“I realized it’s okay to be scared and to focus on staying positive and doing your best. Even just telling myself ‘I can do this!’ when I felt like giving up showed me how my attitude can shape my life. I took this lesson back home by joining a gardening group I’d been wanting to but was too nervous before.”
Pre-Expedition
Flashback to before the expedition I was in year 13, revising for my final IB exams. I was feeling quite demoralised by personal struggles and a sore rejection from my dream university. Worries about my future and exam results often clouded me. I found that walking in my local park and experiencing the stillness of nature gave me some peace during this stressful time. Wanting to immerse myself further in this feeling, I pushed myself to sign up for the Scotland expedition. I was yearning for change; to explore my identity outside of my grades and to connect deeply with the environment.
Initially, spending two weeks in the wild felt unimaginable. I worried that I didn’t have enough experience to enter the wild, as I had only done a few nights of camping with my school. Would enjoying my local park and walks be ‘enough’ for me to thrive on the expedition? How will I deal with bad weather? However, I felt very supported after my first call with the engagement team. Meeting explorers with similar experiences on the induction day helped too. Even though I only needed to raise £50, creating a GoFundMe page made me explain why I wanted to go on the expedition and practice writing clearly. I was feeling a little uncertain but mostly excited for the trip to come.
“The discomfort that I felt at first due to the midges, heavy packs and rain was outweighed by the breathtaking mountain views, and how supportive my Fire was of each other.”
On Expedition
We arrived in the evening at base camp after a scenic 2-hour coach journey. I clicked instantly with my Fire after eating dinner kindly made by the Leaders on the first night. Everyone was so friendly with a contagious excitement for the adventures ahead. The explorers came from all over the UK so it was cool to spend time with people I’d probably never cross paths with otherwise. Who knew that we would be splashing around in a cold loch together, helping to rebuild a local museum, or conquering the 10th highest mountain in the UK! The discomfort that I felt at first due to the midges, heavy packs and rain was outweighed by the breathtaking mountain views, and how supportive my Fire was of each other. Our daily fire meetups were golden – a chance to let loose after a long day. After an inspiring, sometimes wet, day in the highlands, it was relaxing to scribble in the fire journal and to read about the trip from other explorers’ viewpoints.
I learned practical skills like setting up a tent and packing a bag efficiently. Surprisingly, the knowledge stuff about plants helped me hike better. Since I could identify water-loving plants like cotton grass and sphagnum moss, I could walk on drier paths and avoid soggy socks!
The cultural bit of the trip was an eye-opener. Exploring ancient Scottish settlements on breaks from hiking made me think about sustainability in a whole new light. It made me think about the link between their sustainable lifestyles and the highlands we can enjoy today. Just like the ancient settlers, we camped near streams, which were our only water source. Similarly, we had to be really careful about how we did things like using the toilet or washing dishes to keep the water clean.
