During the mid-term break, 13 St Catherine’s students embarked upon an amazing adventure to Vietnam and Cambodia. I chose to undertake a World Challenge expedition because they are renowned for inspiring young people to step outside their comfort zone and to explore the wider world, and ours certainly did not disappoint. Although we were expecting new sights, sounds and smells, and to challenge ourselves in difficult physical situations, we could not have envisioned the deep connections we were able to make both with the local communities and each other. Within hours of having stepped onto home soil, we were already sharing stories and memories, planning a reunion and laughing well into the night!

Elodie Ferrali and some of her peers from the World Challenge expedition.

A central aspect of the expedition was taking the lead and choosing our journey which required careful planning. We established a system of teams with various leaders at the helm. Understanding that it can be tricky to make decisions when there are many people involved, we often decided to use a voting system but everybody was so flexible that we sorted out all of the issues easily and well. During the trip, we learned to find and give support and not be afraid of relying on one another. Budgeting for food, activities and accommodation was quite difficult; we often had to negotiate, juggle currency and make compromises. We were able to experience, first-hand, the struggle for financial freedom, but also to appreciate that a great deal can be achieved with very little and that a strong sense of community is far more valuable.

Our 17 kilometre trek in the Sapa Valley on the second day of the expedition was a definite highlight. It was physically very challenging – not only because of the distance and heat, but also because we were carrying our heavy packs. Part of the trail had also been destroyed which required us to take a detour into difficult terrain. But away from the airports, shops and tourist attractions, we started to relax and soak in the beauty of the area. It was incredibly humbling to be so mindful and ‘in the moment’ during which we also began to unravel each other’s ‘layers’. Although we thought we knew each other, it was quite different away from school, social media and everyday life. Often, we were surprised by the hidden or raw self and we began to form real and deep connections that were developed and consolidated during the rest of the expedition.

St Catherine’s students helped to build an English Language School as part of the World Challenge expedition.

Our visit to the S21Prison and The Killing Fields in Phnom Penh was extraordinary on so many levels. It was very confronting to hear recordings made by the survivors whilst standing at the very place where the atrocities had taken place. All of the stories were so sad. We could not help but feel emotional and yet afterwards, we barely said a word to each other about it; it was as if nothing needed to be said. We balanced that awful reminder of what human beings can do to each other with the wonderful experience of physically helping to build the English Language School in Cambodia.

Thank you, Mr Nick Racina, Ms Skye Stansfield and our leader, Carla, for your help and support. We enjoyed the laughs and your company. Our World Challenge trip will go down in history as one of our most memorable experiences. We would encourage each and every girl who has the opportunity to embark on the experience. The sense of community and achievement is unforgettable, and our friendship and shared experiences will last well beyond our days at St Catherine’s.