Students in our park

Hey, my name is Silke. I am 20 years old and from the Netherlands. Two years ago, I was busy studying Tourism and Recreation at De Rooi Pannen in Eindhoven. We have been given the opportunity to do an internship abroad for 4/5 months. I knew then that this was an opportunity to start a really cool adventure. I wanted to do something with extreme sports, but I didn’t know which country. After several conversations with my teacher, a camp in Slovenia came up. This was Camp Menina. The only thing I heard was Slovenia. I knew nothing about this country. When I told people about this offer, they thought the same. It’s such an unknown country and there’s probably nothing there. After several days of searching for other countries, I ended up back at Camp Menina. After some research about Slovenia and the camp, I was ready to give her a chance and start the adventure.

And that’s how I came to Slovenia in April 2019. I came here with a classmate who went to work in animation. My first impression of Slovenia was incredible! Everything is so green, there are mountains everywhere, and around every corner is a new church or chapel. The driver who picked us up from the airport taught us a few Slovenian words. Well, the first ‘word’ we had to learn was his name. Some Slovenian names seem impossible to pronounce, let alone read. Then we learned basic words like thank you and hello. The drive to the campsite was breathtaking and I loved all the nature around me.

When I came to the camp, I had to get used to how things are done here in Slovenia. We Dutch like to make plans and we like to know exactly when we need to be where. Here it can be a little different. But it ended well and I got used to it. After about a month, the season started, which meant that the hard work began. I got to know my colleagues and everyone who worked at the camp. I worked at Funpark Menina, got to know everyone there and found out that I was the only girl who would be working there full time. At first it was a bit scary, but after a while all the guys I worked with seemed like brothers. This is one thing I have learnt about the people who live here. They are super welcoming and friendly. They always try to have the best time, no matter who is there with them.

I started my internship learning a lot of different things. When we went on trips, I had to take pictures of the guests, so I had to learn how to become a pro on the river. You need to know the lines and rapids of the river. That was great fun! I had to learn and improve my rope descent in the canyon. Or I had to be able to rescue someone from an adrenaline park. They really give you the chance to improve at work and have more and more fun doing it.

I had Saturdays off. Saturdays were for relaxing or exploring Slovenia. There’s plenty to do in the campsite, but Slovenia in general has so much to offer. For example, when you go on a day trip to the coast, you feel like you’re in Italy, or you go to the mountains and feel like Austria. Slovenia also has some beautiful caves and wonderful rivers and waterfalls. I went to the Skocjan Caves. They are stunning and definitely worth your time! Or the Rinka Waterfall, the second highest waterfall in Slovenia, which has a magnificent view of the mountains. The best way to explore its beauty is by car or bicycle. I did some really nice tours to Nazarje by bike. But you really can go almost anywhere on a bike.

And it’s fun to stay in the campsite. Every Wednesday we had (and still have) live music. It’s always been one big party, and the people who work at the campsite get together for a drink and enjoy the music. These were the moments when I relaxed and became closer to my colleagues. The drinks are good, but let me tell you about the great food! I always had dinner or lunch in the restaurant at the campsite. One of my favourites was definitely freshly made and baked pizza, or pasta carbonara, or ravioli, or goulash. I can only speak in superlatives about the food.

Before I knew it, the 4 months were up and I had to pack my bags… Knowing that I had to leave this beautiful city without knowing when or if I would return was not pleasant. I said goodbye and returned home. When I was at home, I really understood what had just happened and all the things I was doing. I have been camping all my life in different campsites, but none other than Camp Menina. The whole campsite has a relaxed and fun atmosphere. All the people who camp there find their own places for tents that they like. I’m not saying all this because I worked there and I should promote the camp, but I’m really thinking about it this way.

Now 2 years later, I couldn’t wait any longer and returned to the camp as a surprise. Nothing has changed in these 2 years. They welcomed me with open arms and lots of hugs. The people here are still great and I’m still secretly in love with Slovenia. That’s why they call it sLOVEnija. Be careful coming here, because before you know it, you don’t want to leave.