Halfway around the world

First time travelling outside of ‘central’ Europe with Erasmus+. First time travelling together as Team Sweden this year, with many of the team members being new students to SIS or to Sweden. First time for Anneli Thompson and Felix de Pablo working together as Erasmus+ coordinators. 

First time… the list goes on.

Friday, Nov 14, 2025

Lots of excitement as we gathered in a cafe at the airport at Arlanda after checking in over hot chai and focaccia sandwiches. It was lovely to see the girls across the grades bond over chatter while the boys kept their distance to begin with. This would continue to begin with, but soon enough, the boys were ushered into the circle of excited girls over the days to come. 

Our flight to Paris went very smoothly, and the students enjoyed walking around the shops all decorated for Christmas and again, chatting away before it was time to board our long-haul flight. Mrs Anneli had requested seat changes at the service desk and managed to put students together so everyone was happily settled. Chatter died down as movies and the entertainment screens took over before everyone eventually surrendered to sleep. (Staff on this Air France flight were exceptionally friendly and stopped for a chat with everyone on board, and it felt like passengers were familiar to them and daily commuters. Great opportunity for us to begin practicing our French too!)

Saturday, Nov 15, 2025

It’s not every day you land on a runway that is meters from the ocean, and before we knew it, we were hit by the humid heat as we disembarked our flight and were welcomed to Roland Garros Airport in Saint Denis, La Réunion. (FYI, Roland Garros was not a French tennis champion as I assumed…but rather a famous French aviator, who was born in La Réunion!)

A friendly driver of a mini-van taxi, met us and took the girls who refused to be separated (in a confident way, not bossy way) and the rest of us picked up the teacher’s car rental and Mr Felix de Pablo drove the 45 minute ride to Etage Sale, where the girls had already been picked up by their host families and the boys were welcomed by their families and off they went too. 

In the team chat, we were sent messages and pictures of first-day experiences. Many took naps to recover from the long journey before going for drives, or to the beach, or just hanging out. Mr de Pablo and Mrs Anneli drove the famous winding roads to Cilaos to hike to a waterfall and walk around the town center to ward off jetlag and travel exhaustion. A few things we discovered, aside from the obvious beauty of the nature of this tropical island. The locals love the great outdoors like Swedes, and we saw teams of cyclists racing up and down the mountain's steep roads, many hikers everywhere, and groups of families or friends out for picnics in public picnic areas everywhere. It was only the ‘first’ day on La Reunion island, and already we had been left with so many impressions. 

Sunday, Nov 16, 2025

Most of the families joined together for a picnic on the beach, which we had already learnt the day before, is a common pastime for the families on this beautiful island. Ask your son or daughter what they did!

Monday, Nov 17, 2025

It was the most lovely feeling to arrive at the school and hear shouts of excitement as our team members ran to hug and greet us after two days apart. It was a nice reunion before we were ushered into the dining room for our welcome fika. We were welcomed to La Reunion and Collège Aimé Césaire by the school principal, Monsieur Pierre Quentel, and Madame Carole Acousy (English teacher and Erasmus+ coordinator). We also met the principal and two teachers from our partner school and their three students from Marsala, on the island of Sicily, Italy.  

We began the morning by presenting ourselves. Svea, Luna, and Alma did a fabulous job presenting Sweden and SIS. They were very proud to represent Sweden, which they call home. Mrs Anneli had to step in a few times, especially when Alma proceeded to tell the entire history lesson of King Vasa and Vasaloppet…in very impressive detail. 

We also presented how we work with the SDG goals in a variety of ways at SIS, mainly with Erasmus+ activities like ‘Håll Sverige Rent’, our fabulous kitchen and maintenance staff prioritising recycling of materials, leftover food, etc, in our school, the design department promoting recycling of materials in project work, etc and donations of clothes and gifts to our sister school in Nepal. 

We were humbled, however, by all the sustainability and recycling initiatives that both partner schools do and lead. Examples of these were: The school in Sicily had funding from the EU to set up EdeGreen and create an indoor garden that the students would take care of, but also use in their biology lessons, etc. There was a ‘Take a plant to school day’, to contribute plants and flowers to make the school greener. The school in La Reunion not only had projects to avoid wasting food, such as a chilled tray in the canteen where students could place their unopened food products like yoghurt or fruit that would then be donated to a food bank that day. They also worked with local artists to create art or design using recycling materials, as well as a Christmas Swap of unused items or gifts and local cleaning drives. We were very impressed with all the initiatives both schools did and took.

We were given a tour of the school and its sports facilities, etc, that they share with the municipality. The view was stunning, and when on the track field, Mr de Pablo couldn’t resist running races with a PHE class. 

The teams were ready for a chilled evening after the presentations and tours, so they were quick to organise with their host ‘siblings’ to meet up at the local beach. (A black sand, volcanic beach). Mr de Pablo and Mrs Anneli played chaperones and picked up and dropped off those who lived further up the mountain and couldn’t get there easily. It was lovely to see them enjoy the beauty of the ocean, bond with each other, and, of course, meet some of the parents who also chaperoned or came to pick up the teens. Always good to meet the families. 

Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025

The sun shone as we met in a classroom and were presented a very educational presentation on marine biodiversity and ocean protection. We had a fantastic marine biologist, Libu, who represented the company, Globice. It was great to get to know the different species of marine wildlife in the ocean around the island. Unfortunately, we were not visiting during whale breeding season, where viewing whales is very common. Once again, a great way to learn about the ocean and earn even more respect for it. Libu shared ways we can continue to try to preserve marine life around the world and what the people and government of La Reunion are trying to do or are already doing. There’s always more to be done. Her love for marine life was contagious and got us excited about using our new knowledge of dolphin species we hoped to view during our boat tour. 

As expected, team Sweden were quick to expose their skin to the sunshine and vitamin D while the mother hen, Mrs Anneli, made sure they were all spraying themselves with her sun lotion despite some protests. The ocean blue was spectacular, and the views stunning as we set off to try to spot a dolphin or two….and A dolphin was all we spotted during the two-hour boat tour, which only those seated in the FRONT of the boat got a glimpse of before the dolphin dove back into the water, and that was the most we saw. A bit disappointing, but the views were stunning, the company of each other entertaining, and a great afternoon all the same. 

Our next first was to test out the popular fast food of Pain Americain, which is their local ‘fast food’. The queue was long, so Mrs Anneli left Mr de Pablo with some students to get food while she took the others across the street to the white sand coral beach. Almost an hour later, they returned with small packs of French fries, ice cream, or drinks. No pain américain. The restaurant had run out of ingredients, and we learnt that instead of counting how much ‘pain’ they had left when they saw the crowds, they kept everyone waiting till they were out. Not an impressed crowd, and plenty of French frustration came out from other customers. At least we had a beautiful coral reef to discover, and the hungry pangs were replaced with joy as they saw tropical fish, shells, and the sealife. Once again, bonding between the team members and the other teams as they swam and discovered together. Note to self: Bring snorkelling goggles next time.

Wednesday, Nov 19, 2025

A former local couture designer, Isabelle Odon, who had studied and worked in New York, Paris, etc, during her career, but had understood with time how the fashion industry was harming the climate, and her island in particular. She chose to change what material she used in her designs and fashion line and worked with more sustainable materials and techniques. She was working with students on designing clothes for a sustainable project in the spring, but we got to get our hands dyed and creative with a workshop. Ronen was our determined artist who worked on untangling some tie-dyed sheets that were not easy, but she got it done. A fun and educational workshop that once again promoted creativity and looking after our planet. Very inspirational morning. 

Inspirational experiences continued after lunch when we were welcomed by the Sign Language department. We had noticed the minute we had arrived at Aime Cesar College, that this was an extremely inclusive school. There were several students in wheelchairs, but also many deaf students of different degrees. They had several deaf teachers who signed in lessons but also taught the French Sign Language (Langue des Signes Française). We were informed that several students had requested sign language lessons so they could communicate easier with their deaf classmates. Several of these students presented why they chose to do this. Once again, truly inspirational. Their principal, Monsieur Quentel, explained that he was advocating for FSL lessons to be set up in the high school so these students and more could study FSL after leaving this secondary school.

Their extremely enthusiastic FSL teacher led us in a workshop on learning how to sign Sweden, Italy, La Reunion, and more. It was once again humbling and inspirational. The sign for Sweden is a rising mountain while the sign for La Reunion is an active volcano. 

Thursday, Nov 20, 2025

Another day of firsts…surfing lessons in the Indian Ocean.

The teams got in their surfing rashes and grabbed their beginner’s surfboards and to the shore they went. Two surfing instructors introduced the world of surfing, from the respect of protecting the ocean to respecting fellow surfers etc on the surf. Then it was time to test their new surfing skills of paddling and standing on the board, which as one can imagine, is easier said than done. Yet, these teenagers and Mr de Pablo were determined to try all they could to get up on the board in the short time we had. It was wonderful to stand on the shore and capture their joy, their excitement, their balances and their falls on camera and film as they made the most of their morning surf session. Time flew by as it does when one is having fun and it was time to paddle back to shore and return to school. 

The afternoon was spent collaborating with English classes in the school, where our teams mixed with English language students where they mainly focused on discussing the differences and similarities of our schools and our views and actions on sustainability.

Mrs. Anneli was walking around the classrooms when she saw that Madame Carole was also teaching an English class and decided to pop in and introduce herself…which led to a full-scale drama lesson in English which transformed the classroom into a drama studio for the afternoon. The ‘shy’ students came out of their shells as is common in a drama lesson and their English was put to practice without them realising it. Equally important was even more connections with students of the school, not in the Erasmus+ program necessarily. 

We finished the day with creating phone cable holders using recycled material led by the school nurse who happened to also love sewing and had such a great connection with the students. 

For the evening, the French host students had arranged a final dinner with everyone at a local pizzeria and ‘French taco’ restaurant. Once again, Mr de Pablo and Mrs Anneli were the designated drivers and yes, Mr de Pablo did have to put his foot down that they were NOT to enter the restaurant to say ‘Bonsoir’ but rather leave the young people to themselves.

Friday, Nov 21, 2025

We had the privilege to be led on a walk by the principal Monsieur Pierre, to the other secondary school of L’etang Sale, Simon Lucas College. Minutes after we settled in their student led organic garden and farm, the skies opened and it was a tropical rain storm for the hour. Perfect timing for us to sit under cover and be introduced to the great initiative by the Biology teacher, Monsieur Pascale Bauvies. During the pandemic, when things were tough around the world, he decided to turn a small car park on the school grounds into a working organic garden and farm. His main goal was to get the students to take responsibility for the project and they did. They have a staff member who monitors the work throughout the day as students come during the breaks or lunch. It has been a great source for the mental health of many students to see the seeds they plant grow into herbs and vegetables that they tend to until they can harvest it and sell it in the local organic market. Funds they raise are then used to continue the development of the garden. We were introduced to the school mascots, the hens, the rooster, the chicks and even some rabbits! What a transformation of life from a concrete car park. Again, very inspirational. 

While the French students had been very hesitant to present and share insight about the project in English, the ‘ice-breaker’ between the teams was taking the teams on the tour of the farm and farm animals and after that, the chatter was unstoppable and connections made. As we began to leave the school, more students appeared and more high fives exchanged and greetings were made. In other words, we could have stayed here all day and connected with the friendly students and staff. A note for next year.

It was time to celebrate our achievements and collaboration with a closing ceremony. Monsieur Quentel and Madame Carole presented the teams with their Erasmus+ certificates. It was touching how the principal could say some personal words about each student as he had really taken the time to be with us, make sure we were welcome, giving us information about his adopted island and culture. We each received a mug with a motif from La Reunion to enjoy our tea or coffee in and remember our special week here. 

It was the final afternoon and evening so many students left to make the most of their time together. The male members of Team Sweden had unsurprisingly not had time to shop for gifts or souvenirs, so Mr de Pablo and Mrs Anneli drove them to the next seaside town of Saint-Leu to avoid the traffic elsewhere. A few final souvenirs and gifts were purchased though it was mainly snacks for the plane journey home that excited them the most. 

Families had organised final dinners and we knew they were all in good hands. 

Saturday, November 22

Early morning gathering to say our final goodbye’s for this mobility. As expected, tears ran in both teenagers and some parents as it was time to say goodbye. Mrs Anneli had to finally announce that Team Sweden had to get into the mini-bus and no more hugs. (Very unpopular moment). This chapter was closed and it was heartwarming to see how the week had progressed to this moment. The team had worked through their differences, language and cultural differences and learnt to adapt and make it work. This is a strength of this mobility exchange, hard as they can be at times. 

Everything went smoothly and soon we were at the gate. Excited chatter about their week and experiences and more of course. Mr de Pablo has most probably heard more ‘girl talk’ this walk than he has heard in his life. 

We had been spread out a bit on the plane so Mr de Pablo and Mrs Anneli traded seats with students so all of them were beside each other and we would check on them and make sure they were not hungry between meals. Films and naps kept us occupied till we arrived to wintry wonderland Paris.

Yes, we left 25 degrees, sunshine, a bit of rainstorms for a snow storm in Paris, which had caused chaos at Charles de Gaulle airport. While we were all ready to get home within a few hours…we were soon presented with a few ‘firsts’. 

Apparently, the snow had wreaked havoc all day with flights delayed or cancelled. The terminal was crowded. We arrived at our gate and were told that our flight was at least two hours delayed and we were given food vouchers. That sounded alright so the team scurried to get food and drinks before the food halls closed. Then came unhappy news. Our flight was cancelled. It was already 22.30…and we were rebooked on flights the next morning…and evening…two separate flights. 

We ran down to gather our suitcases and rushed to the check in desks to make further arrangements. We were one of so many flights cancelled so there were queues everywhere.

Mrs Anneli saw a check in desk without a queue, and rushed over to kindly ask the attendant to help this school team in need. An angel must have descended on her because she spent the next hour, (with a lot of pleading and praise from Mrs Anneli) to rebook our flights for the next morning rather than afternoon but the main dilemma still being that they couldn’t get us all on the same flight due to lack of seats available on the SAS flight. Finally, we were all on the same SAS flight to Copenhagen but that we would have to rebook the next flight from there to Stockholm upon arrival. Nothing they could do.

However, they were very kind to book us all into an airport hotel in the next town and arrange seats on a transfer bus. (Most passengers stranded had to stay at the airport or arrange their own transport and hotels to get compensated later on). An angel helped us make sure we all got hotel rooms and shuttle bus rides without having to pay out a penny.

Mr de Pablo rushed with the students and our bags across what seemed like all of CDG airport to where the shuttle buses were and got rides to a hotel alongside other stranded passengers. Once again, Mrs Anneli had to insist that they prioritise our group of young people so they could get to bed as it was after midnight at this point. 

In hindsight, we were grateful for the few hours in a quiet, clean, hotel bed after the chaotic evening. As is the standard of this wonderful team, at 05:15 the next morning (less than 5 hours later), they were all back in the lounge ready to continue our adventure home to Sweden.

We were spread all along the plane of course from Paris to Copenhagen. Mrs Anneli then ran with our youngest members across the airport to try to rebook them to the same flight as the rest of the team. An angel was watching over us as others were doing the same…but we managed to all be flying home on the same flight at the same time! YES!

We could now breathe sighs of relief, enjoy a hot or cold drink by the gate, take a final team picture…and considering how little sleep we had had in the past 30 hours, we looked…fresh!

We made it to Arlanda. We made it to the wonderful arms of parents and siblings. We hugged each other goodbye and made our way home. These young people went home as heroes in our eyes. They didn’t complain once the entire time we were ‘in the whirlwind of ‘air travel gone wrong’. They carried their bags between gate changes, they pulled their suitcases back and forth in the terminals. They waited patiently as their leaders did all they could to get everyone home safely and together. They followed instructions, helped keep the team together and were polite to everyone even when exhausted. They took it all in stride. Unbelievable. 

As mentioned at the beginning, a lot of firsts. Firsts that Manosinh, Finn, Yena, Roan, Svea, Luna, Alma, Lillian, Amelie and Elle took on with great enthusiasm, determination and spirit. 

Felix and I are so proud of every single one of them. We had a fantastic Erasmus+ mobility as Team Sweden to La Reunion island for the first time, and we hope for many more.

Felix and Anneli