DP Orientation – rapidly down the rapids !!🚣🏽‍♀️

For DP orientation we went to Borderlands in Kithulgala, Sri Lanka. This trip was quite enjoyable and allowed me to bond a lot with classmates I don’t really know a lot about. Thus, it was definitely a trip where I made some new friends, re-connected with some old ones, and overall just had a good time. By doing this, it helped enhance my communication skills during activities (sometimes challenges) and socializing in general. Even though Borderlands is always a lot of fun, I was extremely glad that this trip was 3 days long instead of 5 (in 9th grade when we went for our annual Week Without Walls/school trip and it was 5 days). Moreover, I had done most of the activities we did already. Nevertheless, they were all still extremely fun. On the second day, as we made our way down Marvel Canyon, we were allowed to do the 10 meter jump. We had a choice between doing the jump or ziplining down. Now, I’m going to be honest here, I was pretty nervous about this. Not particularly about the jump itself as I had jumped from higher cliffs during my summer break before; but I realized as we made our way down the canyon that the rocks are extremely slippery. In other words, I wasn’t actually too scared about the jump, but rather about slipping and then falling. That would maybe not be so fun. Nevertheless, I did it, and I am so glad I did. It was honestly so cool and I definitely don’t regret doing it. I was so proud of my whole grade as well because everybody did the jump, which was a bit of a bonding moment as we were all being risk takers, together. This jump was definitely my proudest moment during the whole trip, but the most fun was playing football with my peers. Okay, all the other activities like white water rafting were also super fun and I had a great time, but come on, it’s football! This again was another great experience with my classmates as we played together. I did get a little injured, but it was totally worth it (don’t tell my mum). Also, bathing in the river next to camp with my friends after a long day of activities was also something to always look forward to, and again, I enjoyed that a lot. Additionally, trips like these always add on to my appreciation of Sri Lankan landscapes. The island is truly beautiful and so diverse with its different ecosystems. 

Also, here is an interview of my friend and I before of the 10m jump, and I’m so glad I ended up doing it.