I enjoyed every moment of my Duke of Edinburgh Award journey. From my bronze expeditions trudging through the wet, cold Forest of Bowland (which surprisingly are my fondest memories), to my final gold expedition canoeing the Dordogne river in France, every trip was an exciting adventure full of laughter, learning and forever soggy walking boots! Of course expeditions weren't the only part of the award and my volunteering placements opened my eyes to how young people can contribute towards society at a time when we're still trying to figure out who we even are! I made so many new friends and learnt a lot of new skills along the way, from rock climbing and orienteering to playing piano and fundraising for good causes. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is absolutely for everyone. One of the most heartwarming experiences was seeing another kid in my group getting on the train to our Gold expedition in France - he had never left our town let alone the country and we had fundraised to buy him a passport, waterproofs, boots and camping equipment. Seeing the excitement on his face, and the belief that he could go places and achieve amazing things after that will stay with me forever.