NAE ski study trip

On February 9th, a Friday, we traveled to Sedrun in Switzerland to go skiing or snowboarding of course. The BBS Emden and Aurich were also there. The departure was actually supposed to take place at 4:30 p.m. at the Nordseehalle in Emden. Ultimately, however, we had to wait until 7 p.m. until the bus finally arrived. However, that didn't stop the motivation. When the time finally came, the three classes had to squeeze into the bus. Emphasis on "squeeze" because the space when sitting was really limited to the bare essentials. The scheduled 14-hour trip passed without any real events, except for a few discrepancies between the various schools, which was to be expected considering how many strangers were crammed into a small space. I had hoped that we would stop at McDonald's at least once on the way there, but the stops were always at smaller rest stops or gas stations. After most of the journey, about 10 hours, everyone was so exhausted that the bus became quiet. However, we arrived in the mountains shortly afterwards and it became apparent that everyone was ready to arrive. The drive was also very impressive as the roads went right along the slopes. As we drove past the hostel, which looked uninviting from the outside, the bus drove a little further until the bus driver started a 10-minute turnaround. Finally turned around and arrived back in front of the hostel, all the luggage had to be unloaded. Afterwards we were provided with a small breakfast and moved into our rooms. The groups were already divided and when we entered the rooms we realized that the nights were going to be cozy. Not because the beds were particularly comfortable, as the only cushioning under the thick mattress was a wooden board, but because four mattresses were lined up directly next to each other. Now, after a few days, I can say that sleeping is actually possible. After the things were halfway put away, we were served lunch straight away, which was very tasty. On the positive side, I have to say that the vegetarian dishes also tasted really good and it's great that they are offered and don't just consist of salad. There was no special skiing activity that day, it only started the following day, Sunday. Everyone had already been divided into beginners and advanced skiers, so some went straight to the blue slopes on the first day. For the rest, that meant either learning to ski or snowboard or getting back into it after a long break. Every day we had to have breakfast at 7 a.m. and attendance was compulsory, so we always hit the slopes around 8 a.m. There was always a lunch break around 1 p.m., depending on which area we were in, we either had to prepare a lunch box in the morning or eat lunch on site. At around 4 p.m. we made our way back to the hostel. At 6 p.m. there was always dinner in the hostel, where there was always salad, a main course, which was also vegetarian, and dessert. In addition to pasta, rice and mashed potatoes, which didn't have much variety, the food was really tasty, at least I can say that from my side. We still had a round of meetings, usually around 8:30 p.m. The meeting determined who would be in which group the next day, where they were going and what the topic of the next challenge was. There should also be a photo or video challenge in the individual groups every day. Also part of the meeting was the selection of the Hero of the Day, where students or teachers can nominate individual students who have accomplished something heroic or rather anti-heroic. A very funny system, but it ends up with the people who really did something good being punished because no one wanted to wear the yellow vest that comes with the title. Unless the person did something particularly stupid, it basically gives everyone a warning sign not to do it again. The winner of the challenges was also chosen, which was chosen based on the audience's reaction. In addition to drinking a little in the evening, most people also went to bed quickly as their energy level continued to decline every day. Apart from two birthdays that took place, not much else happened. Yesterday we had après-ski after skiing. Today, Thursday, is the last full day because tomorrow, Friday, we have to return our ski equipment as we leave very early on Saturday. At least we should, in any case we still have to vacate the rooms at 6 a.m. Tomorrow there will be a skills assessment where the students will record themselves to watch all the video material and draw an assessment from it. The evaluation is of course also made up of other points, but everyone really tried to make the best of the trip. I would also definitely like to give our teachers great praise, as they make every effort to support us and offer us the best experience. Of course also to the hostel and the ski rental, as they take great care of us. Great trip, you can easily summarize it.