Day 1

With the Anuradhapura Mosaic trip canceled, I was placed into the Venture North Cycling trip. Personally, I wasn’t particularly prepared for this trip as I haven’t cycled in over a few years, however I haven’t lost my touch on the bike yet. It took me some time to get used to the balance and the bike gears, but at the end of the day, I was able to complete the calm, relatively short 14km cycle into the Back of beyond camp.

After lunch at BOB, we set off on a 24km bike loop around the nearby area. The most annoying thing on almost every bike ride was the never-ending scorching sun frying you to a crisp. Luckily, I was prepared and applied sunscreen on before we took off.

Returning to camp after the tiring day today, we were able to have some downtime where we could play volleyball, go for a swim or just hang out with friends. For me, I immediately took a shower and went for a nap before dinner!

Reflection on Day 1

After dinner, Mrs Jackson introduced us to the booklets in which we were to reflect on our daily experiences.

Some strengths that I feel will enhance me and my peers’ trip experience:

• Risk-Taking – I can try new things & make new experiences that I have never before
• Perseverance – Having not biked in a long time, learning the gears and getting back into full swing is a skill I am willing to learn
• Collaboration – By engaging with my peers, it will allow me to make new friends & make the trip more enjoyable

Some areas of growth that I feel I will develop on this trip:

• Determination – I need to stay determined & motivated in order to cycle long distances
• Teamwork – By working together as a group, we need to solve problems & get through the trip together
• Engaging with global issues – I hope by living a different lifestyle, I can understand the issues some people face & relate them to a global context.

LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

I recognized that I needed to learn how to use the gears properly as I was really confused at the start, but through Mrs Jackson’s advice and my experience throughout the day, I felt I had got somewhere with learning when to switch them, however, I might need some more time to get better at it.

LO2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

Having not cycled in a long time, I reignited my liking for cycling and collectively cycled a total of 32km today. It was had as I was still getting used to the gears, but I feel over time I will learn how to use them properly.

LO5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

We all made sure to help each other by communicating and watching each others’ backs on the road.