DiscoverEU Meetup 2024

Welcome to join Globala Kronoberg’s DiscoverEU-meetup at the end of July 2024. We will spend three days at Sweden’s first sustainable farm hostel, slowing down and enjoying the Swedish nature. On the schedule there will be canoeing, fishing, outdoor games and Sauna baths.
Not only is Ödevata hostel a beautiful place to be at, but as a sustainable facility they run their own aquaponic cultivation, produce their own bio coal and grow most of their own food. In joining our meetup you will learn more about how to live sustainably and how different methods can help us become climate positive.

During the meetup we will stay as a group 70 km outside of Växjö in the countryside of Emmaboda. Participants are accommodated for two nights in shared rooms, and three lunches, two breakfast and two dinners will be provided. The Meetup will start and end in the city of Växjö, which you can easily reach by train from either Stockholm, Gothenburg or Copenhagen.

This Meetup will give you the chance to take it a little bit slower, spend plenty of time with the other participants and enjoy the magical Swedish summer.

Day 1, Tuesday 23rd of July

10.30-14.00:
Welcome to Växjö

We will start the meetup by meeting at the Linneus park in central Växjö. There we will get to know each other, play some light games and get acquainted with the surroundings. After the first introduction we will head to our popular local museum, The house of Immigrants, to get to know more about Växjö's and Småland's large history with emigration during the 1800s. At midday we will have lunch at one of Växjös more prominent restaurants, famous for it's special atmosphere. At 14.00 we will leave Växjö by bus to travel to Ödevata hostel where will will spend the rest of the meetup .

15.00-19.00
Arrival to Ödevata

Upon arrival at Ödevata hostel we will check in and have our first Swedish Fika. (Coffee break). After the break, the next stop on the agenda is the study visit of Ödevata's Aquaponic Green house, where the staff will not only tell us about the current ecofriendly systems in place, but also about Ödevatas vision to become climate positive and the steps they are taking towards that. To finish of the first day a vegetarian barbecue dinner will be served, together with fish from the local lake.

Day 2, Wednesday the 24th July

10.00-20.00
Canoing, fishing and hiking

We start the morning of the second day with canoing and rowing on the nearby lake. Vegetarian lunch will be served at midday. After the dinner there will be the opportunity to either try some fishing or go for light hike in the surroundings.

Pentathlon, pizza and sauna

In the later part of the day we will do a pentathlon, 5 parts competition. In teams we will compete with each other in classical sport branches such as sack-jumping, egg-race and Irish Christmas. For dinner we will do our own pizzas, and the day finishes with sauna baths next to and on the lake.

Day 3, Thursday 25th of July

10.00-13.30.00:
Workshops and Farewell

Questionnaire about “Europe&I”: The participants will form small groups and answer/discuss questions about how they perceive Europe and their role in it through the cultural lenses of their respective countries.
Letter to their future selves: The participants will get to write and send a letter with their own selves as the recipients, but they won’t get to open them before they conclude their Interrail trip. They can share their thoughts, expectations, and fears in the letters and then they can reflect on them when they are back home and they’re hopefully full of new experiences and fun memories.
Lunch at 12.30, then departure back to Växjö by bus at 13.30, arriving in Växjö ca 14.30 rom where we’ll release the participants, to either explore the city or catch their trains to continue their journey