Bronze

I think my favourite memory would be my adventurous journey in Falls Creek. Although it was summer, the weather was very frosty presenting the location as not very welcoming. Despite the weather, we were able to push through because we had the presence of each other, making it an enjoyable experience as everyone joined their skills. The views of the mountainous landscapes were extremely picturesque, making all the hiking worth-it. On this journey I was able to improve many skills as well as learn more about myself and my environment including my strengths and weaknesses. After living in the bustling city of Melbourne, you begin to forget the natural wonders of our world but after being out in the natural environment for 5 days, I learnt to really appreciate the world around us besides what man has made themselves. This journey always inspires me to be grateful for the world around us and realise how lucky we are to even have the basic necessities of life that some people around us may not even have.

14

The biggest challenge that I had to overcome was increasing my confidence. When I began the award, the one thing that made me nervous was the idea of being alone and having to speak up to work out things instead of keeping quiet. Although this took some time to develop, I was able to begin to talk to people who I didn’t know very well, this resulted in much practice. After much practice I was able to gain my confidence in speaking to others and this is a skill that can greatly help me in the future.

Australia

Yes, I have continued 3 of my 4 award activities. By learning latin, I have continued in my course, learning to persevere even when things are tough. The language has been quite interesting to learn and who knows when you may need to know latin! Tennis being my sport, I have loved to play it ever since I began playing. By completing this award, it helped me to have a set schedule, resulting in much improvement with my skills in general as well as competition play. Finally I have also continued with my service. I love to find ways that I can help those in the community and I think volunteering at a foodbank is the perfect way to get to know others, improving my confidence while also helping the needy. It helped to truly see how much we take for granted the basic items of pasta, oil and milk.

This picture was taken during my adventurous journey to Falls creek. This was the first time we packed our packs for the camp and this was when we realised we had to fit ALL of our belongings into this ‘small’ pack. This is what we had to carry around as our home for the duration of the camp and it wasn't until I did that that I realised how much I take things for granted. Although we may have warm homes full of belonging to head to after a cold outdoors adventure, some don’t have the privilege of that, instead they carry their homes on their backs every single day for countless hours not to mention sometimes in terrible weather conditions. These people are the homeless and they would most likely be grateful to have half the items in that pack despite even the pack itself. Not only did this experience give me an insight into the less fortunate lives, it also helped me to see the natural wonders of our world. It is not until we leave the bustling city of Melbourne that we recognise the start in the sky of the sounds of the birds chirping as we get up. It is not until my phone was taken from me that I could truly see our natural environment. This comes to show how humans have evolved to stare at devices all day not knowing their surroundings at all. This picture truly has meaning to it.

Participant