By Vy Owen. It was SO worth it!

On the 20th of April 2022, I took off to the Capricorn Caves to attended this RYLA program that I kept hearing about. I left with little expectations or ideas of what the following week would entail, bringing with me the mindsetthat my previous Rotary Exchange taught me; “have no expectations and say yes to everything”. As soon as you arrive you are met with a room full of eager but anxious individuals, who are also completely unaware of what really goes on in RYLA. Stevie and the facilitators had set out to make the whole week unpredictable, we never knew what activity we’d be doing, we weren’t allowed phones (which was a great detox after we got use to it) and no day was every the same.

On the first day they had set out lots of mini games and activities to quickly break the ice and get everyone interacting with one another. That took up majority of the day and once it got dark, we went exploring in the cave which was an incredible experience to do at night time. The caves were above ground and a lot bigger than one would think. There was so many little rooms, bridges and stairs to climb and an overall fun place to explore. It even had a cathedral in it that Opera singers go to perform in; no microphones or electrical equipment needed as the caves natural vibration is phenomenal. Our tour guide brought a speaker and played some songs in the pitch black to show us the full experience of this cathedral. I wish I could explain how special that moment was but it’d be impossible to capture if you weren’t in that moment.

Over the next couple days each facilitator had 45min-1hour sessions on a chosen subject; primarily internal matters that each human must face throughout life like team and leadership challenges, self esteem, gratitude, relationships, discovering our greatest values, etc. We also had a lot of guest speakers come in and speak to us about a variety of topics; non for profit charities that help people in third world countries, days for girls, an amazing woman called Kerrie Reid who is a registered nurse that created the fake masks to train new nurses and puppets for the sick children, she was a truly inspiring woman and everyone loved her speech. Tot Moran came in to speak about public speaking and debating, which almost everyone had never done before nor did we know we were intending to debate live to all you Rotarians. He came in with an amazing presence and confidence about himself that I think everyone really looked up to and appreciated at that point in our RYLA journey. We were all starting to surcome to our vulnerabilities and opening up to the true magic of RYLA so all these little classes and guest spots were extremely deep and motivating.

Each morning and night, the loving camp mum Deb would hold ‘check in’ and ‘check out’ circles, where we’d all sit in a circle and Deb would ask us an extremely thought provoking question, some we’re easier than others, some brought people to tears. For example; “What are you expecting to take away from RYLA” and then that night she’d hit you in the feels with “what was the hardest adversity you’ve faced in your life and how has it impacted you now”.

At the start people were more reserved but by the end I feel like I truly knew each individual on a whole new level, a level that maybe you’d only normally achieve with a romantic partner that you’ve confided in. If I was to ask myself what was the most impactful moments of RYLA, I’d have to say it was these checking in and out circles. You’d walk away having voiced an emotion or burden that you wouldn’t normally speak about, in a space that you felt safe, loved and heard, and in return people opened up to you and you could connect with people authentically. You had deep topic to talk about with each other outside of these circles and even obtain comfort or advise from people who could relate somehow.

They had a healthy mixture of mental and physical challenges, one way or another they were going to make you face your fears and if you didn’t know you had them? Well here’s a cliff, climb down it backwards and have complete faith in this rope!! The abseiling was terrifying but I’m so grateful I got the chance to do it and everyone really supported each other during this activity. Next we did cave exploring but when I say exploring here I mean getting on your hands and knees, wiggling through tiny holes on your stomach covered in bat poop and praying that you don’t get stuck! Personally I had a blast doing this, I felt like my inner child was jumping with joy doing this and would recommend it to anyone.

We also do working at heights which solely worked about team work as you can’t do this without another person and putting all your trust in them to hold your weight and not let you fall. Once you’re up there it’s definitely a lot scarier than it looks, especially when there’s nothing but angry black clouds and rain overhead. This challenged a lot of people but the support from everyone was contagious and really beautiful to be apart of.

Finally we had the dreaded debate night, the thing we had all been preparing for with much anxiety and I can honestly say everyone, including myself, was surprisingly far more terrified of public speaking than abseiling into the abyss… By this point we had all become so vulnerable, supportive and honest with each other so when each person went up and said their speech/debate, everyone was silently clapping for them in the background.

When that debate night ended everyone cheered and hugged each other congratulations for overcoming such a huge fear and it was such a precious moment. Every single person in that room was there with absolutely no judgement or any bad wishes towards anyone else, we all just wanted to see the next person succeed which I think truthfully is rare in the real world; to have a room full of people rooting for you is something I can say myself and probably most in this world has never experience before. When they say “the RYLA magic” it’s true there is something magical about this program. The people you meet and build relationships with would probably be people you’d never associate with in the real world, but there, in those four walls, everyone has chosen to make a change with their life and learn deeply about themselves. It’s impossible not to fall in love with each experience, each persons individuality, the lesson you learn, the comfort zones you banish, the complete safe space that is created there.

When RYLA came to an end, the best way I could put it would be it was bitter sweet. You had created this little community that felt so detached from the real world that you almost didn’t want to leave. But at the same time you couldn’t wait to go home and put the countless lessons you’ve learnt to practice. Now that I am back into the real world I catch myself implementing those new found skills, for example listening to people when they talk and giving them space to speak freely, bravery when facing adversity or intrusive thoughts, taking constructive criticism with a grain of salt, consciously working on my relationships and believing in myself and my abilities more. RYLA has been a one of a kind experience that I’m will forever be grateful for. That one tiny little week felt like eternity to me and I learnt more in it than I could have ever done in the real world.

 I want to extend my gratitude and the warmest thank you to everyone tonight who believed in me, for granting me this amazing journey and for offering it to all the youth out there. Rotary yet again saves the day and I just want you all to know that we see and appreciate everything you do for our community. Love Vy xxxxx