From participating in the retreat, I am able to really revisit what I truly want to get out of this experience. From Day 1, I have experience a lot of new things, and taking risks that I would not have taken in the past. It was an truly amazing experience to having so much fun with other team members at the camp fire, and to try roasting and eating it for the very first time. From the electrical fence activity, even though I am very afraid to jump, I learned to trust other team members and relying on them for support. These experiences help me to rethink and confirm what I hope to achieve in this program. I hope that in this journey, I will be able to go out of my comfort zone, and through it experiencing new and exciting new things. I also hoped that these experiences will help me expand my knowledge, learning how to be independent and meeting new people and getting to know there culture. Through this retreat, I learned so much more about Ecuador, and also realize that it is important to treasure food, and constantly keep yourself clean (i.e. Washing your hands before dinner). I hope that I will continue to be able to experiencing new things, expanding my knowledge, meeting new people and challenging myself to go out of my comfort zone and learning to be independent.
My brain can be acting pretty funny sometimes. On some days, I might be worried about going on the trip, and on some days, I will be pretty excited about the trip and forgetting all about those worries. Participating in this retreat really helped me to get to know more about my other team mate, and also bonding with them. I worry about whether I will be able to pull this trip off and sometimes I doubted myself whether participating in this program is a wrong decision. That's because none of my friends have any knowledge about this program and I worried that when things get tough, no one will be able to understand it. However, by getting to know my peers through this retreat, I know that they will support me when things get tough. I am also worry about how to fundraise enough to cover the expenses of my trip, and also leaving home and not knowing what to really expect in Ecuador. Even though there are going to be worries and tough and stressful times, I am going to constantly stay positive and optimistic. Through the Alumni presentation, I also learned that I should not doubt my decision and whatever pathways I choose, I am going to make the best out of it.
In my opinion, it is important to reflect on learning experiences so that you are aware of what you've learned and also congratulate yourself in making progress. I am sitting in the forest with other students reflecting on the experiences we had so far is because we can re-focus and seriously think about our hopes and fears in participating in this program. The forest offers a quiet environment, and it also offers a chance to calm yourself down.
