Paige Murray (Rotorua North Rotary) goes to Outward Bound!
We welcomed Paige Murray who was one of our Outward Bound recipients last year to give a brief outline of how it all went…“I attended Outward Bound on 21 November, for a 21 day/3 week course and it was the most incredible 3 weeks of my life”
“One of the things that impacted on me the most during my time was the lifestyle. There was never any indication about where you were going or what you were doing next, and not knowing actually allowed you to focus all of your energy into what you were going right then and ”living in the moment”. It surprised me how happy and carefree I felt at that time. With life so hectic these days we tend to forget to slow down and just live”
There is a ‘solo experience’ during your time and for Paige it was not something she was looking forward to. On one particular day the group was convinced it “was time” and her worry set in, however it turned out to be a high ropes course which gave a great sense of relief and enjoyment.
Following the ropes, they met at the Wharf and went sailing, mooring up in a beautiful bay to have a swim and cook dinner. They were then presented with a maths equation which they solved..5050. It took a little while longer but they eventually figured it out correctly…it actually spelt SOLO!
“One attitude they encourage you to embrace is to see obstacles as a challenge to overcome, rather than an obstacle”. For Paige, this was certainly a test of that new attitude.
At 9pm that night they all headed off on their solo trip which was described as “the worst 3 days of my life”. “I felt so alone and there was nothing to distract me. It made me realize how much I take for granted, and how much I appreciate what I have in my life; my family, friends, our beautiful country which are all so precious.
On returning home, she also appreciated long hot showers, soap and washing machines. The whole outward bound experience was “hugely challenging and rewarding, both physically and mentally”. I sincerely thank you for helping to give me such a great opportunity