With all the Marrapatta staff and students from BGGS enjoying their well-earned reward after a tiring day, I could really feel the warm sense of community radiating and becoming stronger. However, this nurturing and supportive sense of community did not end there; it became stronger. After the final night of yet another successful dinner, the Bronze girls went down to Lake McKenzie in the dark to enjoy the night breeze and take the time to reflect. This was certainly the highlight of the whole trip where we got to engage in some yoga, personal reflections, compliments, storytime, star gazing, and singing. In a judge-free zone where everyone was tired and wanting to go home, we were able to build stronger bonds with one another and create long-lasting memories.
This trip provided an amazing opportunity to bond and forge new friendships with my peers. Strengthening friendships, and producing special feelings of closeness and a sense of safety, I got to learn more about the girls at BGGS and interact with new people. On the other hand, the moments I least enjoyed included not being able to properly shower, missing home-cooked meals, as well as being bitten alive by countless mosquitoes. However, despite these hardships, I was able to achieve personal improvement and felt spiritual feelings of gratitude and a positive mindset. It helped me realise the importance of getting out in nature and appreciating the fresh air, conversation, exercise, and a sense of tranquility. Being able to spend time outdoors after a busy term, away from the hustle and bustle, made priorities come into perspective, alleviated stress, and was a special experience. Moreover, this trip reinforced how fortunate we are to have the daily pleasures life gives and the bare necessities we take for granted.
Through this trip, I believe I have learned more and improved as an individual. One of my strengths was being able to persevere and press through with a strong mindset despite the difficulties faced along the way despite being physically and mentally drained. Furthermore, I was able to socialise with a lot of new girls and connect with them. Despite being a little nervous at first, this emotion was overtaken by my eagerness and enthusiasm to make new friends. For instance, I aimed to approach all the girls and start a conversation with them—listening to how they were doing, their hobbies, interests, and schooling life. Likewise, conversing with new peers remained important to me. By the end, I was so surprised and happy having met numerous girls with unique and bright personalities.
From this trip, I learned that everyone at BGGS was ready to get involved and fully immerse themselves, even in the challenging and unfamiliar environment. Everyone was very confident and empowered, not fearing to be judged but instead wanted to have fun and be leaders. As a group, we developed a sense of teamwork, confidence, and resilience to successfully finish the journey.
Isabella Kim (10L)
