Camping - Outdoor Adventure

It was the first time I had ever been camping, before this outdoor adventure, I was quite nervous of stepping out of my comfort zone and camping with a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. However, these 3 days were a true learning experience! :)  

Reflecting on this rewarding experience, the challenges we took on and decisions we made as a whole were the most memorable and impactful aspects. Group decision making was never easy and we faced many setbacks in this area. For example, in the Survival Game, we wasted a lot of time in agreeing which direction we should head to at every junction, we often made ineffective decision making because we did not have a key leader to make the final decision. From this experience, I learn that having someone leading the task and has the final responsibility in making decision is very important as the leader can collect all the ideas and make a quicker decision. Stepping into leadership is not an easy task, yet I learn that I should take an initiative to lead the group when I am capable to and help the group to organize things better.

The other valuable lesson I gained from the camp is pushing my own boundaries. Before this camping experience, I often got trapped inside of my comfort zone for fear of trying something new and different or slipped backwards when I faced difficulties. In this camp, I faced many difficult minutes and hours, at some points I really wanted to give up. During the sole walk, I thought I was lost and wanted to turn back, though I clearly know that there was only one path and I was on the correct direction. I continued the walk and kept reminding myself that I can do it and that fear was not true. When I saw the flash light, I couldn’t believe myself that I finished the walk. From this experience, I learn that the initial fear and doubt lead to ‘I can’t do it’ but positive encouragement, persistence and trying and trying again lead to success. Fear will always arise when I am in an unfamiliar situation, but I learn that sometime fear is not real, it is just a product of thoughts we create. I should step out of my comfort zone and try out more new things that seem impossible to achieve in the future.