Three South Louisiana students will touch down in Rome next month. They'll have one week to get to Amsterdam without money or any pre-made arrangements.
Instead, they'll use the energy drink Red Bull as currency to get across Europe.
But there's a limited supply of that, too. They start with a case of 24 cans and can earn more by making it to different checkpoints.
They'll have to be strategic and convincing to get strangers to accept a can or two in exchange for a ride, bus ticket or meal.
"You're not trading value for value," said Sam Riehl, one of the three seniors from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette who will attempt this. "You're trading experiences, your culture, who you are as a person."
Riehl, a senior industrial design major, is on a team with his girlfriend, Brandii Champagne, and their friend Emily Daigle, both senior performing arts majors at UL Lafayette.
The three make up one of 18 teams of college students from the U.S. participating in this Red Bull "Can You Make It?" challenge.
"It's not a race," Riehl said. "It's all about the adventure."
When Riehl found out about the challenge he said it was "probably the most insane thing I've ever heard."
Naturally, his reaction was, "We've got to apply," he said.
His girlfriend thought it was a joke. Once she realized it was real, Champagne had the same thought as Riehl — "why not?"
"Acting is my passion, but travel is probably a close second," she said.
So they and friend Emily Daigle recorded an application video at Moncus Park at the Horse Farm. In one minute they had to talk about who they are, why they want to compete and why they might be good at it.
"All three of us have a 'let go and try' kind of personality," Riehl explained. "... And we like to think that we're fairly charming."
As Daigle puts it, "Who will talk to strangers? Me."
Application videos went up for public vote on social media in February.
"We busted our butts to get it to every contact we had," Riehl said.
It worked. Each of the Cajuns got a personal phone call from Red Bull saying they were a team.
"From our point of view, we've already won," Riehl said. "We're going to Europe."
They're excited not only about the trip itself but about going together. As seniors set to graduate in May, this could be their last big hurrah before entering the "real world."
"I hope to get lifelong memories that last forever," Champagne said. "... This will be a really good bonding experience as friends."
Daigle is excited to see new places and try new food with some of her best friends.
"I just hope to explore everything I can," she said.
But they are experienced travelers. Daigle's high school senior trip took her across Europe, and Champagne and Riehl studied abroad and backpacked in Europe two years ago.
"So travel is not a foreign concept to us," Riehl said. "But the method by which we are supposed to travel is foreign."
The Journey
Two of the 200 or so teams worldwide are from Louisiana. The three Lafayette students named their team The Cajuns after their school mascot. They'll be decked out in red cold-weather gear to represent the university abroad.
The second Louisiana team — The Bayou Krewe — is from Tulane University in New Orleans.
Teams were assigned one of five starting points. The Cajuns were assigned Rome, where they'll land on April 10.
Each team will receive a "Welcome Kit" with a team mobile phone, a map, safety instructions, a backpack and a case of 24 cans of Red Bull. Competitors may only bring one extra backpack each to hold clothing and other such items, according to the event rules.
They need to be in Amsterdam by April 17, and they have checkpoints along the way where they can earn points and more Red Bull.
"It's more about what you can do in those seven days," Riehl said.
The phone will feature an app that'll allow teams to check in on social media and post photos and videos during the journey. Every like, share and comment also will be tallied up as points.
Join the journey and help them earn points by following their team page at Cajunsredbull.com. Their posts also will go to their individual Facebook and Twitter accounts.
