I believe that everything happens for a reason.

Stepping off a boat onto a remote corner of the Queen Charlotte Sounds with only a handful of familiar faces scattered around me, I felt a little homesick. Fast forward a couple of hours, and I was running down the pier, covered in cold mud, for the first of many “jetty jumps”. It’s just the way of life there. That was the beginning of three weeks of almost non stop adventures.

To sum up this extravagant three week course, I have three highlights.

Number 1: My watch group

This doesn’t really count as a single highlight, as almost every moment of every day we spent together. But they are the people that made this experience unforgettable. Every time I thought that something was too hard, and that I was just not good enough, they would have my back 100%. The culture we created was unbreakable and, quite frankly, incredible. The support we gave one another and the positivity and love we had was infectious. Waking up every morning and seeing everyones’ smiling, happy faces made me want to keep going and complete everything we could. Reminiscing of all the little moments we spent together, from singing on our tramps to washing dishes in the ocean, every moment spent with this group of 12 phenomenal people was a blast. I am so humbled to have gotten to know such inspirational and diverse people and I love every single one of them.

Number 2: Sailing the Queen Charlotte Sounds (Day 10)

The three days spent navigating, rowing and sailing, from Anakiwa out to the edge of the Sounds, were arguably the pick for the favourite activity of the group. It was a time when we got to work as a team, but also take the time to slow down, relax and listen to everyone and everything around us. We told our stories, letting down walls we didn’t even know we had put up, and hearing everyone for who they really were. I found out a lot about everyone that day, including myself.

Number 3: The Half Marathon

I know for many this may not sound like a highlight. And I didn’t really think that it would be for me either. But running past the finish line for my final 6 km, and hearing my already finished team mate, cheering for me at the top of his lungs, I loved my watch even more than before. I had started off the run with 3 other girls from my watch and a few boys from the other school leaders group, and it was encouraging to run with so many friends. Eventually I couldn’t keep up with their fast pace and chatter and I dropped a little behind. This is where the real challenge set in. As one of my watch mates said, “it’s when you can’t see anyone in front or behind you that it is the hardest to motivate yourself to keep going”. But this only lasted for about 5km before I saw my overjoyed watch mates again, this time 5 of them all together, running the last 2km before the finish. We hi-fived and cheered, possibly too loudly considering we were in a public place, and passed each other, smiles wider than before. Coming into the finish, I’d never felt so drained, but seeing my watch mates hands in the air, yelling words of encouragement I got a burst of energy. Celebrating after with everyone was contagious; our happiness increasing when ever someone else would finish. The feeling of accomplishment, not just for myself but for everyone else too, was something so huge and heartening, I still get goosebumps thinking about it today.

I know that this experience wouldn’t have been the same without my watch mates. I don’t think I would have got through all the challenges I faced without them. I gained not only 12 beautiful friends but invaluable leadership lessons and insight into myself and who I want to be.