On the Bus, We Jump for Ton
This blog was written by Floor van Oers, a member of study association Storm, and was cross-posted by the Green Office.
Travel is something that most people love. Exploring new places, new cultures, and new people. Being able to fly to faraway places is the epitome of freedom. Air travel, however, also comes at a cost. It’s one of the most unsustainable practices one can have (right up there with animal product consumption). Associations often want to make a trip with a group of students. Storm is the study association for the bachelor Global Sustainability Science and two Master’s programmes. We actively choose to travel more sustainably: by bus, train, or public transport. On our weekends away, we travel there by public transport, such as on our (super sustainable) sailing weekend, or we have a hitchhike weekend.
Every year, Storm also makes a large trip: 10 days, 60 students, and one big bus. Besides the fact that it’s significantly better for the environment, it’s also a lot of fun: it’s one of the most anticipated events of the year.
The trip is always very popular because we go to a bunch of different cities, which is not really possible if you go by plane. I might even say that going by bus gives us even more freedom! For example, last year, we went to Prague, Lipno, Budapest, Český Krumlov, Triglav National Park, and Augsburg. That’s six different places in four countries! The trip, also known as BC, always includes a few big cities, but often also a few ‘hidden gems’ that you wouldn’t decide to visit yourself that quickly. For example, Český Krumlov was one of my favourite locations last year, it was gorgeous!
Now, I can probably hear you think: that’s a lot of kilometres and a lot of hours on the bus. But I can tell you: it’s really not that bad! Storm has been travelling through Europe by bus for almost two decades. For the last one, we’ve always had the same bus driver: Ton. He is a real legend within Storm, we even have a song for him.
We are allowed to do anything on the bus: dance, jump (for Ton), games… he has seen it all. Travelling is part of the fun of the trip! We might spend a lot of time on the bus, but it creates a real group spirit, at the end of the 10-day trip, everyone is crying that it’s over. You have all become one big friend group, and that’s one of the nicest things about the trip.
In my opinion, it’s really about the journey, not the destination. The journey you make with 59 other students (and a funny bus driver). So, next time you want to travel somewhere, consider going by bus: after all, you never forget your first BC (study trip).
Our Big Fat Green Trip
This blog was posted as a part of the Green Office's project Our Big Fat Green Trip. This project raises awareness for sustainable modes of travel and awards a reward to the most sustainable study association through a ranking system. For more information, click here.
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