17 countries, 30 regions and eight young people, that's the "Road Trip Project", which is staged annually by the EU and was presented during the European Regions Week in Brussels. In two teams of four participants, those between 19 and 27 years of travel explored up to 10 European countries and visited local initiatives supported by the EU. The 22-year-old student Selina Oberpriller from Regensburg tells us what impressions she has particularly influenced.
On August 29, the time had come. Equipped with a van, Selina and her teammates Olga (19 years, Poland), Wijnand (26 years, Netherlands) and Panos (23 years, Cyprus) start a journey across Europe. Ten countries and 21 program points experienced the road trippers when they visited the big cities, especially the lesser-known regions. These smaller regions and the experiences influenced the 22-year-old Selina the most.
Also, in Romania, where there are small villages, straw carts and farmers with donkey and horse have kidnapped the team on a journey through time. In the beginning, it was unusual for her. Only after two or three days, they realized that "this is normal" and belongs to everyday life. These differences were found in the hinterland of Romania and represent a contrast to their own culture. For Selina, it was the most formative and exciting experience of the journey.
31 days, a van and around the clock teamwork - dispute preprogrammed? Wrong!
"Of course there was one or two disagreements", but then, they had talked to each other and after a group hug, the problems were solved. said the Road Tripper. He has traveled before the project already, likes to travel, and driven by curiosity and the desire to discover other cultures. including spent an Erasmus semester in Portugal. Experiences that Selina likes to share with other young people and each trip encourages them to take this step.
A step that was rather short-lived for the young Regensburg native, who previously completed her bachelor's degree in journalism. She became aware of the project through another initiative - four days before the application deadline! At one point, everything went very fast, her motivational video had left an impression. After the final selection, she was invited to Brussels with her future team "Calma", which means "rest". As fast as the team-finding was also the four-week journey, which was more than just a trip for Selina. First and foremost, it was international cooperation within the team that was "more than rewarding" for the 22-year-old Regensburg native.
"You experience more than on a normal holiday trip, this includes the many projects on-site as well as the culture and views of the team members from four different countries."
"There were no language barriers," says Selina Oberpriller, "it's rather difficult to speak German again after four weeks," she adds with a smile. Especially funny were the "linguistic peculiarities" that each of the team members brought into English. "Accents and new words" provided a neat mood and a good dose of humor. "At some point, I would like to go back and deepen the many impressions," reports Selina. The answer to the question "Would you make the journey again" comes promptly: "Immediately!".
Selina's journey shows that there is much more to see outside than people can read in books. Impressions, views and the commitment of different people reveal themselves as the knowledge that everyone can only acquire individually. Often this knowledge lies in the form of projects right on your own doorstep. EU funding, mainly through cohesion policy funding, is diverse.
For many people these projects, which promote science, create jobs or accompany cultural projects, are simply not conscious. For those EU citizens, the pulse of the European Community is far away and intangible in Brussels. However, projects funded directly by the cooperation of all member states are often closer than the state in Belgium. It's rather the hub of what makes the pulse of the international community clear every day. Yet invisible to many: cooperation, solidarity, and community in a united Europe.
Jason Blaschke (Germany)
More about the "Road Triper Project" can be found on the Internet at: www.roadtripproject.eu There you will find, among other things, the itinerary and details to the individual stations! Pictures and information also on Facebook & Instagram
Sources (Pictures): Own Images / Road Trip Project 2019
