We just got back from the National Agency camp at which all EVS were present.

 

We started with a bus-trip to Þingvellir National Park where the European and American plates meet, for that reason a lot of earthquakes begin in the area. In history it is also the place from which Iceland was ruled. We stayed in an old school building, a place named Hlíðadalsskóli, just one hour drive from Reykjavik.

 

This week had a full program! We were doing plenty of energising games, thought about our fears and expectations, got some Icelandic lessons and discovered differences in culture. We had the opportunity to meet some Icelandic people; a farmer, a fisherman and a office worker in 101 Reykjavik. We met a former EVS volunteer and of course we talked about EVS and the Youth in Action program.

 

In the evenings we went for a walk with Elias, we were playing lots of games (sometimes painful!), did some sports in the gymnasium and bent the rules (we weren't allowed to drink in the school).

 

During the camp we learned about the ''curve of cultural adaption'' and its four phases. During the camp our mood followed the phases, changing from the honeymoon phase (after some Berenburger schnapps isn't it Lukas?) to the hostility stage (when we didn't understand the tasks) and from humour phase (all the time ;) ) to the comfortable phase when we felt at home.

 

As a break during the week we went on some excursions, kayaking in shallow water and swimming to warm up again and then the day ended in a good restaurant!

 

Thanks to the training, we are now in control of our own lives (after the self-directed learning course) and are able to manage all kinds of projects (let's see what the work camps will bring us).

 

After enough reflection about ourselves, enough achievements to add our Youth Pass certificate, enough energisers to overload the volunteers with and with the basic first aid skills, we are more prepared than ever to start the work camps!!

 

Thank you Pétur, Lenka and Ivano!

 

For more information on the Youth in Action Programe and the Icelandic National Agency for the programme, please visit:

 

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/

 

http://www.euf.is