A bunch of strangers who only knew each other as classmates but not as individuals, carrying their excitement and nervousness in their backpacks, took the trip to Mount Abu not knowing what awaited them. The thrill of being away from home and being responsible for our actions made us even more excited. The fun of gossiping till late at night, getting to know each other, and finding out how we all belonged to the same tribe was a worthwhile experience. This trip made me realize my strengths, and my weaknesses and more over getting to know myself a little better. It was exploring the world outside the four walls of the classroom. It felt like whatever we were ever taught, now was the time to apply them. 

The following Learning Outcomes were acquired from the overall trip.

LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

One of my biggest strengths I feel is not giving up, some activities required a lot of strength and courage in the course of doing it. My nerves did take control over my actions but I reminded myself constantly to not give up and try even if I fail. It allowed me to overcome my fear of heights and hiking steep lands. Working with a team had always been an area where I felt a little weak, but on this trip, I learned to cooperate and understand that it only takes a matter of reaching out to people and hearing them out to overcome hard things together. It felt like a big achievement when we overcame long treks together. Made it more fun 

LO2: Demonstrate the challenges that have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process 

It has become a routine for every one of us to go to social media first thing as we wake up in the morning. Being away from all that chaos was one big challenge I must admit. It felt like we were all paralyzed by it. No communication with parents back home, no stories, and no posts on Instagram was huge obstacle to overcome. But as the days went by there never occurred the need for phones. We learned to appreciate nature, we understood the importance of human interaction and we realized that it was not the end of the world.

LO4: Show perseverance and commitment in the CAS Experience 

This trip needed a lot of perseverance to get through those steep trials and rocky roads. Every moment my mind wanted to give up but it took determination for us to get past and finish the treks. Surely, there was no doubt we needed to commit ourselves to responsibility, patience and most importantly getting out of our comfort zone and appreciating nature. The trip was successful due to my dedication to seeing it through and my perseverance in the face of difficulties. It was a great opportunity to show my skills.

LO5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

I have always been a strong believer that working in a team makes your work easier and more productive. Your strength can be someone else’s weakness. It was portrayed best in this trip, we helped each other by encouraging them during the treks, helped even when one was injured and took care of each other. This made the trek more successful and fun. We all created new memories with each other.

LO6:Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance 

As we were trekking we noticed some trash which was harmful to nature as it’s nonbiodegradable and hazardous for the animals as well. I and many of my fellow friends picked as much trash as possible to make even the slightest change possible.