. I fell in love with this place the very first day. The next day, we started integration. We learned each other’s names and talked about ourselves. The biggest challenge of the project was to remember the complicated names of people from various countries, even continents since some groups included students from Kazakhstan or Pakistan. I even learned how to write my name in Hindi! We ate three meals per day. Each of them was delicious! A loveable Turkish woman cooked for us. Every day she tried to show us her culture through cuisine.
During the six days of the exchange, we conducted many debates, made a whole bunch of projects and posters, and at the end, we even recorded videos about the project. The classes focused on the goals of sustainable development, including five-dimensional challenges: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership (5PS). We discussed the 2030 Agenda and actions of the European Union in this regard, the current ecological problems of our planet, and how to become a good leader. We developed our public speaking skills. Everyone had to speak in front of the audience at least once.
I have been to Germany several times, but I have not noticed its numerous medieval buildings. Meanwhile, there was a castle on a hill near our hostel! I did not expect it. One day, after our classes, we visited it. It was wonderful!
We had many adventures. One day we did not have classes, so we decided to visit Heidelberg in a large group. The town was situated 2 hours by bus from our location. Unfortunately, me, two boys from Kazakhstan and two girls from Portugal did not manage to buy tickets when the train arrived. We did not want to be separated from the rest of the group, so we got on the train hoping that we would still be able to buy tickets there. Unfortunately for us, this was not an option, so we had to get off at the nearest station to get tickets. We waited over an hour for the next train. During this time we had the opportunity to get to know each other better and play various games (including ‘kiss, marry, kill’). As a consequence of the delay, we had only two hours left for sightseeing and eating a meal. It was not a problem for us, though, we did not think that we had lost time.
During the project, we felt completely taken care of. Our coordinator, Agata, was extremely supportive before and after the exchange. I would like to sincerely thank her and the LEVEL UP Association for the opportunity to participate in the project. I would also like to thank our facilitator, Pulkit from the hosting organisation in Germany, who contributed to creating the best memories of my life! In addition, I am grateful for every person I have met, for interesting classes, my development in English and for the free time which was an occasion to bond with other participants.
This is a perfect occasion for you if you are a student and you want to improve your English! You will learn the most through practice! You have an opportunity to meet people from all around the world. After the project, you can stay in touch with them, train your English and even get invited to their country and stay there for free :).
Marysia, Youth Exchange in Hassmersheim, Germany–5PS: PEOPLE, PLANET, PROSPERITY, PEACE, PARTNERSHIP
There were also adventures with nearly-dying ticket machines that refused to cooperate. However, after many perturbations and fights with trams and buses that looked like a bigger cab, we made it! After a long and doubtfully pleasant ride, we reached the destination…
The entire project was filled with intense experiences. A 17-hour journey by bus was an ideal opportunity for getting to know my Polish companion. There were also adventures with nearly-dying ticket machines that refused to cooperate. However, after many perturbations and fights with trams and buses that looked like a bigger cab, we made it! After a long and doubtfully pleasant ride, we reached the destination. I felt uplifted when I saw the temple of freedom that would host us for the upcoming days. Getting there was almost a blessing!
The first day excited me a lot. I instantly smiled when I saw our cosy resort in a small village. The introductory day involved many team-building games, which made it easy for everyone to settle in. During the project, I have met many wonderful people from various parts of Europe. My fondest memories are of talking for hours with Philip from Germany, who was the most wonderful conversational companion for me. Thinking back of this trip, I miss talking with every person I met on my journey.
I am beyond grateful for such an opportunity to grow and meet new people. This exchange helped me to get away from the monotony of reality. I spread my wings which allowed me to fly towards a new knowledge about the direction we as humanity should take. I should also mention the wonderful Turkish food prepared by a charming lady every day. It gave us a lot of energy to keep going.
LEVEL UP Association supported us throughout the entire project, thanks to which we have not encountered any setbacks.
I would like to thank all the people involved in the organisation of such youth projects. This experience was very valuable for me.
I hope that the memories I wrote will be a sufficient encouragement. It is worth grasping such opportunities for development and not wasting a single moment for thought whether you should do it or not.
Dominik, Youth Exchange in Hassmersheim, Germany–5PS: PEOPLE, PLANET, PROSPERITY, PEACE, PARTNERSHIP