uk

Teen Travel: UK Tour (26/06-9/07)

Our first trip of the summer has begun and we have a wonderful group. 10 teens from 7 different countries met in London and have started their journey around the UK.

This is an authentic travel experience…the teens are in control of nearly every element of their trip. They will learn to budget, communicate, delegate, compromise and much more.

The teens will take it turns to document their trip. As you can manage this is full immersive experience so their priority isn’t to be writing blogs but they will endeavour to update us every 2-3 days…

Day 1 – 3: London to Cardiff to Glasgow

Berkeley, USA…

The Castle and the Cooking

“On our first morning in Cardiff, we explored the city, visiting important sites like Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Castle, and Bute Park. When we got back, we made homeade garlic bread, and spaghetti with a vegetarian sauce.

The next day, having mostly recovered from jet lag, I was chosen to be in charge of serving dinner. I elected to serve a Welsh classic, leek and potato soup, and rarebit. Ironically, in the land of leeks, we found every ingredient except for the leeks. This sent us on a wild goose chase through Cardiff, where we met Tom Jones, and ended our pursuit at the Cardiff Market.

Preparing the soup was a different beast. After a long time chopping leeks, potatoes, and onions, my crew and I set to work washing our mess and stirring the vegetables in butter. We followed the recipe perfectly, until we found out our blender was broken. Nevertheless, with a masher and some determination, we managed to create a wonderful, Welsh dining experience.“

Julia F, USA…

“While in Wales, we decided to make cookies. Though our airbnb did not have any of the necessary tools to make cookies (ex. bowls, whisks, spatulas, mixers, vanilla, etc.). I learned to problem solve, which ended up being me using a pot as a bowl and slowly stirring my concoction with a table spoon.

After booking our “pods” in scotland, we discovered they did not have any bedding. Although some of us might have gotten lost in a build a bear, others in the group were determined that we have comfortable sleeping accommodations. They went hunting from camping store to camping store and scored us all our necessary sleeping bags and pillows. They haggled for 15% off, and we scored some sleeping bags and comfy pillows (even though ava lost her sleeping bag like 4 times).”

Charlotte, France…

“Our train to Glasgow was cancelled so we decided to sit down and kill some time at a lounge in the train station by playing card games.
We all learned some new card games by watching and listening eachother.
We finally got two trains, one from Liverpool to Wigan and the other one from Wigan to Glasgow, both of them where pretty full but we managed to all finally have a seat.”

Day 4 – 6: Glasgow to Edinburgh

Charlotte, France…

“After a chill morning, we went to Go Ape in Aberfoyle. We started with the explanations and safety instructions. To start we did a first long zip line to join the different courses. we did 6 different courses including a long zip line 426 meters long and 45 meters high to finish. We were all separated into several groups of three. The different courses had lots of different activities as tarzan jump, small zip lines or crossing on wooden logs. It was great fun ! After this, we went to a pub. Most of us tried Irn-Bru for the first time a very sweet scottish drink. We all took different food as pizza, scampi… During lunch we made some plans for the night and secured our accommodation in Edinburgh.”

Ronny, Italy…

On June 30th we were in Trassachs Holiday Park staying in pods. In the evening there was the brilliant idea of ​​having a bbq. We had a lot of fun that evening…we laughed and sang! In short we had a lot of fun then we made a fire where we also cooked marshmallows.

Jessica, Thailand & Marta, Spain…

We woke up around 8-10am and started to pack up and get ready for the day. After we had breakfast, we broke up into groups of three and started planning how to get to Edinburgh.

We ended up with having to get a taxi from the pods to a small town called Aberfoyle, and then a bus from Aberfoyle to Sterling. Then, we had to walk to the train station to catch the train to Edinburgh.

When we got to Edinburgh, we walked around 15 minutes to get some lunch at Nandos. We all had delicious meals and spent some time talking and laughing. Luckily, our accommodation was around 5 minutes away from Nandos, so we quickly walked to it and just spent some time chilling out in the apartments.

To end the day, we all went to an arcade, which was also just around 5 minutes away form the apartments. We had lots of fun playing games, and spent some time bowling in groups. Marta and Charlotte were the bowling winners!

After some fun in the arcade, we all went to the nearest supermarket to get some breakfast for the next morning.

Day 7 – 10: Edinburgh to Hogwarts to Brighton

Julia M, USA…

On the third of July we traveled an hour by train to see the castle that Harry Potter was filmed at for someone in the groups golden ticket. The castle was beautiful and there was so much to see. Some of us even dressed up in medieval outfits and wandered the grounds. While part of the group explored the “Hogwarts” halls others found fluffy hills to roll down again and again. We all joined together again to roll down a hill as a nice bonding activity. Later that day we found a cute pizza restaurant and enjoyed a delicious dinner. That night we walked through the streets of Scotland following a ghost tour and even got access into the underground streets where many years ago families had lived during very hard times.

Derek, Canada…

We left the accommodation at 12:00 and directly went to Arthur’s seat to roll down it. After a lot of walking and waiting we finally got up to the top which is when we realized we couldn’t roll down Arthur’s seat and went back down by walking.
After that we went back to town and visited camera obscura which was lots of fun even though it made us a bit dizzy.

Charlotte, France…

After a really chill morning, we took the bus for Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. We walked to the top of it, it was really windy up there ! We took lots of pictures, the view was so worth it !! Down the hill we had ice cream, then headed to a chinese restaurant where we had lunch, it was really great.
After, we went to Victoria street, Jessica’s golden ticket ! Some of us went to a Harry Potter shop and others just admired this beautiful street. We explored a bit the rest of the city but everything was getting closed. However, we found Camera Obscura an illusion museum , where 21st Century tech meets classic illusions and historic science. It was great fun. When we left to get the bus we came across a man and his owl, Hazel the owl. Julia and Berkley took it on their hand for a few minutes.
We finally took the bus to go back to our accomodation. Arrived there some of us stayed to chill at the accomodation and the others went to the cinema to watch the new minion movie.

Jessica, Thailand…

We all decided to go to Alnwick castle, Ronny’s golden ticket. We travelled from Edinburgh to Alnmouth on the train, and took a taxi from the train station to the castle.

When we got to the castle, we all split up and had a wonder around. We learned about how the castle came to be, and who used to live in it. Did you know that some scenes in Harry Potter was filmed there? It was really cool to see where Harry and his friends learned how to fly their broomsticks.

When we finished visiting Alnwick castle, we headed back to Edinburgh and had dinner at a pizza restaurant. After dinner, we went on a ghost tour around Edinburgh, and a few of us got jump scared 👻. It was a fantastic way to learn about some of Edinburgh’s history.

At the end of the day, we were all really tired so we headed back to our accommodation and went straight to bed.

Marta, Spain…

We woke up early to catch the train. We traveled from Edinburgh to Brighton by train, making a stop in London.

When we arrived to Brighton, we had to find the accommodation were we would stay for two nights. When we were there we chose rooms.

We were starving so we went to eat fish and chips for dinner. We found a restaurant that was number one on TripAdvisor. Then we went to the beach and we went back to the accommodation.

Day 11 – 14: Brighton – London

Berkeley, USA…

On Wednesday, we were moving fairly slowly. We had things to take care of by the end of the day, but we started our day with small groups of teens going for walks in Brighton. We were situated by the beach, so it was a nice area to walk around. After an unstructured start to our day, we went to a taperia for lunch.

Following a nice lunch, we went to the North Lanes in Brighton. It was an area full of shops, mainly clothing stores. However, you could also find the occasional café, record shop, or haberdashery.

After shopping, we convened to find a place to stay. It was our last day in the AirBnB, so we needed a new place to stay. We tried AirBnBs, hostels, and even looked at hotels, but we didn’t find a good option. The best option we found was to book another AirBnB in Brighton, which was a successful venture.

Having found an accommodation for the rest of our stay, we went back to the AirBnB, where a meal of rice and vegetables was made.

How do I know if my teenager is ready for Teen Travel?

13 to 17 and everything in-between!

L&E Teen Travel is for 13 to 17 year olds.  However, we all know that there are many different types of 13 to 17 year olds!  This is a trip that we think every teen should experience and we want to make sure they are equipped with all the skills they need to set off on their own (not completely on their own!).  If your child has previously attended camps then this is a good start.  They have spent time away from you being independent and making their own decisions.  As they get older, teenagers will naturally want more independence.  This is a great first step to travelling without their parents but in the care of experts.  Let’s be honest, no one knows your child better than you… but if you need advice or want to talk to one of our experts then you can schedule a call with one of our experts.

Speaking the language

The common language that will be spoken is English so will your teenager be able to communicate effectively in the group?  We try to limit each nationality to ensure we are all speaking English.  Therefore your child may not be with someone who speaks their mother tongue (if not English!).  If your teenager is looking to improve their spoken English then we can think of no better immersive experience!  

What type of skills will they need?

Teen Travel is about learning new things such as budget management and how to organise an itinerary.  Each member will bring their own individual skills that will help the group.  One of the most important things the teens will have to figure out early on in the trip is what they each bring to the table.  Is there an A+ maths student in the group – they can take the lead with the expenses, does someone enjoy writing – they can assist others in writing the daily blog.  No matter what skills each teenager has, they will all have to work together as a group.  Each person’s skillset to make sure they get the most out of the trip.  

What happens if my teen gets upset or homesick?

This trip could potentially be the most exciting and challenging thing your teen has ever done.  Our Travel Mentors are fully aware of this.  They will be monitoring each child throughout the trip to ensure they are happy and getting the most out of the trip.  If any teen is upset for whatever reason the Travel Mentors are there to listen and to help them.  We can safely say that 9 times out of 10 it is simply tiredness that makes someone upset.  This is easily fixed by a good nights sleep or an additional rest day.  The Travel Mentors will manage the itinerary.  If it looks like the teens are travelling too often (changing locations every day) then they will step in before anything is planned and offer some sound advice.  

Want to know more?

We can offer advice to you and your teen.  So please get in touch with us if you have any questions about Teen Travel.  You can schedule a call with one of our experts who can talk you through the trip or email teentravel@learnandexperience.com with any questions you may have.

Teen Travel really is an adventure of a lifetime – take the first step, get in touch!  

2022 Programme Launched

It is with great please that we are able to launch our much anticipated 2022 programme.

Programmes Available in UK & Canada

2022 Dates & Prices

L&E receives prestigious Award

We have been named as Winners of the Go Overseas Community Choice Award 2020…named by the people who matter most — the community (the children and families).

Thank you to all those involved in, what was a very difficult year but one that also had a lot of very special moments. We may not have had camp or travel but we had a lot of fun in other ways…

Highlights:

• Online Language & Life Skill Courses
• Virtual Camp
• L&E Home Launched
• 24 Hours Campfire across 6 continents
• 30 Day Challenge for Save the Children
• New Website
• Global Teen Chats
• Online Dance Classes
• Online Circus Skills
• Online Guitar Classes
• New Podcast

Go Overseas wrote: “We’re thrilled to recognize Learn & Experience as one of the best travel organizations in 2020 through this merit-based award, especially after such a difficult year for our industry.”

30 Day Challenge Blog

What is the 30 Day Challenge for ALL?

Sam Ridgway, the founder of L&E, was challenged to 10 Adventures, 10 Life Skills and 10 Languages in 30 Days…Simple!

There were 2 main aims of the challenge:

1. Raise vital funds and awareness for Save the Children who exist to help every child to reach their full potential. 

2. To inspire young people from all backgrounds and cultures to broaden their horizons, step out of their comfort zone and try something new.

30 Day Schedule

Day 1: Yoga

Completed my first life-skill challenge today! YOGA!! The lovely Harriet was my expert instructor and put me through my paces. Made me realise how un-flexible I am! A little stiff now but actually may try to keep it going as I’m not getting any younger!! 😜

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Day 2: Wild Swimming

This wasn’t planned at all! Having a lovely dog walk with Rosie on the beach getting myself prepared for my language lesson later in the afternoon when an idea struck me! WILD SWIM! Only problem was…I didn’t have any trunks or a towel!. Oh well…I managed to protect my modesty and went for it! Very invigorating but very, very, very cold!! Literally took my breath away! First adventure completed! Language lesson delayed till another day!

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Day 3: Spanish

Today was an incredibly wet & rainy day so the perfect day for an indoor activity. My lovely 82 year old Father used to be a French and Spanish teacher but for some reason I have never learnt any Spanish my whole life. He agreed to give me a Spanish lesson and it was amazing. I am so lucky to have such a great Dad who embraces all challenges including modern technology!! Only a few glitches…😂

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Day 4: Ukulele

Enjoyed today’s session. It was very frustrating and I will certainly blame the quality of my my instrument but all in all I definitely learnt some chords and will be able to bring out the ukulele at campfires etc. (if only to pass it very quickly to someone who can actually play!!) Thank you Andy for the tutorial! 👍 (ps. remember to tune your ukulele and to know whether you’re doing it for left handed or right handed! 🤦‍♂️)

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Day 5: GPS Art Run

An interesting challenge today. A friend mentioned the idea of GPS Art and how you can draw shapes with the route you run with your running app. It was fun planning the shape and putting it into action. It was an early start but worth it in the end. Pacific Spirit Park is an incredible temperate Rainforest near where we will live and was the perfect setting!! 🏃🌲 Day 5 done…what’s in store tomorrow!!? 🤔 Ps. I have some quite exciting challenges planned in the coming days/weeks but still need some more ideas to fill my schedule!?🤔

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Day 6: Arabic

Today I had the privilege of learning Arabic from my wife, Randa’s mum. She was very patient and very kind. There’s some very difficult pronunciations and I apologise for some of the inaccuracies!😂 Enjoy! PS. Keep the ideas coming…really enjoyed some of the ideas so far! 👍

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Day 7: Singing

What an amazing opportunity to have a singing lesson with an amazing professional like Kathy! (However I think I may have blown it!!😂) Thank you so much to Kathy for giving your time to teach me. I will have definitely been one of the harder students to get a note out of but, nonetheless I really enjoyed it and feel that now I have a technique I have no excuse for the sounds coming out of my mouth! 🤦‍♂️😂 

I really recommend everyone to get a voice/singing teacher. It really makes you concentrate on certain things that will help throughout your life.

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Day 8: Boating

I had a lot of fun today. My friend Mark treated me to a ride in his boat and even luckier I got to drive it! It’s a very different feeling to driving a car and the waves were certainly causing a few bumps! So much fun!

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Day 9: Roller Blading

Oh my Gosh! I am NOT a natural skater/blader! Coupled with my tallness and fear of falling there is an incredible awkwardness when I have wheels or blades on my feet! However, I didn’t do as badly as I thought and really enjoyed the sunshine along the famous Vancouver Sea Wall!

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Day 10: Sign Language

Sign Language has been on the list of things to learn for a long time. I was very lucky for Katie to agree to teach my some BSL (British Sign Language). The expressive(ness) of the language is so fantastic. I loved Katie’s passion for it and I have promised myself that I must carry on learning and if nothing else try to remember the alphabet by heart.

Katie mentions the Alphabet cards you can download from the National Children’s Deaf Society website

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Day 11: Tree Climbing

Find a tree, climb a tree, have a coffee up a tree – simple huh!?

Who’d have thought it would be so hard to find a tree to climb IN A FOREST!!?? Well it was! Try as I might I could find an appropriate tree to climb for a long time but eventually found one on my next outing with outstanding view. All in all it was a successful challenge but just reminded me that even the best laid plans can come unstuck sometimes! 😂

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Day 12: Japanese

Thank you so much to Mitsue for giving me her time to teach me some Japanese. It’s such a beautiful and polite language. I know I didn’t do it quite the justice it deserved but nonetheless I enjoyed learning and certainly will try to remember the basics!

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Day 13: Cooking

Very fortunate to have Dan from Nourish Cookery School give me a lesson on how to make Japanese dumplings, gyoza! They were very yummy! 😋🥟

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https://youtu.be/0VH7IfaiHYw

Day 14: Snow Day

Yesterday I heard the exciting news that our local mountain (Cypress) was due open early for the ski season. Every year I get incredibly excited by this news and this year (with everything that has gone on) I was even more excited than normal! Just being in the mountains with snow and trees around me is my special place! I decided not to go up the lifts as it was pretty busy and the season is long but I had a lovely hike and ski down and even made myself a coffee with my little stove! Fantastic day!

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Day 15: Malay

Can’t quite believe I’m halfway through! 5 adventures, 5 life skills and 5 languages completed!

Loved learning Malay with Heng. He had gone to some effort to prepare and make it as easy as possible for me to learn and so I’m ever so grateful. Terima kasih, Heng!

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Day 16: Turkish

Thank you so much to Eylem for teaching me some Turkish. I visited Istanbul a few years ago and had the most wonderful time. I would even go as far as to say it’s one of my most favourite cities. Where East meets West! So, I’m excited to go back and be able to use my new found skills. It’s a very interesting language and quite phonetic which makes it easier than other languages. I also loved the body language that is unique to Turkey.

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Day 17: Card Skills

Who could imagine shuffling cards could be so difficult!? I’ve always loved magic tricks and playing card games but been slightly embarrassed by the fact I can’t even do a basic shuffle never mind anything fancy!

I decided to something about it! 🤦‍♂️

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Day 18: Den Building

A great life-skill preparing for my adventure in a couple of days when I get to sleep out in my construction! 

Beware of the coyotes!!😜

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Day 19: Norwegian

 This was quite a special language lesson. 

Randa and I met a lovely couple (Hans, from Norway and Zoe from Canada) 15 years ago in South Africa on a wine tasting tour. We hit it off straight away and had a really fun day together but haven’t seen them since. 

Through the power of social media we’ve stayed in touch and amazingly Hans got in touch to offer to give me a Norwegian lesson. They now actually live in Canada as well so we will definitely see more of them sooner or later. Thank you again to Hans! 🙏

Back to 30 Day Schedule

Day 20: Sleep Out

This was a tough one for lots of reasons. As well as to Save the Children please consider donating to Covenant House Vancouver who help young people who experience homelessness. https://www.covenanthousebc.org/ways-to-give/

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Day 21: Pig Latin (Kids Secret Language)

Pig Latin (Kids Secret Language). What a brilliant teacher 9 year old Libby is! I learnt so much! She is sooo amazing at Pig Latin! Wow! 😃👏

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Day 22: Foraging (for mushrooms)

I was incredibly fortunate today. Chef Robin Kort from Swallow Tail Culinary Adventures gave me a personal guide to foraging mushrooms. Her knowledge and passion is so infectious and I learnt so much! 

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Day 23: Kayaking

I took a trip down False Creek, Vancouver. 

Loved seeing things that I hadn’t noticed before. I think waterways are such a great way to travel and see things from a different perspective. Also, it’s so quiet in a kayak so you have a great chance to see cool wildlife…I got lucky with a little friend!🦭

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Day 24: Art Class

Day 24: Art Class (with my amazing Mum!).She taught me some cool watercolour techniques and produced an amazing snowy scene in minutes! Thanks to Dad for his stellar video work (not wobbly at all!! )

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Day 25: Skate Skiing

I’m definitely not a natural Skate Skier!! ⛸⛷😩 Thought it would be similar to downhill skiing but it isn’t! Ended up having quite a bit of fun though! 😜😃👍

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Day 26: Welsh

Thank you to my very good friend, Aled for teaching me some Welsh.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I even got to hear the proper pronunciation of the longest place name in Europe – Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!!😅

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Day 27: Ice Hockey

Thank you so much to Coach Emily and Norbert for taking me to try out ice hockey for the first time. 🏒 It’s the national sport and obsession of Canada so it’s an essential life skill to have and I can tell you I was a little nervous! 😅

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Day 28: Mountain Biking

North Shore Mountain Biking is famous worldwide and having lived here now for over 3 years I decided it was time to try it out…I wasn’t dissapointed! Awesome!😃 Thank you, James for being my guide!🏔 🚵‍♀️ 🏔

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Day 29: Luganda 

Thank you so much to Phyllis Kisa from Kampala, Uganda. Phyllis is a surgeon who we met during her year in BC Children’s Hospital. It was also lovely to meet little Adrien – what a sweetie! 🤗

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Day 30: Sea to Sky Triathlon

THE FINAL ADVENTURE!!! 🙌🙌 

From my home to the “Peak of Vancouver” Grouse Mountain by Kayak, Bike and Foot! Thank you to Dave for being expert guide up the BCMC! 🙏

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2020 L&E Programmes Announced

Learn & Experience inspire & nurture Young Global Leaders (8-16) with our award winning World Camps, Teen Travel & YGL programmes.

“Bringing The World’s Youth Together Since 2009”

Message from Sam Ridgway, Director…

I am delighted to announce the 2020 L&E Programme…

2019 has been an amazing year with so much happening.  We have been incredibly proud of all programmes and are so heartened to hear the wonderful feedback we’ve had.

10 years of L&E has allowed us to evolve to become the unique and trusted provider that we are today.   We have a few changes that we are very excited to tell you about.

L&E World Camps, Young Global Leaders and Teen Travel can be combined in 2020 for a 2, 4 or 6 week summer of a lifetime.

L&E World Camps

Our famous World Camp for 8 -15 year olds will again be offering 2 weeks & a 4 week block.  The camp will continue to have the same emphasis of bringing together children from around the world immersed with Native English speakers as well as experiencing true British Culture  (We will continue to limit the amount of any one nationality to keep the camps balanced). 

English is spoken exclusively conversationally and the L&E World Camp environment will create it’s special magic by offering Adventure, Sport & Creative activities alongside our L&E Extras plus our incredible Evening Activities programme and weekend excursions.

The L&E Extra Programme (12 hour specialist coaching) will continue to be available (1 week maximum each):

• Football School
• Tennis Academy
• Horse Riding
• Young Global Leaders & Life Skills (13-15)
• Performing Arts
• English Language Course

Click for more info about L&E World Camps

Future Plan

L&E Camps have always had an emphasis on cultural understanding and developing personal skills however, we have now decided to emphasise the “Young Global Leaders” aspect.  The YGL & Life Skills Course (see below) will be available for 13-15 year olds but there will still be a YGL focus for the rest of the camp.

As our long term aim is to have L&E World Camps in multiple countries around the world we have decided to keep to one venue in the UK for 2020.  It will mean we will be able keep the quality of provision very high with all our experienced staff in one place.  We are delighted to announce our long term partnership with Aysgarth School will continue and look forward to releasing more details about our new camp in British Columbia, Canada for 2021.

Dates and Locations 2020

Aysgarth School, N. Yorks:

• 5th July – 18th July, 2020 (2 weeks)
• 19th July – 1st August, 2020 (2 weeks)
• 5th July – 1st August, 2020 (4 weeks)

New Locations for 2021

British Columbia, Canada (Coming 2021)

L&E Teen Travel

For 2020 we are excited to offer our Teen Travel programmes to 13 -16 years olds both in Spring and Summer.   There will be 3 styles of trip; Intrepid, Voyager & Adventurer visiting UK, Europe and North America.

L&E Teen Travel gives young people the life skills for their future journey.

The focus is to prepare and inspire young people for any travelling they do in the future. It’s a chance for them to step out into the world and learn life changing and practical skills with the freedom of feeling safe with our experienced guides.

Click for more info about L&E Teen Travel

1. Teen Travel Intrepid

Teen Travel Intrepid Trips are like no other… Teens are in charge of their own experience. Exploring in groups of 5-10 with other teens from across the World.  They will be accompanied by L&E Travel Mentors but THEY are in control of:

• their own Budget
• their own Itinerary
• their own Accommodation
• their own Transport
• their own Food

2. Teen Travel Voyager

Teen Travel Voyager will be a scheduled trip where most elements are pre-planned.  There will still be a focus on allowing teens to think for themselves and make decisions on their itinerary but with a more structured timetable.

3. Teen Travel Adventurer

Teen Travel Adventurer is an adventure activity focussed travel experience with the same ethos as our Voyager programme.

Teen Travel 2020

• European Voyager (10 day): 6th – 15th April

• Canadian Adventurer: 4th – 18th April

• European Voyager (14 days): 19th July – 1st August

• UK Intrepid: 1st August – 15th August

• UK Voyager: 1st August – 15th August

*Other dates may be available upon enquiry

L&E Young Global Leaders

L&E World Camps and Teen Travel are designed to develop Young Leaders.  However, we have a few specialist programmes that go a little deeper into what it means to be a Young Global Leader and how we can improve our skills and understanding

YGL & Life Skills Course at L&E World Camps

The YGL & Life Skills Course is for 13-15 year olds and is offered as a 1 week programme part of a 2 week World Camp.

There is a focus on leadership and teamwork as well as recognising vital life skills including:

The course will also include our amazing overnight Wilderness Experience.

YGL Spark Series

• Social Responsibility
• Passion
• Authenticity
• Resilience
• Knowledge

YGL Spark is a series of speaker & workshop events, which will be held at community venues around the world. The aim is to celebrate and connect the very best thinkers, doers and innovators from the world to share their journey and inspire a new audience. YGL Spark is an opportunity for young people to take to the stage and talk about the issues that matter to them.

L&E will be hosting the YGL Spark Series in different cities around the world.  We will be announcing the 2020 & 2021 schedule very soon. Participating cities so far:

• Helsinki
• Hong Kong
• Washington
• Oslo
• Edinburgh
• Vancouver

If you are interested in the YGL Spark Series coming to your city then please be in touch.

YGL School Workshops

L&E is proud to provide classroom workshops for schools (ages 8-16). Focusing on critical thinking, communication, self-awareness, and empathy building.  Our workshops are presented by our charismatic and professional staff who make our workshops entertaining, engaging and fun while catering to different learning styles.

Click for more info about L&E Young Global Leaders

EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT

We are offering our loyal customer Early Booking Discounts across all our programmes. 

• 8% Discount if 40% Deposit paid (Coupon: 2020EARLYDEP)

• 15% Discount for Full Payment (Coupon: 2020EARLYFULL)

This will be available until 31st October, 2019. 

Payment will be due upon registration online. Full Refunds will be available up to 1st June, 2020.

*Bank Transfers can be accepted if you contact info@learnexperience.co.uk for an invoice.

*Children who attend a school within the United Kingdom can apply for a 30-100% Scholarship.  We have limited places for British children

There will be no more discounts available after 1st November.

Due to the fact that we now have only one venue we expect fill places very quickly.   We will be offering a strict first-come-first-serve policy so we highly recommend you take advantage of this fantastic offer.

BOOK NOW & RECEIVE A DISCOUNT

Be in touch…

If you have any questions about our programmes then please don’t hesitate to be in touch…

Warm Wishes,

Sam Ridgway (Director) & The L&E Team

YGL Blog 2019

Monday 15th July

The L&E Young Global Leaders programme is a very unique opportunity for young people from around the world to come together to learn and understand what makes good young leaders.  In our small team we have participants from Hong Kong, Spain, Russia, Italy, Sweden, Germany, France and UK.  Now if that isn’t what Young Global Leaders should be all about then I don’t what is!!?

We started on Monday morning with a brief questionnaire about our expectations and what we felt our strengths and weaknesses were.  We then spent quite a bit of time introducing each other and getting to know one another.  My gosh…these young leaders are so incredibly interesting.  Their dreams and ambitions are astounding but with a firm belief and commitment to achieve them.

We then looked at some well known leaders and discussed their attributes…Trump, Merkel, Messi, Sir Alex Ferguson, Mandela and Greta Thunberg.

It was certainly an interesting discussion as you can imagine!

The afternoon session included some camp fire cooking skills that will hopefully come in useful for the Wilderness trip later on in the week…

Tuesday, 16th July

Tuesday brought some problem solving to the table.  It was a team effort but there were certainly some characters that came to the fore with some astute leadership skills…all with different styles mind you.

You may have heard of Edward de Bono!? A Maltese modern day psychologist who came up with an interesting theory about different ways of thinking within a team.

When making a collective decision it’s always good to have members of the team who behave and look at things differently.  It’s called The 6 Thinking Hats.

Six distinct directions are identified and assigned a color. The six directions are:

• Managing Blue – what is the subject? what are we thinking about? what is the goal? Can look at the big picture.
• Information White – considering purely what information is available, what are the facts?
• Emotions Red – intuitive or instinctive gut reactions or statements of emotional feeling (but not any justification).
• Discernment Black – logic applied to identifying reasons to be cautious and conservative. Practical, realistic.
• Optimistic response Yellow – logic applied to identifying benefits, seeking harmony. Sees the brighter, sunny side of situations.
• Creativity Green – statements of provocation and investigation, seeing where a thought goes. Thinks creatively, outside the box.

This was an incredibly rewarding session where the team were given the task of planning a birthday party and designing the Best Summer Camp (pretty tough competition out there I’ve heard!!??)

They were given different “hats” to see if they were able to think differently and also were able to choose the “hat” that they were most comfortable with.

We hope that the skills learnt will be beneficial to them for the rest of their lives.

Wednesday brings a very exciting proposition…The Wilderness Experience.  Plans have been made and now just the expedition itself is there to complete.  We look forward to telling you all about it tomorrow.  Till then….

Click for YGL Photos

North Camp 1 Blog 2019

Sunday, 7th July, 2019

Once the parents had left and the children were checked in, everybody met outside. 

The children were drawn in, as if hypnotised, towards the luscious smell of a crackling BBQ. Burgers that would melt in your mouth were complemented by a beautiful green salad. Many of the children had been to the camp before and were hugging and catching up. Many were new and had never been to the camp before, but got involved in the games straight away and were introducing themselves. We always remind the children to look after each other, especially when they’re nervous. BE KIND, BE KIND, BE KIND.

THEN, the games began…

Stuck in the Mud was the most exhausting game. Everybody was sweating and running for water. I am expecting that all of us will be very fit by the end of the week, even the children that pretended to be tagged so that they could hide from running. This was very funny. We also played some new games like “Captain’s Coming” where children pretended to be pirates scrubbing the decks and had to had to get into groups of 2, 3, 4, or 6. British Bulldog was probably the most fun game. The children had to run between a wall of tutors and reach the other side of the field without getting caught. They were very good at this because many children are very very fast, ESPECIALLY Fred. 

After an evening of fun and games, we were rewarded with hot chocolate and marshmallows. YUM. 

Then, the children went to their bedrooms, got ready for bed and started relaxing together. Some of them were doing face masks, some were reading, and some were just laughing together. I really look forward to the rest of the week. 

Click for more photos

Monday, 8th July, 2019

After a night of getting to know each other the kids enjoyed their first breakfast at L&E! There was lots of choice, including good ol’ English crumpets (an English delicacy). 

To get warmed up, we played a big game of dodgeball while listening to fun music. Lots of dance moves were made. 

Then after, the kids could segregate into the Creative, Adventure, and Sport activities. For Creative the kids could make themselves a superhero and do yoga (as taught by the expert Hayley). For Adventure there was den-making! The kids really got into making their stick-dens as homely as possible. One of the dens had a shelf with plants and decorations. Some of the dens had doors… or even toilets! For sport there was ULTIMATE frisbee and rugby. The kids really got stuck into this and were very quick learners. 

Biscuit Time at morning break was very funny. Some of the children (not naming any names) were using very intelligent tactics to get more biscuits than they were allowed, including creating silly diversions. 

In the afternoon, Horse riding started – which was “AWESOME!”. Dexter was as reliant as ever so Valentina was very happy. Blue is a new horse and Carla feels she’ll be able to jump really well.

For the BIG event of the day there were EPIC Ice Breaker Games. A personal highlight was wearing a pair of tights on our heads that was filled with a ball. We then used the hanging ball to knock over cups. We all looked like hilarious anglerfishes (definitely worth a Google by the way). Sam performed an excellent demonstration. 

Afterwards, lots of pictures were taken with volunteers who were wrapped in toilet paper to look like funny mummies. Chubby Bunny was another highlight. This involved children squishing as many marshmallows into their mouth as possible, while saying “chubby bunny”. There was lots of laughing. The record holder of L&E Chubby Bunny squeezed a ridiculous 22 marshmallows in their mouth! However, the funniest faces were pulled in the Chocolate Challenge where volunteers would have to only use their face to move an After Eight Chocolate from their forehead into their mouth. 

The kids have now had their hot chocolate and are in bed, ready for tomorrow!

Click to see more photos

Tuesday, 9th July, 2019

Day two kicked off with a scrumptious combination of eggy bread and baked beans which seemed to go down a treat. That was followed by an intense, yet friendly game of dodgeball which was perfectly accompanied by the soothing voice of Leona Lewis in the background. 

The morning activity of forest art gave the kids the opportunity to get some fresh air and be creative, while the scuba diving allowed the children to try something new. Due to the slightly damp conditions, football was played in the state of the art sports hall facility for our sportier campers. Nobby the chef pulled out all the stops with a lovely chicken curry to round off the morning activities. 

Hockey and camp fire building took place in the afternoon, alongside another thrilling scuba diving session. The kids then enjoyed a panini for the evening meal, before we all gathered round the camp fire for some hearty songs from around the world with some delicious toasted marshmallows. Finally, the day was rounded off with some hot chocolate which ended the evening on a high before bed time.

Click for Day 3 Photos

Wednesday, 10th July, 2019

The sun rose upon the grounds of Aysgarth for the first Wednesday of camp following an overnight rainfall that could only have been summoned by Thor premeditating his upcoming theme night appearance. A uniquely British serving of a platter of various meats and rolls provided the fuel for the high-octane day ahead.

Bucking the age-old L&E dodgeball tradition, we started the morning with a game of musical statues, with shapes being thrown by the campers that frankly defied description. The morning adventure activity was extreme capture the flag, a tactical game which engulfed the campers in physical and mental strategy. In our English lessons the campers were testing their skills of description and communication with various character themed games, before cooperating by following a traditional English recipe and baking a Victoria sponge cake which rumour has it would have earned a Paul Hollywood handshake. Wimbledon fever hit North Yorkshire, as our campers channelled their inner Heather Watson’s and Rafael Nadal’s in a riveting tennis session, whilst the creative stars showed their urban side by producing both indoor and outdoor chalk drawings that would rival Banksy’s finest work.

All the while, throughout both morning and afternoon we had a special off-site adventure activity of canoeing, with campers breathing in the full magnificence of the Yorkshire countryside from an unusual waterborne viewpoint.

After a classic burger and salad lunch, the afternoon got underway, and my word what an afternoon it was. Our creative option was a one stop trip to Karoakeville, with a relaxed and familiar sing song session that everybody got really involved in. The on-site adventurers went scavenger hunting, solving a combination of riddles and anagrams to find an avengers themed solution. The basketball participants had the honour of being mentored by a former North Wales champion, and the level of skill shown in the session resembled Dylan Hughes in full flight.

To conclude another action-packed day, campers further embezzled themselves into tomorrows theme night spirit by watching The Avengers. Movie night provided a calm end to the third day of what has been a brilliant start to our 2019 L&E adventure, and post hot chocolate the campers snuggled in bed looking forward to the exciting possibilities ahead tomorrow.

Click for Day 4 Photos

Thursday, 11th July, 2019

The day began with everyone excited to start the 5^th day of camp! After an early night following movie night, we were raring to go for theme night! But before that, all the days exciting activities needed to take place! Morning began with a scrumptious breakfast of scrambled eggs to help fuel the first decision of the day – Bench ball, Water polo and the chance to make some gorgeous chocolate truffles! 

Bench ball was tremendous fun, being the goalie is boring though! You’re not allowed to move and have to stay on the bench! The kids just want to run around! The kids got to test out their baking skills as well, by making chocolate truffles! They ended up being really nice and fluffy, with exciting toppings like coconut and chocolate sprinkles. Water polo was great too, the kids pushed Jack and Connor in the pool, but it was such a success that we decided to do it again in the afternoon! 

The afternoon began with a yummy roast dinner. It gave the kids an opportunity to try some traditional British food. Honestly, it’s the best!! Badminton provided the kids the chance to test out their racket skills, with Emma, who used to compete competitively, providing her excellent expertise. Excitingly, with the sun shining, the opportunity for the first waterslide of camp! It was so so much fun and everyone got really really wet, and a little bit soapy too! Everyone needed a shower after…

As an alternative to Badminton, there was also the first L&E Strictly Come Dancing lesson! This involved Sophie teaching a Cha Cha Cha, Waltz and Samba to some keen dancers, who had loads of sass and style. Paul and Simon were the star pair, having a Cha Cha worthy of a 10/10! 

All throughout the day, Sam was taking people climbing! It’s a bit scary hanging off a rope that high, but it’s incredible fun.

After a dinner of chicken pasta, we got to participate in theme night, all the tutors were dressed as their favourite Avenger – Jack got painted all purple, he was Thanos, the bad guy of the evening. After competing challenges testing our strength, speed and mind, we proved we were better than the Avengers, and got to throw water balloons at Thanos (purple Jack). After this, a big water fight broke out, a silly end to another fantastic day at L&E!

Click for Day 5 Photos

Click for Horse Riding Photos

Friday, 12th July, 2019

Life is not about the amount of breathes you take, it’s the moments that take your breath away, this was the belief the L&E campers had throughout the day. With the end of the week lingering, the anticipation for the L&E Oscars evening was at fever pitch. The only thing holding back the excitement was the fear of missing out on capturing the grand prize of star camper.

Dodgeball in the morning was naturally not met with any boredom even if it was the fifth session of the week, dodgeball enthusiasm shows no sign of decreasing at this rate with these happy campers. An extreme and very safe adventure activity of tree climbing was only ventured by only the very elite campers.  Creating a better Oscars presented by names such as Chris Rock and Jimmy Kimmel is no easy fetch, thankfully our most creative campers were on hand to create an event with more ambiance than a candlelit dinner. France is known for wine, cheese and weird cricket rules; therefore, it was a shock to see the enjoyment and satisfaction from an interesting game of French cricket.

Another week, another chef, but dinner will never be the same without chef Nobby’s famous curry and charming wit. 

In the Afternoon, the campers evolved into Alastair and Johnny Brownlee, when everyone participated in a well scheduled triathlon, even though nobody has heard of the Yorkshire heroes. This tiering event was a perfect assist to the main event of the night, all the camp needed was a dashing host, stepped up Sam Ridgway.

With many awards being handed to the most deserving nominee, the only thing left to do was to hand out the star camper award. Deservedly Morten welcomed the award with open arms, while the audience were animated with raucous applause.

Click for Day 6 Photos

Saturday 13th & Sunday 14th

What a lovely weekend we’ve had! Trips to York, Lightwater Valley Theme Park and a trip around the Dales villages.

It all happened over an extraordinary English weekend of sport where the very traditional game of Cricket World Cup Final was being held plus The British Grand Prix and The Wimbledon Final.  England became cricket World Champions for the first time in history – a memorable experience for the the children who watched.

We ended Sunday evening with a lovely BBQ sat in the sunshine.

We’re incredibly excited for the week ahead…the Young Global Leaders Course and the Football School starts on Monday!

Click for weekend Photos

Monday, 15th July, 2019

We launched into week two with some eggs on toast and hunger games dodgeball. 

For creative, there was Strictly Come Dancing with Sophie (samba, cha-cha-cha, and more) in the morning. Slowly, but surely the L&E camp is becoming more flamboyant. ULTIMATE frisbee was repeated (due to previous popularity). The most compelling activity (the adventure one) was Campfire Cooking. This was led by the expert fire-maker Jack. Little chocolate-chip cakes were cooked in oranges that we heaved into the fire (that had a chair burning at its centre). I felt epic. 

In the afternoon the artsy kids did some graffiti (wash off – we’re not delinquents I swear). For the more sporty children there was volleyball. This was Very popular. Sardines (a curious form of hide and seek) took place in the L&E building, which was followed by SUMO WRESTLING. 

The Young Global Leaders course started today! We did a lot of teambuilding activities (including detangling ourselves in groups, passing along a hoop while holding hands in a circle and “Two Truths and a Lie”. There was discussion about other global leaders and what it means to be a good one. The kids were also presented with the power of planning the night’s evening activity.

Football camp also started today which, as I heard, went very smoothly. Regarding technicality, dribbling was the centre of attention. The camp tutors leading it (Matt and James) made it known that they were really impressed by energy and commitment that their group had. There was also a fun, competitive game at the end.

Monday FUNDAY was this evening’s activity (as planned mostly by the Young Global Leaders). I may be slightly biased, but this was an really really legendary evening.  There was apple bobbing followed by finding a Malteser in flour. The outcome of this decision was soggy, flower-covered children who looked like small Santas. A binbag fashion show also took place (photos will be on Facebook). The outfits were FABULOUS, but the catwalks were even better. An L&E Egg-drop was the big finale of Monday FUNDAY. We all chanted “scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs”. This was a nice circle ending to the beginning of the day with the eggs on toast. EGGCELENT :,) 

Click for Day 9 photos

Tuesday, 16th July, 2019

As the campers rose on a sunny 52nd birthday of Will Ferrell they enjoyed a classic English breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast.  After filling themselves up and running back upstairs to brush their teeth, they pattered down to the sports hall to play the traditional L&E morning warm-up… dodgeball.  All the kids followed the five rules of dodgeball… dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge and the standard of dodgeball in everyone (staff included) has improved massively since the start of last week.

The morning activities chosen were basketball, den building and papier mâché. In basketball, after doing a few testing drills, the participants were then separated into 4 teams; Dumplings, Team 3, NBA and Ragamuffins.  After a round robin tournament, they then played semi-finals and ended with a final of the dumplings verses the Ragamuffins ending in a sudden death penalty shoot out which lived up to the exciting billing, with the Ragamuffins just edging the contest.  Our adventure team ventured off to the woods to build dens.  The creativity and survival instincts of the campers was inspiring, and they made seriously impressive dens in the amount of time that they had to work with.  Finally our creators made some papier mâché sculptures which rivalled the 7 wonders of the world!

After a delightful traditional roast beef dinner and ice cream, the campers were treated to an impressive range of activities; a final instalment of this weeks campfire cooking where we made the biggest fire yet and today made chocolate muffins with white chocolate chips. This, like yesterday, went down like a house on fire. Our keen sportspeople took on a joint task of rounders and it’s american friend, baseball.  Everyone hit a home run with this activity and caught, hit and threw with great aplomb.  Finally our budding Picassos went to the art room to design and create props and posters for our upcoming theme night; ‘The Greatest Showman’.   

The day ended with the weekly L&E campfire, which showcased the immense talent of all the campers. Many of the campers got up to perform, highlights included some impressive quick rapping, impressions of the staff by campers and even a series of ‘opera offs’.  Ending with the delicious melted marshmallows and hot chocolate, the campers snuggled up in bed, chatting about  the excitement that tomorrow may bring. 

Click for Day 10 Photos

Wednesday, 17th July 2019

Today camp rose yet again with the sun shining, which surely promised joy and happiness for yet another wonderful day at L&E. Breakfast this morning was a treat, with Beans and Sausages on the menu, Connor loved them so much he had 4! The choice for activities was equally exciting with Water Polo, Tree climbing and old style poster making on the cards. 

For those who did Water Polo, they were given expert coaching by Jack. It was such great fun that the kids were given a chance to do it again in the afternoon. Tree climbing was fantastic fun too, it’s exhilarating getting up to those heights, and it’s so exciting that we’re allowed to do it too! The Poster making was cool too, the kids learned how to use a tea bag to make the poster looked old fashioned! Some were so good that they’ll be used for our Greatest Showman theme night tomorrow!

Lunch was delicious as usual, everyone was treated to Hunter’s chicken and little mini roast potatoes. It was so so so good! The Hunter’s chicken was really tangy while the potatoes were super herby. For dessert, we had a chocolate muffin with a whipped cream filling, which was superb too. 

After lunch, along with the aforementioned Water polo, we also were offered the option to do either Tennis or the chance to make our own dream catchers! Tennis was cool to do – with Wimbledon having happened last weekend it was fun to recreate the Finals!! The quality of the tennis match between Andrea, Paul, Connor and Emma L was so high that we had to call in Caroline Flack to inform which couple was announced the winner. Making dream catchers were awesome too, Hayley taught us how to transform a few twigs of wood into a really cool dream catcher. On top of this, Sam was running trips backwards and forwards to a lake to do some Kayaking. This was super cool too, although falling in the water was really cold!!! 

This evening kicked off with a delicious meal of Pasta. We were given 3 choices, Spaghetti Carbonara, a Cheesy bake or Green Pesto Pasta! On top of this, we were given some yummy garlic bread! All this set the scene for watching the Greatest Showman ahead of tomorrow’s theme night. The soundtrack is so so good, we were all singing along!

We’d also like to give a mention to the Young Global Campers, who tonight are out camping. Unfortunately for them, it’s raining tonight, the first time it has done since arriving to camp. Despite this, let’s all hope it’s a fantastic experience for them – and they learn some valuable skills from it all.

To finish today’s blog, we unfortunately said goodbye to Zara today. Zara has added to everyone’s time at camp and really impressed all the tutors here. She was a fantastic student and she will be missed by all her peers, let’s hope we see her again next year!

Click for Wednesday’s photos

Thursday, 18th July 2019

Sierra’s L&E Journey

“I quickly realised how inclusive the camp was”

Over the past 10 years we have had hundreds of children come to spend their summers with us and with each child comes a story, this is Sierra’s story.  Sierra is from Kentucky in the USA and first came to L&E at the age of 14 in 2014.  Her grandmother Denise made the trip up north to drop Sierra off at camp as she lives in London and Sierra spends her summers there.  After being bullied and picked on at school Denise wanted her granddaughter to grow up knowing that she didn’t need to “conform” and feel the need to try and “fit in”.  Sierra describes how nervous she was about coming to camp as she thought she would be an outsider being the only American.  She very quickly realised how inclusive the camp was and how her nationality or background didn’t matter.  Sierra later described the best part of L&E was the way in which she was able to interact with everyone regardless of age, gender or background.

“learn the art of travel in a safe and supportive environment”

The following year, as well as coming back to camp for 2 weeks Sierra, along with 5 other teenagers from across Europe booked onto the Teen Travel UK trip.  Teen Travel is a unique programme for 15 & 16 year olds which allows teenagers to learn the art of travel in a safe and supportive environment.  Sierra describes Teen Travel as “helping her with real life problems” and although she learns a lot from her parents about how to budget and organise transportation it isn’t the same as “experiencing it for yourself”.  Living and travelling with others is all about compromise and Sierra found this to be a big part of the trip.  Knowing that what one person wanted wasn’t the only thing that mattered and it was the whole group that needed to agree – “teamwork makes the dreamwork!”  Furthermore, being accountable and learning valuable practical skills translated into Sierra having the ability to navigate the international journey to camp each year.

“the L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra”

Speaking about the overall effects L&E had on Sierra, she expressed that the experiences she gained from the multiple programmes she attended prepared her for college largely due to being exposed to people from different cultural and religious backgrounds.  Without these experiences she felt that her transition to college would have been “difficult”.

We asked Denise to try and sum up how she felt L&E had effected her granddaughter…“the L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra.  She owns and rocks her self-confidence with ease and grace.  That confidence is no longer predicated on the “if they like me”; it is now firmly rooted in the “I will be fine if they don’t”.  Her view of the world and its infinite possibility is tremendously expansive.  She clearly understands that living life is about the journey, as the destination is just a marker at a point in time and ever changing.”

“an absolute pleasure playing a part in Sierra’s journey”

Sierra is currently undertaking an undergraduate course at the University of Kentucky in Animal Science and Technology and her goal is to become a veterinarian, and if you ask her grandmother she will describe this as her “destiny”.

It has been an absolute pleasure playing a part in Sierra’s journey and we wish her all the very best for the future and hope to see her back at L&E one day…perhaps wearing an orange polo shirt!

Full Testimonial from Sierra’s Grandmother

Sierra’s summer experiences with L&E made a tremendous impact on her self-esteem and sense of being.  Meeting, mixing, and bonding with young people from all over the world helped her to establish a real sense of belonging and an understanding of the privilege and responsibility that comes with being a citizen of the world.

L&E creates a microcosm that consistently exemplifies what real community is.  In this space, the young people are able flourish without judgement or ridicule or constraining social norms.  Kind consideration for one another is the underlying vibe or mantra.

With this as a foundation for her summer experiences, Sierra has been able to fully explore what being the best version of self looks like, feels like, and sounds like.  Her experiences with the extra activity (horse riding) helped her “find” her true passion.  The encouragement from the instructors and the opportunities she had to bond with the horses simply sealed her destiny.  Sierra will work with animals – full stop.

Before going to L&E she was being bullied and picked on at school.  The decision to send her to L&E was purely predicated on the fact that we did not want her to grow up feeling like she needed to conform or “be like” just so she could “fit it”.

When we arrived day-1 of her first year; I was helping her unpack and group of girls popped around the corner asking her name and where she was from.  Sierra froze and said nothing, so I did all the introductions.  I remember thinking “come on Sie get out there” and then I just left the room.  Within 5 minutes, she and the entire group came bouncing down the stairs and she was on her way.

As it turns out, her experiences with L&E have been gateway experiences.  Every summer when she returned from camp, she was more confident and secure and capable with a very grounded sense ofwho she is and what she wants from life.

As a part of teem travel, her self-awareness expanded even more.  Teen travel is a truly unique experience because it deems them fully accountable for what happens next.  It becomes a good experience only if they work to make if a good experience – as a team they plan, organise, budget, etc.  The fact that they are responsible for every single aspect of the allows them to make very adult decisions being fully accountable for the outcome.  The practical skills learned as a part of Teen Travel meant that we were more confident in her ability to navigate the international journey to camp every year.

The L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra.  She owns and rocks her self-confidence with ease and grace.  That confidence is no longer predicated on the “if they like me”; it is now firmly rooted in the “I will be fine if they don’t”.  Her view of the world and its infinite possibility is tremendously expansive.  She clearly understands that living life is about the journey, as the destination is just a marker at a point in time and ever changing.

I can never in 1,000 years thank the L&E team enough.

Denise BB, October 2018

Full Interview with Sierra

1: How did you feel about coming to camp before you arrived?

When I first found out I was going to L&E I was excited because I knew it was going to be a great experience but when I arrived there I became very nervous and overwhelmed by the amount of people that were there. Since I was from America and many of the people there were from Europe, I thought that I would be an outcast.

2: How did you feel after camp was finished?

After my 2 weeks of being at camp was over I was very sad. I had so much fun meeting people, participating in activities and games and going horseback riding. When my time at camp was over that’s when I realized how close I had become with the campers and tutors, it felt like I was leaving my second family. 

3: What’s the best thing about camp?

The best part of L&E would have to be how involved the camp is. Most camps I have been to, you would find a small group of people you connected with and stay with them the entire time. With this camp all the activities and games were made to have everyone involved. Here I was able to interact with all people of different age groups and ethnicities and still have fun.

4: What did you learn on Teen Travel?

Teen Travel taught me how to live with others and how to compromise. I’m used to living with family members but had never stayed with people I had just met. I noticed how many times everyone had disagreements over what we wanted to do and what we felt we should spend our money on. Being in these situations made me realize that what I wanted wasn’t the only thing that mattered and that it is important to learn how to work well with others. Teamwork makes the dream work.

5: What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing TT but was undecided?

I would tell them that they should give it a try because it will help them with real life problems. Where I’m from my school never taught me how to budget and find my own transportation and accommodations. The little bit that I did know about these things came from what my parents told me but it’s not the same as experiencing it for yourself. Along with learning all these things you also get the chance to adventure out, meet new people, travel to new places and have fun while doing it. 

6: Any other thoughts about L&E?

I believe L&E is a great place for everyone. I was a very introverted person and L&E helped me step out of my comfort zone and get used to meeting and being around a lot of different people. 

7: What effect did L&E have on you?

In my opinion I believe that L&E has prepared me for college. If it wasn’t for the camp and teen travel I would not have been exposed to being around and living with multiple people from different cultural backgrounds and religions. Without L&E I feel like my transition into college would have been very difficult.

Teen Travel UK Tour Blog

Saturday -Tuesday

We are eleven  people from all around Europe:

Lukas – 15, from Sweden.

Emily – 16, from Holland.

Paul – 16, from Germany.

Serafina – 15, from Germany.

Beatrice – 16, from Germany.

Maria – 16, from Spain.

Marianne – 15, from France.

Gaia – 16, from Italy.

Sam – 15, from England.

Connie – Travel Mentor, England

Julie – Travel Mentor, Scotland

Apart from Sam we all arrived in Manchester airport at various times on Saturday. From there we drove to L&E North camp to plan our trip and get to know each other better. We decided to depart the next day but before we left we all watched the final match for the World Cup and ate at he barbecue with the rest of the camp. After the barbecue big Sam drove us to our first stop in Grassmere where we stayed for one night in a hostel and we all went to the park in the town and we unanimously agreed that we all slept better there than at the camp.

The next day we had breakfast in the self serve kitchen of the hostel and Sam and Lukas made dough balls in the oven. We then took a bus to Brokehole where we went on a treetop trek which ended in a triple zip wire that was 200 meters long! “It was exciting!” – Gaia. Connie had to have her shoe taped onto her foot because it kept almost falling off.

We then took the same bus with a different bus driver who wasn’t as nice to Windermere where we had lunch which was pleasurable. After that we booked the accommodation for Glasgow the night after, furthermore we found a train connection from Kendal to Glasgow that was also affordable for the next day. We then took the bus to Kendal where it then started to rain on our walk to the hostel we were next staying in. After a break we went to Booths to buy food for tonight and the next morning. Sam and Gaia cooked a delicious meal for dinner – pasta with cheese sauce.  Lukas told some ghost stories (not that scary) and we all sat and chatted until bed time. 

Tuesday – Thursday

After a lovely breakfast in Kendal we took the train to Glasgow. It was a long journey and we had to stop and change the train – at the intermediate station Julie had to pretend to be a dog because of a dare!

Since this morning a fun game had started ,where everyone has to “kill” someone else in a specific place and way, two people were already killed.

We arrived at the hostel around 5 o’clock and we ate at Wetherspoon. The evening was full of talks and bonding and we also started to see Shrek

Deaths of the day:

1. Connie – singing the national anthem on a train, in the morning.
2. Marianne – smelling something in a shop, in the morning.

Wednesday 18th

The next day started slowly. We woke up at around 10 am and after a good breakfast we took the bus to Glasgow centre. After a short trip to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and the park everybody was allowed to go of in groups of at least and discover Glasgow on their own. Most of us went to a burger and than make a short shopping trip.

Back (in at) the hostel Marianne started making crêpes – Sam as chef in training. We than went to bed “in time” because the next day would start very early.

Deaths of the day:

1)  Paul – reading a book on a playground, at midday

2)  Beatrice – singing the national anthem (german) in the bathroom, at lunchtime

Thursday 19th

To day we had to get up at 6.30 am to get the bus to Loch Ness at 7 am. Because of the early time we didn’t eat breakfast, so we had packed (a lot of) (many) snacks for the bus. The bus trip to loch ness took us about four hours but we had a few stops at beautiful places to make pictures and get a pass from the sitting.

When we arrived at Loch Ness we had two options. We could either go and see the castle and than make a cruise on the Loch or only do the cruise. 

• Spent the day in Glasgow (shopping, eating, a pigeon poop on Lukas…)
• Tastes good
• Take bus (discover scottland)
• loch ness
• Take the bus back (strange songs)

Friday…

In the morning we arrived in Edinburgh. Making our way through the streets in the rain, we found a bus to take us to the hostel, not far from the city centre. Sam was in charge of directions and we followed him (cautiously) down several side streets off the main road. Despite a slightly scary looking front door,

we walked through into a travellers paradise; a ping-pong table, PlayStation, comfy sofas and relaxed, friendly staff awaited. The hostel was made up of converted shipping containers, neatly arranged with every amenity. We felt at home right away. 

No time to relax though; we dropped our bags and went straight into town to explore. We picked up some lunch on-the-go, and made a beeline for the Royal Mile. It was hard to miss the incredible architecture as we wound through the streets; the National Gallery of Scotland and the Castle were particularly impressive. Reaching ‘Camera Obscura’ – a museum of oddities, illusions and mind games – we were were happy to get out of the drizzle. It full of bizarre, interactive activities and we emerged later on, giggling on to the streets. Straight on to a restaurant for food, we then just had time for a quick walk up to Calton Hill for the sunset. It did not take much persuading to get everyone to sleep back at the hostel after such a jam-packed day.

We awoke to a sunny day ~ yes, the sun does shine in Scotland! We all headed to the motorbike and music festival we had booked a few days ago, it was on the same side of the city as us which was good. It was very cool – lots of different styles of motorbikes, we even got to sit on some of them!!  We also had a shot on a theme park ride – Sam has been on so many his facial expression didn’t change at all but all of the girls hair was going round and round and round!  

After we got back to the hostel we collected our bags and headed back into town to try and get some onesies for the bus journey. Unfortunately we couldn’t find any we liked so we bought some blankets and some neck pillows which turned out to be invaluable. We went to a restaurant to get some food and to also make a plan for the next part of our trip. Our big map came in handy – it’s good to have a visual of the UK to see how far away each place is from the other. We all worked very hard to plan the next part of our trip – we were getting very tired which was good as we knew we were about to spend the next 9hours on the overnight bus to London. 

The bus station wasn’t far from the restaurant which was great as we were all quite tired and ready to try and sleep. Although the bus was a little cold we did manage to get some sleep. Next stop – LONDON!!!!!!!

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