A thank you from Kaleb, the first of nine students selected to undertake self development programmes at either Outward Bound or Spirit of Adventure, where they push the boundaries to find what they are capable of. The funds to enable their adventures were raised by Kapiti Rotary, the students themselves and by the programme providers. Feedback like this makes all the hard work fundraising so worthwhile. Evidently Kaleb is going to remember this experience for along time. Congratulations and our very best wishes Kaleb. You will be always welcome at Rotary-we're here to help you on your ongoing journey of you want.
"I don't even know where to start with the amount of cool stuff we got up to at Outward Bound! But I'd just like to say thank you sooooo much for helping send me on the journey of a lifetime!!! I really appreciate it and I will never forget those experiences! I met so many interesting and amazing people who I will likely stay in touch with for the rest of my life! The past 3 weeks have been the most challenging, action-packed, enjoyable, happy, exciting moments of my entire life!..
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During the days coming up to the course I was feeling incredibly nauseous and nervous for what I was about to experience, never in my life had I spent so long away from my family, technology and modern day comforts such as the internet. I was also extremely nervous about meeting new people and having to live with them in a bunk room. I was also scared that I would be the youngest in the watch so nobody would acknowledge me. But as soon as I started meeting people at the Picton ferry terminal and the boat ride to Anakiwa my anxiety melted away. Everybody was soooo nice and inviting, and I really felt like I was loved and belonged. This also provided a valuable lesson about anxiety - everything always seems way worse in your mind than it actually is in reality. Even though I was one of the youngest in my watch, it did not feel that way. We were all equals, everybody got a chance to lead and everybody was open to discussions and input from each individual in the group. They all seemed to forget I was one of the youngest. It was an extraordinary journey! We got up to so many cool new things that I'd never even tried before such as; Coasteering (where we clambered along the cliff side of a rocky shore and swam in rough waters as a group - this was one of the first things we did and due to the scary nature of the situation, this was a huge bonding moment for us as a watch), Sailing the Endeavor in 40 knot winds (I found this the scariest, as at one point we were getting pushed up towards a group of large rocks, so we called for an emergency tow out, but the support boat was having an engine malfunction (little did we know, this was NOT part of the planned outward bound experience - later we found out that we could have quite possibly been hurt. We all had to row as hard as we possibly could to avoid crashing on the rocks - it was an incredible experience and afterwards we were all celebrating and laughing about the danger we just avoided), as well as Rock climbing on an actual cliff-face, Navigating with a compass and map through incredibly dense bush and Running a half marathon! These were a few of the many crazy adventures we went on.
The instructors there were phenomenal and were able to facilitate a safe environment for us to open up about our deepest insecurities. I couldn't believe what was happening, it felt like I had known these people for years, and we had only just met a few days prior! We all opened up to each other and talked about stuff we had never told anybody (not even our own families). It was the most wholesome thing ever.
I also learnt a tonne of new things about myself and my values, especially on my 3 day solo. The solo provided much needed downtime, and time to reflect on what had happened over the past couple of weeks (which felt like they had flown by so quickly). I had never spent that much time alone, so this provided a large amount of insight and self reflection. It was fantastic (minus the possums lol)!
Overall the course provided a great amount of detachment from the rat-race of daily life, and as a time to detach from the constant bombardment of the media, bad-news and politics. I found great clarity and really learnt how to appreciate the small things in life such as a nice bed, warm showers, books, music and my family. The course also provided an incredible amount of self development in such a short amount of time. Once I had returned to Picton from Anakiwa, I was beaming with my new found sense of confidence, leadership ability and purpose (I still am!). I really came to understand the OB phrase 'there is more in you than you think'.
So I am forever grateful to the Kapiti Rotary Club, and I cannot thank you enough for helping me go on the adventure of a lifetime!!!!
Kind regards,
Kaleb"