​Another night in Utopia - The Outdoor through the lens of the Utopia particpants

 

Everything was quiet. People were chatting, eating, taking showers…

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. Noise to cover the place. Soldiers entered the house and gathered us. A new virus has emerged. We were all in danger. We had to leave Ommen. It wasn’t safe anymore. We had to get north not to get infected.  We grabbed our stuff, divided in groups and dived into the unknown land of Netherlands. We had barely any food, a compass and survival kit. Before the first night in the Dutch Wild, we were asked to meet at the north port of the Netherlands the next day, in order to take the boat to the island of Ameland and find shelter. 

 

How would we manage with no money and no phones? Will all the teams make it to the destination? Will we find people to help us or will we have to camp in the dark cold forest? 

 

How was the outdoor experience?

At the beginning we thought it was impossible. It was chaotic and unusual. The circumstances were pressuring us. Even though the situation was difficult, we managed it. We felt empowered and discovered that we are the only ones responsible for our future. We felt the freedom in our souls.

I believe most of us loved it, even if it was difficult. This experience offered to most of us mental stability, made us prepared to face any challenge, no matter how big it is.

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How did you feel without money and phone, surviving in the wild?

The lack of money and phones made the experience extraordinary. On one hand some of the people had a difficult time adjusting. On the other hand, we felt like children. We were more present and mindful.

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How did you get to the port of Holwerd? 

All the teams found a very unique way to reach the destination. We traveled by train with money we made by helping people, hitchiking, or we managed to convince a bus driver to give us a free ride. For one night some of us slept in backyards, others in hippie camps and third found beds in a hostel or houses of locals. During the experience we had to rely only on people’s solidarity. After that night, every team had a crazy story to tell and to remember for a lifetime.

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What did you learn from this experience?

We learn to be more assertive, adapt a more critical way of thinking, be resourceful and patient. Also, I feel we started appreciating more what we already have and being more present. Overall, being without a phone for 10 days in the 21st century and try to navigate ourselves in foreign country is something we will never experience again and we are very thankful we got the chance to.

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