Right from the start, my DofE experience was memorable! The first meeting, which was really just to tell us a bit about the award, was an adventure itself. I remember frantically running, trying to find the room where the meeting was taking place, asking various members of staff for help, and eventually, the relief (and minor embarrassment) of showing up at the tail-end of the presentation.

That, I suppose, a central theme of the DofE award. Ask any group, "How was your expedition", and I'm certain, they'll recount, vividly, stories of being lost, not sure of quite where they were or where they were going.
But the DofE award helped us all find ourselves.

I often think back to expeditions, or meetings, and our wee group will frequently share a joke or a memory about the time the other group let us walk for an extra 8 miles, or how we talked a mountain biker into showing off his skills, or how our expedition leader repeatedly scolded us for walking in a line - saying "It really makes me... Cringe!".

Without the award, I don't know if I would really be the same person that I am now. It pushes you to persevere, instead of giving up. In all sections, volunteering, sport, skill and certainly on expedition, there were times where I wanted to give up, but I didn't - I couldn't - because I didn't want to let down my DofE team. That perseverance sticks with you, long after the blisters have worn away. It leaves you a stronger person.

Although my team never was any good at navigating, and were prone to walking far further than necessary, or having to turn around and trek back for hours on end, we never once complained. And that's a testament to the award - we weren't just doing it to make the CV look better - had our motives truly been so shallow, we'd have devolved into bickering and chaos long before we found ourselves. Rather, we did it purely for the adventure: the adventure of a lifetime, one which all of us are a part of, to this very day.