Student Melania, writes about her experience on the recent Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards expedition.
Over the course of the three-day expedition, I was able to create new bonds with girls I hadn’t really spoken to before. Although it did rain, and the walks felt long and tiresome, I am proud to say I completed my silver DofE practice with some lifelong memories.
Upon arriving to the campsite on the first night and setting up our tent, we all sat around the stove eating our noodles and pasta, this was an enjoyable way to end the day. We all found comfort in the simplicity of the evening, getting into our sleeping bags later that night and opening bags of chocolate and candies to snack on before sleeping. This allowed me to appreciate the little things that can bring you joy such as having a laugh in the tents and being able to spend time with my friends in a completely surreal environment.
Another highlight of my trip was on the second day, when we all ended up in a large grass field and stopped to eat lunch. Looking back now, it didn’t seem so impactful, however at the time, finding such a beautiful scenic field to be able to sit in and enjoy our lunch was a treat. As we sat and had lunch, my team began talking about the view and the weather and began joking about how we truly were in the middle of nowhere. This moment bonded what was once a group of girls who hadn’t spoken to each other before, to allowing us to feel more connected and peruse the trek ahead with a more positive approach. We all finished with a smile on our faces, and were the first group to cross the finish line.
Melania
