The most anticipated event of the year was the educational trip. Students were counting down the days until the trip as excited chatters filled the hallways. This year, the trip was to the hill station of Mount Abu. It was a nature camp, too. And therefore, it included camping, hiking, and other enjoyable adventure activities. However, I’ve never been one for strenuous physical activity, so I had some reservations about the trip. But now that I’ve returned, I must admit that taking the trip was a wise choice because it gave me the opportunity to learn new skills, recognise my strengths, and gain confidence in my ability to trek.

LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas of growth

I always believed as a child that I lacked endurance for physical activities. As a result, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to complete the trek, would tire halfway through, and would then be at the back of the pack. However, in contrast to what I had anticipated, I was able to finish the longest trek without growing weary or requiring many breaks. I did, however, realise that my body was sore at the end of the day when we went to bed because I had not engaged in such prolonged periods of physical activity in a while. I must make sure I regularly engage in physical activity and improve my fitness in order to guarantee that this will not occur in any subsequent camps.

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

I had my first experience with caving on this trip. It was difficult for me at first since I didn’t know where to put my foot and had trouble balancing. However, the instructors showed us how to stand on our feet, keep our balance, and place our hands for support and climbing. I was able to learn cave exploration and rock climbing thanks to these instructions.

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

I think working in a team is always better since someone else’s weak points could be my strengths, and vice versa, leading to higher-quality work. However, I was apprehensive about interacting with others and believed it would be awkward because I am a shy person who finds it difficult to communicate with people besides her friends. But it turned out I was mistaken. This is due to the fact that working together on activities, assisting someone who was hurt, and supporting and guiding others when they encountered a problem during the trek not only helped me improve my communication skills but also made the trek enjoyable, memorable, and productive.

All things considered, the trip to Mount Abu was an unforgettable experience because it forced me outside of my comfort zone, revealed my strengths and weaknesses, and taught me the value of cooperating with others. But more significantly, it demonstrated to me that attempting new things does not always result in failure and that I can still enjoy myself even when I step outside of my comfort zone.