Et takkebrev for sommercampen 2017

Rotaryklubbene Skedsmokorset, Nittedal og Nesodden som arrangerte sommerleir for ungdom i alderen 18-20 år i tidsrommet 30. juli til 10. august. Det var 12 ungdommer fra 11 land i Europa samt Taiwan som var på besøk. Her kan du lese takkebrevet.

The Rotary International Youth Camp in Norway

The moment I stood on the mountain of Bitihorn, in Norway, with the spectacular view of the mountains in front of me I was utterly convinced that there was no more beautiful country anywhere on earth.

Travelling around these different areas with young people from 12 different countries including Germany, Turkey and Taiwan was almost a surreal experience as it was something I never thought I would do at this age. I have made amazing friends, true friends which I hope to visit soon and definitely keep contact through social media

The programme included everything from visiting the Holmenkollen ski jump arena to trekking across the Scandinavian mountains in Valdres. For me the most moving experience was the visit to the government building to see the exhibition from the terrorist attack which took place in 2011.

The host families were very warm and welcoming and gave me an opportunity to taste some of the traditional Norwegian dishes. Although, I was very sceptical trying the caviar in a tube as it looked very much like there was toothpaste on the table.

We also had a party where us, the participants, were able to present their own dishes and entertainment. Personally, I teamed up with the Dutch participant and made 2 delicious cakes. As entertainment we performed some dances from our home countries, in particular the Turkish traditional dancing since one of the participant had brought some belly dance hip scarves for everyone. We also held an awards ceremony where I was awarded the title 'best climber'.

My stay at Nessonden’s Steiline Islands was a breath taking experience travelling by a speedboat 50 cm above the water surface moving at a speed of 100kmph! On the Islands we performed a variety of water activities ranging from water skiing to swimming whilst being surrounded by jellyfish.

In Valdres we stayed in cosy wooden cabins surrounded by marvellous scenery. We did some ''light mountain walking'' which wasn't so light after all! But the views were rewarding at the end and took some great photos with our national flags. We also had the opportunity to learn some Norwegian folk dances which looks much easier than it actually is!

Honestly, I can say the 10 days were one of the most wonderful and memorable moments of my life. I would like to thank The Newport Uskmouth Rotary club for making this unforgettable journey possible. I would surely recommend this to anyone and this trip has opened my eyes, improved my confidence and enhanced my desire to travel.

Oktawia Fabijan Van Tienderen