After a lazy day of lying around the bedroom, Lara and I
decided to start packing for the camping trip that was scheduled for Tuesday. Lara
is one of the Croatian girls who had some trouble with accommodation and so
during April she decided to move into my room, which was great. We were always
good friends throughout the Erasmus experience, so it was fun having her
as my roommate.
Lara had to provide a briefing lesson on how to pack for camping
as, believe it or not, this was my first time camping in the middle of a
forest! So after we had been through the checklist several times, we decided to
get an early nights rest in a comfortable bed, something we would surely be
wishing we had 24 hours later!
On Tuesday morning we arose early in order to be at school
for 8 o’clock, we all met outside our usual classroom in VIA University and
gathered all the equipment we needed for our planned activities and essentials
for spending the night in the forest. Sometime
after we were expected to leave we all made our way to the bus and arrived at Hørhaven
Forest. Despite the miserable weather we were all set and ready for the
activity filled day ahead!
The first group’s activity involved us all pretending we
were part of a Zombie apocalypse, we were all given different qualities and
characteristics, for example I was a ‘twin’ tied both at the arm and leg to
Ivona. The team had to work together to
complete the challenges meanwhile always remembering to look out for those with
the more difficult characteristics like being blind and having amnesia, and
always ensured they were informed adequately…which is a lot harder than it
seems!
We then stopped for a well-deserved break and before we knew
it we were off to do a second activity. The second group had an obstacle course
laid out with both physical and mental challenges, again we had to work in
teams to complete the course first…and I just have to point out that my team
won ;)
The third activity was my groups activity and we decided to
play a glorified game of beer pong…without the beer and after the exhausting day
we already had I’m sure some people would have preferred a real game of beer
pong!
The class was divided into their three groups, each having to throw a
bean bag into a plastic cone, under each cone was a task or challenge and
whoever completed the task the fastest or the best won the challenge. We had
them doing all sorts, even making them strip down and see who could make the
longest line of clothes out of the layers they had on. All I can say is thank god
the sun had come out at this point and everyone had come prepared for a cold
and wet day!
Unfortunately however, the competitiveness got the better of Lara and Ana as
during the three-legged race, Ana took a tumble and badly hurt her ankle, but apart
from that mishap I was pleased to say that the activity was rather successful!
The final activity of the day involved more teamwork and
again completing challenges together in order to score points and tokens. I can
safely say by the end of the fourth activity everyone was beyond exhausted, so
thanks to the group in charge of the fire, we all sat and rested a while before
it was time to make a start on dinner.
Whilst dinner was cooking on the fire we all headed down to
the beach to watch the sunset, it’s something so simple that happens every day
but it really is a beautiful sight and one I will never get tired of.
‘Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens, everyday can end beautifully.’ – Kristen Butler
As we all sat around the fire, made s’mores and talked, while Lea played us a few tunes on her ukulele, we appreciated the moment and it began dawning on us that this was one of the highlights of the whole Erasmus experience and I felt privileged to be a part of it and to have met such great people.
On Thursday we met up with the other international class and had a massive BBQ and football match between the two classes but had to call it an early night, because not only our class but the whole of the student population was rearing and ready to go for Kapsejlads the next day!
I had been hearing about Kapsejladsen for months now, a festival that was now in its 25th year and one that attracted more than 30,000 people a year, and I was so excited to get to see what all the fuss was about. Never would I ever expect to witness what I did that day!
After been given advice to arrive as early as possible, my class and I got up for the 6am bus. The buses were filled to the brim with people anxiously awaiting the festival, in their summer attire and the crates of beer in hand, I knew at this stage that today was going to be mental!
We arrived at Aarhus University and just seen the sea of people running around filled with excitement, the music was blasting and the atmosphere was phenomenal. After some time of searching we finally found somewhere to base ourselves on the grass.
All I can say about Kapsejlads is that it is the most outstanding experiences and I’ve already made a pact with some of the people in the class to return next year…amazing!
On Sunday we all met again and had a BBQ at Skjoldhøj, Kate purchased a game of swing ball to prove she was the ultimate champion and we sat and sunbathed until the sun went down.
Weeks like this make it almost unbearable to think about leaving!!
‘Enjoy the little things in life…for one day you will look back and realise they were the big things.’ – Robert Breault
References
Kristen Butler - http://www.dailyinspirationalquotes.in/2016/03/12/sunsets-proof-no-matter-happens-every-day-can-end-beautifully-kristen-butler/
Robert Breault - http://likesuccess.com/807744
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