Chiara Olivieri, Grade 11
UWC Maastricht
“Hey mom, I’m taking a 14-hour bus ride from the Netherlands to Prague next week!.”
Nine months ago, travelling with no adults, along with my closest friends at the mere age of sixteen seemed like something that would only happen in a coming of age movie. Yet, somehow, on February 22nd at 1 in the morning, my friends and I found ourselves boarding onto a cramped, dimly lit bus where we would spend the night and most of our morning.
Our trip to Prague was made possible due to an optional excursion trip that is offered across all UWC campuses, which we call “Project Week”. It is highly encouraged and is considered a fundamental part of the UWC experience. The project is mainly student-led and student-organised along with some guidance from a member of staff to make sure everything is running smoothly. The project week must be focused on one “exploration” out of the three to choose from creativity, activity and service. After having done so, the next most crucial step is deciding where exactly you want to go. Living in Maastricht gave us a lot of advantages in terms of where we could travel to. Located in the southern tip of the Netherlands, Maastricht shares close borders with Germany and Belgium. Being a train or bus ride from these two countries amongst others meant that fulfilling the essential requirement of a UWC Maastricht project week was quite straightforward: NO FLIGHTS!
My group of seven girls, including me, spent roughly a month trying to come up with the perfect plan. After weeks of scourging for AirBnBs, sights to see and transport, we had the complete itinerary that would help guide us in Prague for the five days that we stayed. After filling countless Google Docs with budgets, activities, proposals and risk assessments, we finally had the green light to officially book everything and start packing for the journey that awaited us.
The day had finally arrived, and we sat outside in the cold and windy Dutch weather waiting for our taxi that would take us to the bus stop. We were all shaking with excitement since none of us had ever had the opportunity to experience something like this, and I think that’s what makes project week so special. Despite our nervousness, we were willing to all step out of our comfort zones and help each other with overcoming our fears as a group.
Now, a 14-hour bus ride can sound slightly intimidating. Once you get past the idea of using a public bathroom on a moving vehicle, it’s not too bad. I spent most of the bus ride, either sleeping in the strangest of positions or watching movies that I had downloaded beforehand. In less than no time, we were crossing the border from Germany to the Czech Republic. I’ll never forget the looks of anticipation on everybody’s faces as we realised we were finally in the Czech Republic and slowly approaching the beautiful city of Prague.
I can still remember the first inhale and exhale of fresh air after stepping off the bus. I looked at my friends with a face of excitement, exhaustion but most of all, hunger. After a quick stop to exchange money, we found ourselves nestled into a tiny pizzeria. As soon as we entered the restaurant, we were greeted with some unpleasant stares. A diverse group of teenage girls travelling alone was probably not a common sight; especially in this restaurant which I can only describe as the opposite of touristy. One major lesson I learned during this trip was to never underestimate teenage hunger as we devoured our meals. In no time, we were off again venturing through the cobbled streets of Prague trying to find our Airbnb.
After settling into our cosy Airbnb, it was time to go explore the neighbourhood that we were situated in. It seemed like we couldn’t walk more than 10 metres without somebody pointing out how beautiful the scenery was, and rightfully so. I looked at the buildings entirely mesmerised by the intricate details scaling up the pastel buildings. I found comfort in the light pink, blue and yellow houses as they reminded me of home: Portugal. We blindly wandered around, taking in the surprisingly nice February weather as we smiled from ear to ear.
Not only did I get to enjoy the city of Prague, but I was also able to indulge in quality time with my closest friends that I have made at UWCM. We would stay up watching movies, singing and dancing, talking and sharing stories. I became even closer to the people that I love and especially now during quarantine, I miss them very dearly and more than ever.
It’s moments like my project week that remind me why I so desperately wanted to go to UWC: to make life-long bonds and real connections with others. My trip to Prague is something that I will remember for years to come and an experience I will look back on with uttermost happiness. I would push anybody who has the opportunity to go on an optional project week to do so. It might seem overwhelming to plan such a large trip by yourself, but the weeks of organising will pay off, and you won’t regret it when you look back at all the amazing memories you made.
Nine months ago, travelling with no adults, along with my closest friends at the mere age of sixteen seemed like something that would only happen in a coming of age movie. Yet, somehow, on February 22nd at 1 in the morning, my friends and I found ourselves boarding onto a cramped, dimly lit bus where we would spend the night and most of our morning.
Our trip to Prague was made possible due to an optional excursion trip that is offered across all UWC campuses, which we call “Project Week”. It is highly encouraged and is considered a fundamental part of the UWC experience. The project is mainly student-led and student-organised along with some guidance from a member of staff to make sure everything is running smoothly. The project week must be focused on one “exploration” out of the three to choose from creativity, activity and service. After having done so, the next most crucial step is deciding where exactly you want to go. Living in Maastricht gave us a lot of advantages in terms of where we could travel to. Located in the southern tip of the Netherlands, Maastricht shares close borders with Germany and Belgium. Being a train or bus ride from these two countries amongst others meant that fulfilling the essential requirement of a UWC Maastricht project week was quite straightforward: NO FLIGHTS!
My group of seven girls, including me, spent roughly a month trying to come up with the perfect plan. After weeks of scourging for AirBnBs, sights to see and transport, we had the complete itinerary that would help guide us in Prague for the five days that we stayed. After filling countless Google Docs with budgets, activities, proposals and risk assessments, we finally had the green light to officially book everything and start packing for the journey that awaited us.
The day had finally arrived, and we sat outside in the cold and windy Dutch weather waiting for our taxi that would take us to the bus stop. We were all shaking with excitement since none of us had ever had the opportunity to experience something like this, and I think that’s what makes project week so special. Despite our nervousness, we were willing to all step out of our comfort zones and help each other with overcoming our fears as a group.
Now, a 14-hour bus ride can sound slightly intimidating. Once you get past the idea of using a public bathroom on a moving vehicle, it’s not too bad. I spent most of the bus ride, either sleeping in the strangest of positions or watching movies that I had downloaded beforehand. In less than no time, we were crossing the border from Germany to the Czech Republic. I’ll never forget the looks of anticipation on everybody’s faces as we realised we were finally in the Czech Republic and slowly approaching the beautiful city of Prague.
I can still remember the first inhale and exhale of fresh air after stepping off the bus. I looked at my friends with a face of excitement, exhaustion but most of all, hunger. After a quick stop to exchange money, we found ourselves nestled into a tiny pizzeria. As soon as we entered the restaurant, we were greeted with some unpleasant stares. A diverse group of teenage girls travelling alone was probably not a common sight; especially in this restaurant which I can only describe as the opposite of touristy. One major lesson I learned during this trip was to never underestimate teenage hunger as we devoured our meals. In no time, we were off again venturing through the cobbled streets of Prague trying to find our Airbnb.
After settling into our cosy Airbnb, it was time to go explore the neighbourhood that we were situated in. It seemed like we couldn’t walk more than 10 metres without somebody pointing out how beautiful the scenery was, and rightfully so. I looked at the buildings entirely mesmerised by the intricate details scaling up the pastel buildings. I found comfort in the light pink, blue and yellow houses as they reminded me of home: Portugal. We blindly wandered around, taking in the surprisingly nice February weather as we smiled from ear to ear.
Not only did I get to enjoy the city of Prague, but I was also able to indulge in quality time with my closest friends that I have made at UWCM. We would stay up watching movies, singing and dancing, talking and sharing stories. I became even closer to the people that I love and especially now during quarantine, I miss them very dearly and more than ever.
It’s moments like my project week that remind me why I so desperately wanted to go to UWC: to make life-long bonds and real connections with others. My trip to Prague is something that I will remember for years to come and an experience I will look back on with uttermost happiness. I would push anybody who has the opportunity to go on an optional project week to do so. It might seem overwhelming to plan such a large trip by yourself, but the weeks of organising will pay off, and you won’t regret it when you look back at all the amazing memories you made.
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