What I Learned at The Hague
- EYPUK
- May 6
- 3 min read
The Hague International Session was only my third ever EYP session. I moved from
Regionals to Nationals, and all of a sudden I was being thrown into an International
setting. Not only was this session very early on in my EYP journey, but it was my first
solo travel. In a new environment, with new experiences and challenges, the session
became a very formative one for me, and I wanted to share a few things which I have
learnt in the nine days I spent in the Hague…
The Possibilities of Solo Travel:
The first lesson I learnt actually took place before I even arrived at the session. As
I’ve mentioned, this was my first solo travel. The thought of travelling has always
been something which excites me and is something which I’ve always wanted to be
able to do myself, and to be able to do confidently. The session gave me a perfect
bridge as I was able to take transport by myself, and establish a sense of confidence
which I hope to be transferable to future journeys, while still providing enough safety
and security through schedules and accommodation to stop the experience from
becoming overwhelming.
Confidence and Opportunities
Without sounding too cliché, the thing that comes to mind first when I look back on
The Hague was the impact that it had on me personally. In a completely new
environment with people I had only met a week ago, I felt able to do so much more
than I ever would have expected. In General Assembly, I did my first ever speech
which was in defence of my committee’s resolution. This was something that I could
never have imagined doing back home, let alone in front of a room of 300 people I
had only just met. Somehow, I felt much more confident and able to push myself
when in a new environment, especially one which was as supportive and
encouraging as EYP. The session really taught me a lot about myself and my
capabilities, learning that, again without sounding too cliché, the most important and
significant growth can only come when I push myself to leave my comfort zone.
Hamilton is Universal
It was so fun and relaxing was seeing how universal Gen Z humour and inside jokes
are across Europe. This especially became apparent when singing/rapping Hamilton
and realising that all my roommates (and their friends who joined us at the sound of
Hamilton) not only also loved it, but knew it word for word. Everyone at the event
was so easy to talk to and I learnt so much about varying countries and cultures from
everyone I interacted with. If anyone ever has the opportunity to experience an EYP
International Session, the best things you can learn are definitely from the people.
Almost a month on, I continue to reflect on the session, what I learnt about travel,
what I learnt about myself and most importantly, what I learnt from every wonderful
person who I had the pleasure to get to know.
Thank you all for such an amazing session, I cannot fully express how grateful I was
to experience it. See you all somewhere in Europe!
By Amber S, member of EYPUK
For more information about International Sessions, please see the EYP Network website.
For more information about The Hague International Session, please see their website.
Comments