It's hard to describe all of my - or even some of my - favourite moments at camp because of a few reasons, namely, the sheer amount and quality of those memories. However, I truly believe the camp experience was fundamental to my upbringing throughout my teenage years (being a camper and a counsellor between the ages of 17 - 19). I also believe my experiences were fundamental to how I was shaped as a young adult, from a professional standpoint, where I was given responsibilities beyond my capacity at the time, and from a personal standpoint, where I had to cooperate with dozens of nationalities, cultures, and upbringings. I credit much of openness, charisma, and professional success to the time I spent in Europe instead of lounging around back home with not much to do. I wouldn't change a thing about my experience.
One of my core memories is the first teamer training I went through. At that point, I had never left for an extended period of time, and 3 months sounded daunting. After a few days of rigorous training, it seemed like I had left my old life behind, barefoot, in the mud, zipping around, climbing from tree to tree, executing flawless dishcos and cooking some questionably good meals. Jan's first boom-shika-boom (I hope I spelled that correctly) is forever ingrained in my memory.
However, not to focus on one isolated incident, many memories spring to mind: the Austrian mountains, the English Castles, the Danish plains, the German forests and Neuburg's Schlossfest (not knowing about the existence of Schlossfest is a recipe for a delightful surprise). The list goes on and on and on. I remember leading 2 leadership in a row, with 2 hikes in a row, that's 200+ KM of walking in 8 days, with not a single bite to eat. The more I write, the more I remember, and the more nostalgic I feel.
All in all, I do wish I could go back in time to truly appreciate my time there and relive every second. Thank you Camp Europe. You've changed my life.
What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
Waking up in Neuburg An Der Donau, walking into the city, where every single person was wearing medieval armour. I thought I was dreaming still, and felt so exposed without any protection from all these knights! Little did I know, there was an event called Schlossfest every few years, that took place in that little town, that was when I learned.
