Each year, Grade 10 students from St Alban’s College embark on a journey of self-discovery, travelling about 500 kilometres over 23 days.
In his book Outdoor Kids in an Inside World, Steven Rinella speaks passionately about the importance of getting children away from their screens and into nature, where they can bond with each other while building resilience, curiosity and leadership competencies.
At St Alban’s College, we start our students on a journey of self-discovery by exposing them to different experiences. This centres around our Form 3 journey, which takes place in November of our learners’ Grade 10 year and involves our young men journeying about 500 kilometres over 23 days. For many, the accomplishment of reaching the physical destination is far outweighed by the emotional and spiritual journey they have been on.
I recently had the privilege of leading 20 young men across some of the most picturesque parts of our country. We cycled, rode horses, kayaked, hiked, cried, and stumbled together for nearly 500 km on a route that took us through parts of Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
During one of our nightly debriefs I pointed out that, a subject teacher would need to teach a class for one period a day, every day, for more than three years to have spent as many hours together as we did on this journey; so it goes without saying that I have forged an incredible bond with this group of young men.
A relationship with nature fulfils, precisely, our yearning to belong to something bigger than ourselves. ~ Steven Rinella
Embarking on a transformative journey
In many ways I had underestimated the transformative nature of this trip. However, having now spent a lot of time reflecting on this experience – and getting over my newfound penchant for tinned pilchards – I decided that a good place to start would be to share our group’s debrief lessons.
A commitment that I made to the boys in my group was to observe and provide them with a ‘lesson of the day’ during our nightly debriefs, which became a sacred time on journey. Debrief is a time of deep reflection (when done right): we laughed, we fought, we cried, we connected, and we learned from one another.
I am incredibly privileged to work at a school that embraces events like this, and I look forward to many more days spent on the trails with the boys in my care. My hope is that, over the course of this journey, leaders and kids will cement current bonds and forge new ones while conquering fears, building tolerance for dirt and discomfort.
If we can do all this while fostering an insatiable curiosity about the world around us, we gain confidence and learn self-sufficiency and crucially, given the state of our planet, a lifelong sense of stewardship of the natural world.
Lessons learned
- You assume that journey will build character, when in fact it does something quite different. It deconstructs you to the point where one’s true character is revealed (both good and bad). This allows you to create the blueprint for true character change and development going forward.
- Ninety per cent of your life will be relatively mundane, punctuated by big moments such as graduations, weddings, funerals etc. Don’t only show up for these big events: be fully present for the moments in between. If you do this, you will truly live a fulfilled life.
- Whether it’s the team you create, the car you drive, the house you live in, or as in today’s case, the horse you ride, please remember that these things are just things. While you may aspire to have nice things, they are not who you are or any way an extension of yourself. They are merely possessions and they do not make you better than or less than anyone else.
Things are good until they aren’t. Nobody is immune to the human condition. Loss, heartache and grief are inevitable. It’s a matter of when and not if. It’s the transient nature of relationships with those we love that make them all the more special and all the more fragile. Cherish what you have before life deals you an unexpected uppercut.- When things do not go our way we are very quick to point out bad luck and misfortune. However, when we experience good fortune, we hardly ever make note of it, and more often than not we pat ourselves on the back for something we had little influence over.
- Everyone has their role to play in the group. Today I saw the value of the connectors. Some of you operate exclusively within close friendship groups with little to no interaction with other, similarly exclusive groups. However, for us to function as a team we require a few individuals to operate as bridges between groups. These boys have influence across friendship groups and they are in many ways the glue that holds the team together.
- Moments of calm and peace are incredibly rare in the busy world we live in. Today we shared a powerful moment of reflection in the mountains that was unscheduled, but which felt perfect and profound. When these quiet moments between the chaos present themselves, grab them with both hands. And if you notice that it’s been a while since you’ve had time to yourself — try to be intentional about making that time for your own well-being.
- There are many individuals who may not be able to complete the journey — but there are no groups that can’t finish. Your strength lies in your community. Every contribution you make, big or small contributes to moving the machine forward. Find an area to add value and stop worrying about how much or little you add — just add.
- Tell the people you miss that you missed them and that you love them. Laugh, love, and share authentically with those you love. Every journey, relationship, and experience is temporary — that’s why the important people matter so much.
