Boating under a bridge…
which is MUCH safer than the highway.
I got back from a 5-day Canoeing Expedition with students from Parkway NW this afternoon http://www.outwardboundphiladelphia.org/…), what a trip!
During the first night, there was a moment when I stepped away from the group and just appreciated the stars. One of the students joined me in my star-gazing and we reflected on how beautiful the sky can be, and how easy it is to ignore it. We discussed the difference in pace when one is home versus being on such a nature-intense trip; it’s crazy how much easier it is to feel comfortable and open up with people when you’re forced to slow down and detach yourself from life’s everyday hustle and bustle. From what I heard from the students, they created strong bonds during this trip and this was an experience they will not soon forget. Even the students who seemed most skeptical at the beginning of the trip were planning on signing up for another expedition before ours was over!
I enjoyed getting to know the students in a more informal setting; I was joking around and it felt like I was with my own high school friends at times. One of my favorite memories is when we all had to trudge through muck and drag our boats near the shore because the winds were too strong to canoe. Morale was getting low so I started asking my boatmate what music she liked. We had a lot of overlaps and began busting out with some Destiny’s Child songs. When the boat queue slowed down, we accompanied our singing with dances. Her response to my energy picked up my spirits and it made it a lot easier to stay positive.
We also had once-in-a-lifetime experience on this trip. In the middle of the night on Tuesday, I was in my tent and heard a LOUD crack of thunder that woke me up. My co-worker woke up and mumbled “whaat?” and I, seemingly calm, replied “just thunder, don’t worry about it.” But, a few minutes later, BABAMMM, a louder crack erupted from the sky and my co-worker and I shot out of our sleeping bags. As we looked at each other trying to figure out what to do, she remembered that her rain jacket was outside the tent and ran to get it before the rainfall. As she opened the tent flap, I saw a BRIGHT flash of lightning. As soon as she got back from getting her jacket, the rain began to drench the ground. Before we could consider any future steps, our instructor called out ‘LIGHTNING DRILL’. This was a position of sitting so that any electricity that might enter the body comes in through the butt and out through the legs, avoiding any major body parts, aka the heart. I knew it was a serious situation because our instructor didn’t even leave her tent to announce it, she screamed it out from her own. We sat up for 15 minutes in lightning position until we heard her announce that it was safe to go back to bed. Mother Nature did not disappoint for the rest of the trip either because the next night we heard a howling that sounded like someone getting attacked but was an animal.
This morning, we woke up at 5 AM, packed up, and rowed a few more miles to our van to drive back to Philadelphia. Even though we hit the water when it was cold and the sky was dark, we kept spirits up and some of the students sang as we glided along. To me, it symbolized how even though there were hardships in this 5-day expedition, we learned how to work together and make the best out of situations. It also helped that we were heading to a heated car and a graduation ceremony and family upon arrival back to Philadelphia.
I am amazed that such programs like this Peer Leadership program through Outward Bound exists. Time and time again during my fellowship with Haverford House, I meet people who have dedicated so much time and effort to push young people to strive for excellence. But you never read about them in magazines or see them with their own TV shows…sometimes I wonder if maybe they just live on a different planet. If so, I’d like to move there.
Until next time,
Sarah D
October 13th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Loved this Sarah. Thanks for sharing. Let’s go boating sometime in the spring. The Brandywine creek is a lovely spot.
October 28th, 2009 at 2:09 am
You must have been smack bang in the middle of that storm, that is a rarity for most people (fortunately!). I have never heard of the lightening position, but if your tent had a metal wire frame then you would have been safe anyway.