Going into the CAST Away camp , I was mainly excited to get to know my fellow classmates better. Honestly, I don't consider myself much of an outside girl. I wondered how I would live in the wild for 5 days along with the tiring treks and activities I would have to take part in. I was surely excited, but I was worried too, as to whether or not I would be able to keep up with the hectic schedule.
The camp surely exceeded my expectations. On the first day myself, I had so much fun engaging in activities I would usually never take part in. Due to the various tasks given to us, I found myself departing from my comfort zone in many aspects, mustering up the courage to do daring tasks like rapelling or trekking in the dark, talking to classmates I never thought I would talk to, or finding myself enjoying living in the wild. Moreover, I was honoured to have the opportunity to learn more not only about my classmates , teachers and nature, but also learn more about myself. I realised I had never actually tried camping or trekking to know whether I liked it or not. I realised I had never really tried cooking before deciding I was not very good at it. I realised I had not given much importance to nature with the excuse of living in a city , however , I know now that even small changes we make to our city lifestyle can adversely save the environment.
I learned a lot of things at this camp , which have a very long-lasting effect on me.I took back a lot more than I initially thought I would. Firstly, I realised just how privileged I am to have a good educating institution which I could afford, along with the books I study from. I realised how important it is to be thankful for the little things in life. Secondly, I realised what a difference I can make to nature, even though I live in the city. Decisions that may seem very insignificant to us, like whether to have ice cream in a cone or plastic cup , can make a huge difference to the environment. Last but not the least , I realised how important it is to sometimes switch off electronics, be away from the rest of the world, and live harmoniously amongst nature, that is a truly beautiful feeling.
The author is a grade 11 student from Hill Spring International School, Mumbai. The school was part of a Nature Turks program at Worldview's Golden Boulder Campus in August, 2018.
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