Since completing our WAFA course, we have gone on a “shakedown” trek for one night to understand how our group needs to prepare for the 10-day which is quickly approaching. In NOLS fashion, our instructors let us lead the way to find our campsite. We ended up going further than what the instructors expected but without making this mistake, we would have never had the experience we had last night. As we were trekking through a village called Kulti looking lost and confused, someone graciously let us set up camp on his farm where we slept with one buffalo, two sheep, and an adorable dog named Raaja.
After arriving in Delhi on May 2nd, our group was quickly shipped to Hanifl which I would describe as a “controlled environment.” Our housing, cleaning, laundry, and all meals are taken care of for us, and the culture of the school operates according more to Western norms. I think this is why when we set up camp at the farm, it really hit me that I was… in India. The generosity that the man showed is very rare in the US and shows how much the two different cultures differ on the individualism vs. collectivism scale. Sentimental feelings washed over me as the combination of the farm, village, and mountain view reminded me of some of the places in Italy where my family is from and where I grew up visiting as a kid.
The hike itself was difficult, but not much worse than what I was expecting. I’m still getting over my sickness, so my energy levels are down and my sinuses did not help in getting a good night’s sleep. One of my concerns for the trek is not feeling 100% healthy, but if there is anything I have learned from long distance running is that patience and mental will power are more than half the battle.
What did you learn from the shakedown overnight trek? How will this impact your approach to the trek later in the program?
One of the things I discover about myself on this program more and more everyday is how challenging it is for me to confront my fear of failure. This fear encroaches a lot in group settings where I feel like I have to meet other people’s expectations even about the smallest things, like how to chop an onion. The trek requires that we work in teams to set up camp, cook, navigate, etc. and from just from the shakedown, I can tell there will be many instances in which I will be uncomfortable from this. I am hoping to try and learn to accept the mistakes I make as an opportunity for growth instead of letting it get to my head, telling me that “I’m not good at anything.” Going hand in hand with this goal, I hope to gain more confidence asserting myself in uncertain situations and take these experience with a more light hearted sense of humor.
What leadership skills did you see being implemented by your peers during the shakedown trek?
Since even before we came to India, I have been blown away by the generosity the 3 other girls on this trip have shown and how they will drop everything in a minute to be there for you if you are having a tough time. On the shakedown, we were all looking out for one another as a small subgroup, but I think our group can do better at making this a common feeling across all 12 of us. Towards the end of our hike today, I thought that we got there when we made sure to communicate and check in with one another for breaks. Overall, I think continuing honest communication and letting yourself accept/give feedback is one of the only ways to group cohesion.