Crossing inner and outer borders

Youth exchange in Spain

Mid June a group of 25 youngsters from France, Italy, Spain, Greece and The Netherlands embarked on a special journey together. An Erasmus+ Youth Exchange about storytelling and migration, including the enriching pilgrimage of the English Camino was calling us! The 10 days long project was aimed at learning about migration, identity, integration and solidarity in an original way, combining experiential learning with storytelling techniques. 

Our journey already started in the Netherlands, when packing the backpack. This moment tuned us into the minimalism we would encounter during the coming days. Then we crossed different European borders to arrive in Ferrol, Galicia (Spain), where the project started. The first days were filled with getting to know each other, exploring the city, learning about migration, getting equipped with storytelling techniques and preparing for the hiking days.

The 10 days long project was aimed at learning about migration, identity, integration and solidarity in an original way, combining experiential learning with storytelling techniques.

On the third day, the Galician sky was grey and raindrops were falling. What a great start. But the weather did not demotivate us. After our motivational song set an atmosphere of hitting the road, our 25 pairs of feet started the first kilometers out of the 120 kilometers of our Camino towards Santiago de Compostela. Our expectations where differing as much as the variation in shoe equipment. Some were dressed in boots, some in flip flops. Four days later, on the fifth hiking day, we arrived at the impressive Cathedral in Santiago. We were richer in many ways, in kilometers walked and in our life experience.

Read about the wonderful experience of the Pocket Stories team below.

Why are refugees frowned upon, seen as a burden and fortune seekers? While we praise backpackers and expats for their zest for life and adventurousness... Next to this, the project reminded me of how everyone wants to be seen for who they are and how easily this can be achieved by just attentively listening to the other.

Thirza

It's difficult to put this experience into some short sentences. The past 10 days have been absolutely crazy - so I'll share some of the things that I remember most intensely. Aching feet, strong opinions, 25 tired youngsters in circle, feeling 5 emotions at once almost every day, laughing, crying, sharing stories and rooms, making new friends... and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Maybe next year?

Alaa

This experience is one of things that i will never forget in my life! For me it was much more than pilgrimage journey. There were many difficult moments, but also a lot of fun, happiness and cozy moments! 

Telling your own story in life and sharing your own fears and sorrows when you are suffering from physical pain because of the kilometres you’ve walked during the day was like adding fuel to the fire, this combination brought us together and helped us to release a tear that was stronger than us a certain moment. 

Walking journeys gave us the chance to realize how similar we are even though we came from 5 different countries with many different backgrounds! Five days walking and 120 km each step forward was more challenging for us to stay motivated and to support each others at the time that we were all suffering from the inside. Its was ten days with a whole learning process. I have learned to skip small things to reach the goal. Walking at your own tempo and being behind the others as long as it helps you to keep on moving forward, is better than pushing hard on yourself till you can’t move any more! 

In addition to the aforementioned things, I can tell that everything is easier with a friend next to you! No matter how difficult the road you are taking … No matter how long is your journey, no matter how much pain you are suffering, you can reach the end with a good friend! 

Our amazing times, high laughters and cozy moments became a lovely memory and will always chase our hearts and minds.

Escape from war and danger or moving to another part of the world for love are two of the main stories we often hear. But there are much more unexpected stories to find that show that migration is much more complex than that. Just have a look at your own family tree to explore how and why your own ancestors have crossed borders in the past. 

In a world, where traveling is popular and migration is controversial, this experience showed me how important it is to question these mobility categories and focus on what people are beyond one label and to look at the shared stories and pathways. I am a migrant. Born and raised in the Danish minority in Germany. Beyond these roots, I created roots in Paris and Copenhagen where I lived some years. I am not only making new roots, but I am also taking my roots with me when I move to a new place.

I also learned a lot from walking. Walking is a metaphor of life. Walking is slowing down in a fast-paced world. Walking makes your body your means of transportation. The body will decide your speed and time of arrival. I learned it’s not about being the first. It’s about making the most out of the journey and that’s a very subjective thing.

I wrote this poem to capture the atmosphere of my Camino.

Strawberries, eucalyptus and mint

Barking dogs

Learning to walk again

Your steps are your rhythms

She said you can do it

He said we’re almost there 

Dropping rain and kilometer

Pain is a tourist in your body

Sightseeing different places

How are your feet?

Blisters are popping silently

Pilgrims are migrants

Crossing borders

Each of us had a different experience, but our stories connect. They connect in sharing new friendships, struggle, love, compassion and support. By crossing both inner and outer borders, we learned a lot about ourselves from walking, telling and listening to each others stories and creative learning activities. In a world were crossing borders is political and has different implications on whether you are put in the box of a tourist or a migrant, it matters more than ever to erase the labels and deeply listen to each other on a human level.

The Youth Exchange CROSSING Borders was organised by Xeración in cooperation with Pocket Stories, Youth Center of Epirus, Youth Express Network and Associazione Eufemia.