This memoir by J. B. Souček illustrates the activities of the Academic YMCA in postwar Czechoslovakia between 1945 and 1947. The author recounts the tradition of student summer brigades and his 1946 exchange trip to England. A central focus is placed on the year 1947, when Souček attended a European conference of student Christian movements (SCM) in Lustin, Belgium. During this event, he encountered influential figures such as André Dumas and Paul Ricoeur. Driven by enthusiasm, Souček impulsively agreed to organize an international student camp in Czechoslovakia. This initiative resulted in the "Zlatá řeka" camp on the Otava River, which, despite initial criticism from YMCA leadership regarding its logistics and sudden planning, successfully brought together local and foreign students. The text provides a unique perspective on international youth cooperation, the role of religious organizations, and student life during the brief democratic window before the 1948 communist coup. It highlights the idealism of the postwar generation alongside the practical challenges of organizing international events in a recovering nation.