I have so many D of E memories... where do I begin? I did my Bronze and Silver Awards through school; I had some of the funniest conversations with my friends when we were on our expeditions. I have never forgotten how to "set my map to the ground", or how my group emptied my rucksack on Silver Day 2 and shared it between them because I had a hip injury. My Gold is probably the most memorable though - I did this Award through the Girl Guides. I completed the Couch to 5K app as part of my physical (it's the fittest I've ever been!), and, even better, I met little Oli Baker from Aberystwyth. I was meant to be cleaning her house every week as part of my volunteering, but she never let me lift a finger! We drank tea and ate cake while she told me about her amazing life: how she'd been a widow for 30 years, and although she didn't have children, she'd "adopted" almost every university student who passed through her doors (including me!). The expeditions were super memorable too... Our practice still ranks as one of the worst weeks of my life so far! This was partly because of the weather, and also we overestimated how far we could walk - but I mostly remember how miserable I was, and how much I dragged our team down. I knew, after that week, that I could never be that person again, and I resolved to be far more positive next time, no matter the situation. It's been nearly 9 years since that expedition, but it's one of the most valuable weeks of my life so far for the lessons it taught me about the importance of building people up and spurring others on. (Our official expedition a few months later was far more successful.) And then there's the aftermath of the Awards... Meeting HRH the Duke of Edinburgh at St James Palace, and volunteering TWICE in Buckingham Palace gardens for other Award ceremonies... Truly unforgettable experiences. I'm so, so grateful for the D of E. And thank you to the volunteers and leaders (and my parents) who got me through it all!