Our DiscoverEU journey stretched from Budapest and Ljubljana to Verona, Florence and finally Capannori — a small Italian town with a global idea. Together with four friends and our mentor, we travelled across Europe by train to meet Rossano Ercolini, founder of the worldwide Zero Waste movement. Sitting in his workshop and later speaking with the town’s mayor showed us that even a small community can inspire international change.
Not everything went smoothly. In 40°C heat, our accommodation suddenly cancelled and we had to quickly organise another place to sleep. In Munich, we accidentally stayed in the gardens after closing time and thought we were locked inside for the night. We solved both situations by staying calm and working together.
My biggest travel hack: speak with locals, even through language barriers. Those conversations taught me more about Europe than any guidebook ever could.