Erasmus+ “Inspiration” Norway
Once in a while I come across pleasant surprises that bring me new experiences and memories. Usually it starts with something spontaneous - “one last spot for youth exchange in Norway!” and there you go, I’m going on a new adventure.
“Inspiration” wasn’t my first youth exchange and at first it didn’t seem to be that different from the previous ones I’ve been to. Yet since day one (or to be more precise, night one when I met my Lithuanian team in the airport) I grew more and more fond of this project. Bonding with my national team and exploring Oslo on the arrival day was that first solid step towards me getting into the spirits for the days waiting ahead.
It was a new experience to me though that the exchange consisted of 50 people from 10 different countries and I did have some inner contemplation about how such an introvert like me will manage that. Little by little I bonded with some people from other national teams and it started with small things like speaking Estonian, sharing similar taste for music and simply being genuinely interested in another country’s culture.
One of the key elements here was the place itself. The fact that we lived in a place surrounded by forests and water bodies had a really positive impact on our creativity, curiosity and productivity. Personally, I find nature one of the highest points of inspiration so to me it fits perfectly with the title and the topic of ecology. Soaking my feet in Norwegian quagmires, climbing up the hills, picking acorns and singing folk songs in all those surroundings stayed with me for so long that even though the exchange is over I still feel that I’m among those enchanting woods.
It was an inspiring experience indeed since I returned to my home country full of positivity and eagerness to learn more, travel more, change for the better. The results of this will definitely be long-lasting and I’m looking forward to see what are they going to be like.
Once in a while I come across pleasant surprises that bring me new experiences and memories. Usually it starts with something spontaneous - “one last spot for youth exchange in Norway!” and there you go, I’m going on a new adventure.
“Inspiration” wasn’t my first youth exchange and at first it didn’t seem to be that different from the previous ones I’ve been to. Yet since day one (or to be more precise, night one when I met my Lithuanian team in the airport) I grew more and more fond of this project. Bonding with my national team and exploring Oslo on the arrival day was that first solid step towards me getting into the spirits for the days waiting ahead.
It was a new experience to me though that the exchange consisted of 50 people from 10 different countries and I did have some inner contemplation about how such an introvert like me will manage that. Little by little I bonded with some people from other national teams and it started with small things like speaking Estonian, sharing similar taste for music and simply being genuinely interested in another country’s culture.
One of the key elements here was the place itself. The fact that we lived in a place surrounded by forests and water bodies had a really positive impact on our creativity, curiosity and productivity. Personally, I find nature one of the highest points of inspiration so to me it fits perfectly with the title and the topic of ecology. Soaking my feet in Norwegian quagmires, climbing up the hills, picking acorns and singing folk songs in all those surroundings stayed with me for so long that even though the exchange is over I still feel that I’m among those enchanting woods.
It was an inspiring experience indeed since I returned to my home country full of positivity and eagerness to learn more, travel more, change for the better. The results of this will definitely be long-lasting and I’m looking forward to see what are they going to be like.