Jumping into the fjord, swimming away from jellyfish, watching dolphins leap from the water, kayaking to an island, having picnics on the top of the mountains, sitting in the jacuzzi with a view of snowy peaks, searching for the start of a rainbow in the valley, unzipping our tents in the morning to the view of the fjord, sleeping together in a barn while a storm raged outside, greeting goats and sheep while hiking through breathtaking landscapes.
Learning different ways to make a bonfire and warming up beside it, filling our water bottles from a waterfall, finding a new camping spot in a valley after a full day of hiking and falling asleep under marble-colored clouds. Playing volleyball and grilling hot dogs with refugees, organizing the funniest talent show with a lot of acting, dancing, and singing, playing guitar and chatting around the bonfire—then suddenly realizing it’s actually main time to go to sleep, and it’s not 10 pm anymore; it’s just the Norwegian summer that surprises us over and over again—a place where the sun never sets.
During these ten days, nature brought us together in a completely different way.
In our daily lives at home, we might feel super independent and capable of managing everything on our own. But not in Hoydal, surrounded by raw, powerful nature. Nature reminded us: we need each other. We have to rely on one another—supporting each other, dividing tasks, and sharing both the work and the joy.
Because behind the kayaking adventure in the fjord, there was also helping each other when one of us capsized and fell into the water. Behind looking for waterfalls, there was also supporting someone who slipped at the river and got soaking wet. Behind hiking through the beautiful landscapes, there was also carrying the weight together when someone’s backpack was too heavy. Behind lying in the grass and admiring the mountains surrounding us, there was also checking each other every night for ticks.
Being able to enjoy the jacuzzi was only possible because we carried wood and spent three hours trying to build a fire to heat the water. Behind sleeping in a tent opened to the fjord, there was also keeping each other warm at night in the damp tents. Behind being able to experience this adventure together, there was also bringing breakfast and tea to the tent when someone got sick, and waiting for each other when someone was out of breath at the steep uphill path.
We had to rely on each other in order to make this adventure possible.
Sometimes it was tough, but we always felt safe—knowing whatever happens, there’d always be a helping hand, a comforting hug, wise advice, a shared laugh, and we won’t be left behind.
Even if we had to fix the water supply every day just to have a 90-second (and often cold) shower, even if we had to dig a hole behind a rock to use as a shared toilet, even if we had to wash dishes in the ice-cold river, squatting by the shore, wrapped in three layers and a winter coat— We loved every moment of it, because we experienced it together.
This experience gave us so many enriching collective moments, and we never stopped being grateful.
We gathered stories we’ll tell even when we’re old, and we built deep, meaningful friendships and connections. And we didn’t come home just with memories—but with inspiration and knowledge on how to transform and multiply our experiences in the future into something bigger than ourselves.
We learned about how we can implement all of this in our field, how to bring nature closer to people in urban environments, how to make outdoor experiences inclusive, how to adapt outdoor activities for people with fewer opportunities or with physical or social disabilities, and we also learned about how to design our own Erasmus+ projects to share and work on the values we stand for.
We also learned how privileged we are—and how important it is to use that privilege to create something others can also benefit from.
We left the farm in Hoydal with full hearts, new friends, lifelong memories, deep gratitude—and a lot of inspiration for the future.
Hugs,
Júlia, Kübra, Amy
“Urban OUTdoors Expedition” training course is financed by the Erasmus+ Programme and organized by our partner organisation Beyond Borders.
If you want to experience something similar, check out our open calls here.
