Today, France is going through a heatwave. The temperature is over 40 degrees, the air is heavy, it sticks to your skin… in short, I don’t like this air.
So I close my eyes.
I imagine myself in Scotland, on a beach, early in the morning. There is wind, the sea is rough, and the sand is cold beneath my feet. I could keep my shoes on… but no, I want to feel the sand between my toes. Then I hear my friends arriving with scones. After breakfast, we take the train towards a new hike in the Scottish Highlands.
My name is Eloane, and I come from France. I was born in Normandy, have Breton roots, and grew up in Corrèze, in a small village called Saint-Cernin-de-Larche.
What I love most when I travel is not visiting the most touristic places. It is listening to people talk in a café without understanding their language, or simply walking. In Slovenia and Ireland, my most beautiful encounters happened during hikes. These moments always give me the same feeling: being very small in a huge world.
This is why nature has such an important place in my travels. I have never wanted to simply cross a country while collecting photos. I want to understand the places I discover, listen to the people who live there. For me, respecting a place begins by creating a connection with it.
Two years ago, a talk by Amandine Hersant, president of the NGO Planète Urgence (https://planete-urgence.org/en/), changed the way I see things. She helped me understand that protecting the environment could not remain an idea, but had to become a way of living.
Since then, I have tried to make my actions match my values. My friends tell me I will become a bird because I eat so many seeds, and my parents ask if I have become vegetarian whenever I leave meat out of my meals. These comments make me smile, but for me, it is simply a logical way of living.
In my travels, this means making simple choices: taking the train whenever possible, consuming locally, using reusable items, and picking up litter while hiking. These actions may seem small, but they reflect the way I want to travel: with respect and awareness.
These reflections connect with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production and SDG 13 on climate action.
From September onwards, I will travel to Aberdeen by train for my university exchange. I know I will discover a new territory, culture, and landscapes.
Now, I open my eyes. The heatwave is still here. The air is still heavy. But this time, I do not want to only dream about tomorrow’s discoveries: I also want to take care of the places I come from.
Through these words, I commit to respecting Scottish nature, adopting a responsible attitude, and reducing my impact as much as possible.
Kenavo, goodbye in Breton, and see you soon.
Eloane
