04/05/2025
Last week, the Greece & Turkey trip ended.
The trip's mission was to "seek a more authentic kind of travel" and "forge connections with locals and fellow travelers." So, how did we do?
Below is a sample of the various adventure challenges that our teenage participants undertook throughout the 6 weeks.
Each challenge was designed spontaneously by the trip leaders to take advantage of chance opportunities, local resources, and the various aptitudes and personalities of our group members.
๐ Walk downhill from the Athens Acropolis in pairs: one person with their eyes closed, walking backwards; the other guiding and keeping them safe
๐ต๏ธโโ๏ธ Research leads for the next hostel where the group might stay, taking into consideration location, price, safety, amenities, and vibe
๐ฌ๐ท Interview Greek people in the street about Greek Independence Day (taking place the same day) and what it means to them
๐ชง Take public transport to a small town and hold up a sign written in Greek, inviting people to talk with you about a specific topic
๐คซ Play a game of sneaky tag in a city center, followed by a picnic lunch under a bridge, in the middle of a rainstorm
โฐ Leave the hostel by 7am and embark upon a "maximum physical effort" adventure for four hours
๐ Practice listening deeply and offering honest personal feedback with other group members
๐โโ๏ธ Do something totally routine while visiting a capital cityโlike using a gym, getting a haircut, or finding a chess club
๐ฒ Plan, shop, cook, and tidy up a tasty dinner for 15 people using a cramped and questionably outfitted hostel kitchen
๐งโ๐คโ๐ง Introduce yourself to interesting fellow travelers in the hostel and invite them to join the group dinner
๐ฃ๏ธ Walk around and verbally survey tourists about their experience in a city (e.g., What's your least favorite thing about Athens?)
๐ช Show up in a popular destination without a plan for where to stay, spread out, knock on doors, and negotiate discounted last-minute rates
๐ณ๏ธ Sleep on the deck of an overnight ferry as comfortably as you can
๐ Analyze the contrasting power and privilege of your group members
๐บ๏ธ Explore a new city by voyaging between four distant landmarks using four distinct modes of public transport (subway, bus, ferry, tram)
๐ฏ Play a game of assassin in a bazaar while simultaneously learning new words in Turkish from vendors
๐งญ Take a bus somewhere new and then get home with your phones off, relying exclusively on word-of-mouth advice
๐ Design and print a t-shirt for everyone in your traveling group, incorporating in-jokes and references
๐ Create a 10-minute crash-course history presentation about Greek-Turkish relations for other members of the group
๐ฒ Discover a game that's popular in Turkey (and new to you), learn it, and teach it to everyone else
๐๏ธ Create an investigative audio podcast (5-10 min) about the lives of street cats: who they belong to, who cares for them, and common issues
๐ Organize a themed dress-up dinner party on a small budget, incorporating thrift store clothing and props
What we learn on Unschool Adventures trips, over and over again, is that we don't need to eat fancy meals, hit the "top 10" sights, or get the perfect selfie to enjoy ourselves. We just need to bring together a group of people with similar goals, positive attitudes, the desire to grow and learn, and a willingness to sacrifice a certain degree of comfort in the name of adventure.
With that foundation, you can go almost anywhere and have an amazing time. ๐๐ฅ๐๏ธ๐
