by Aline Maillard, Switzerland
This year, the CYE board decided to visit Zagreb, specifically the youth organization CeliVita, for our first in-person board meeting. Antonio and Jana (our delegate) from the CeliVita board remarkably established an active and hospitable coeliac youth organization in less than 2 years! This is why the CYE board was ever so eager to see them in action. Unfortunately, Amalie was not able to join us on the trip, so she participated remotely in our board meetings.
When we arrived, we were invited to the CeliVita headquarters, which they share with a gluten-free bakery, for a youth event. We made “palačinke” (Croatian pancakes) and enjoyed them in the company of fellow CeliVita members. Our conversations traversed the paths of our diagnoses, the diverse structures of youth groups across different countries, and the prospective trajectories of our organizations.
The next day started with board meetings, followed by delicious gluten-free bagels for lunch. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a guided city tour led by Jana, immersing ourselves in the culture of Zagreb. On our way back, Paula and I stopped at a gluten-free bakery (purely for research purposes, of course!).
We spent our evening in a local bar, where we tasted the local drink “rakija” and dived deeper into conversations with Jana and Antonio, gaining valuable insights into their roles and CeliVita as an organization.
On Sunday, we managed to catch a sliver of sunshine right before our board meeting; a welcoming change after the off-and-on rain we experienced so far. We spent the late afternoon with CeliVita, meeting for teatime and visiting the famous Museum of Broken Relationships.
On Monday, we managed to fit in some shopping; souvenirs and the essential acquisitions of gluten-free delicacies, of course. After our farewell lunch with Jana, we headed back to our Airbnb and started packing and cleaning. We cooked some Fajitas for dinner, tidied up, and then reluctantly set the alarm for 05:15 o’clock the next morning, marking our departure from this enriching experience.
