The first Roeland experience of Lytte Verstraeten dates from 2017. She signed up for the Junior French camp in Flône. “Before I went on this Roeland adventure, I was afraid my knowledge of the French language would be inadequate. In hindsight it was not like that at all. At camp I tried to speak as much in French as I could. At the end I noticed a considerable progress.” She signed up four more times, for the camp in Bure. “Truly the best camps ever”, she shares with enthusiasm.
Loyal participant becomes zealous volunteer
When Lytte exceeded the age limit for the camp in Bure, she decided to try out the camp at Marche-En-Famenne. “My age allowed me to partake as a student, but I decided to sign up for a teacher training and to be a part of the team”, she says. “The right decision, as it turned out to be!”
After four camps as a volunteer, Lytte wanted to join up as a student once more. She wanted a more exotic camp feel this time, also suited for the slightly older, and with an element of surprise to it. “I contacted Jérémie, Head of Projects French +12 and seasoned Roeland co-worker. He was the one who told me about ‘France Itinérante’.”
France itinérante
“Before I left, I did not know what to expect”, Lytte admits. “I always felt at ease with Roeland, but I was very curious, nevertheless. Every camp day brought us a separate set of activities. It turned out to be super fun.” This camp allows the participants more freedom. “It felt great to gain Jérémie’s trust to organize activities by ourselves, or in small groups, unsupervised.”, she says.
“France Itinérante was an extraordinary experience. At first, we all were a little shy, but it did not take too long for us to blossom and become a close group”, Lytte says. “We started out with games to get to know each other, highly motivated to start off on the right foot. Then we were headed for our first stop: Platier d’Oye. We did a hike on the beach, and we also had lunch there”. It is fair to say the mood was right.
Adventure from Calais to Le Touquet
“Under Jérémie’s supervision we strayed from the trail, but that added even more spice to our adventure”, Lytte says with a smile. “Then we spent two nights in a Calais youth hostel. We visited the Lace Museum and the Saint-Omer cathedral. And we enjoyed a wonderful boat ride afterwards.”
“Following, we were headed for Boulogne-sur-Mer. We visited the Nausicaa aquarium and in the evening, we ate at a cosy restaurant. The day after we went to Montreuil-sur-Mer, where we slept in an ancient castle and made our own pizza. On the last day, we visited Le Touquet. And so, it was time to return home already. Time does fly when you´re having fun!”
The countdown begins
‘Changing location every day and discovering new parts of the country by doing so was definitely a fun part of the camp. A source of adventure and a very refreshing take on being at camp”, Lytte says.
“Honestly? Sign up for a Roeland camp, whether you already did or not. Every year I count the days until the start of the camp week. It really is the greatest time of year. Every camp has a surprisingly different take to it, so do not be afraid to try out different camps. You will find a camp that suits you even better than the one you already went to!”
