ARRIVAL IN SWITZERLAND
Blog written by Shaya & Stephane
Today was the day everyone waited for! You might wonder why? Well, it's been a month and 9 days since we found out we would be partaking in the Pangaea Amazon Selection Camp in Chateau d'Oex, Switzerland with one the greatest explorer and adventurer; Mike Horn. Traveling from Haiti to Switzerland, catching 3 planes and a shuttle wasn't the easiest travel. Notwithstanding the long transit hours and the never-ending flight durations.
We landed from all over the world; jetlagged, sleepy and hungry… However, a burning excitement didn't fail to show in our facial expressions when we met the Mike Horn Team in the arrival hall at Geneva Airport. We finally met all of these dedicated people who constantly emailed us to make sure that everything goes well on our journey. It was amazing to meet all these amazing like minded individuals ready to EXPLORE, LEARN AND ACT.
Let's now talk about the snow. Yes the snow! See, it's a challenging moment when a Caribbean man stands on snowy hill to absorb the freezing snow. Hopefully, we will all get accustomed to this extremely cold weather. Presently, we are all settling fine. Tomorrow, we will start the camp in full swing. Not a second shall be wasted! I'm determined to absorb as much as possible. I'm ready to go outside of my comfort zone and take control of myself while pushing beyond the limits.
This selection camp will definitely be challenging. I already feel that it will also be 10 unforgettable days in Switzerland. Keep us in your thoughts and wish us plenty blessings! đ
I could not wipe the smile of my face as the flight attendant handed me over the counter all my boarding passes. All the way to Switzerland ! 4 planes and more than 30 hours of travelling. At 9.40am, my flight was boarding, I hugged my mum and sister and started walking towards the boarding gate (still with that smile on my face!) As I stepped onto the plane I knew it was the start of an amazing journey! I’ve been lucky to travel a lot from a very young age but this time, boarding the plane was different. It just seemed surreal… like `Woaw this is really happening!`
The Mike Horn team booked my ticket a week earlier from selection camp so that I could spend some time in Geneva. I use to live in Geneva and it was great to see my family and friends after 1 year of being in Australia. Everyone thought the Pangaea project was really cool! I did some training with my old triathlon club to keep fit and talked a lot with YEP Jeremy Basset (who is also in the club!) which only made my excitment grow for the selection camp. Seeing Jeremy made me realise how cool the project is… how we can make great friends through the YEP community! I couldn’t wait to meet the other young explorers!
This morning, I got to the airport with the same butterflies in my stomach but suprisingly when I saw Michael, Alex and Tom at the arrivals it felt really natural. Just like if it was the exact place where I’m suppose to be. We then drove to Chateau D’Oex which was a magical experience, zigzaging through the mountains. Once there we were greeted by the team and I finally met one of my biggest inspirations Mike Horn. (His handshake is really firm! ) We got to talk to him a bit and he told us he was going to teach us how to never give up. I’m so pumped and ready to go for this selection camp! Anyways, I better go, all the other YEPS have arrived!