Molly Nash
My first (and due to COVID-19, so far only) expedition as part of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award was absolutely fantastic- it was complete and utter chaos.
Whether it be wading through a river and climbing up a ridiculously steep bank in order to beat another group to the finish line, or enticing a rather skittish horse out of our way, or even accidentally launching a rugby ball at a caravan, DofE was one of my favourite experiences to date, and, with some of my closest friends, I enjoyed it immensely.
Even though we pitched our tent next to a miniature bog (which I must've walked through a solid thirteen times, and my friend Jodie did a backwards roll into), the discord somehow brought us closer together.
I remember on our practice expedition, we went from wandering serenely through the Welsh countryside to being ambushed by what must have been thirty cows and calves within a matter of minutes. It was terrifying!
We communicated with goats; rolled down a hill in full gear; had a funeral for a badger, and, at 5 am, my friend Katie and I had a furious battle with a moth larger than our faces (well) while simultaneously trying not to wake our other friend, Eleanor. Later, the moth returned with a vengeance and we had to resort to bullying our chemistry teacher to get rid of it for us. He did.
My favourite memory had to be when we were packing up to leave on the second day of our real expedition; one of our leaders convinced Eleanor and me that we couldn't completely dismantle and bag their tent in under a minute and a half. We weren't having it, and did it with seconds to spare- at the time we were buzzing, but now I realise it was just a ruse to do their work for them!
Overall, DofE was an experience I'll never forget, and I plan on completing both silver and gold in the future.
My thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family at this time, and I want to thank the Duke of Edinburgh for his service to our country, and to this award.
Rest In Peace,
Whether it be wading through a river and climbing up a ridiculously steep bank in order to beat another group to the finish line, or enticing a rather skittish horse out of our way, or even accidentally launching a rugby ball at a caravan, DofE was one of my favourite experiences to date, and, with some of my closest friends, I enjoyed it immensely.
Even though we pitched our tent next to a miniature bog (which I must've walked through a solid thirteen times, and my friend Jodie did a backwards roll into), the discord somehow brought us closer together.
I remember on our practice expedition, we went from wandering serenely through the Welsh countryside to being ambushed by what must have been thirty cows and calves within a matter of minutes. It was terrifying!
We communicated with goats; rolled down a hill in full gear; had a funeral for a badger, and, at 5 am, my friend Katie and I had a furious battle with a moth larger than our faces (well) while simultaneously trying not to wake our other friend, Eleanor. Later, the moth returned with a vengeance and we had to resort to bullying our chemistry teacher to get rid of it for us. He did.
My favourite memory had to be when we were packing up to leave on the second day of our real expedition; one of our leaders convinced Eleanor and me that we couldn't completely dismantle and bag their tent in under a minute and a half. We weren't having it, and did it with seconds to spare- at the time we were buzzing, but now I realise it was just a ruse to do their work for them!
Overall, DofE was an experience I'll never forget, and I plan on completing both silver and gold in the future.
My thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family at this time, and I want to thank the Duke of Edinburgh for his service to our country, and to this award.
Rest In Peace,
