Outward Bound School

Late last month, PETRONAS sent me for an experience of a lifetime to Outward Bound School, Lumut together with other scholars.

The whole experience was fun, really. It does not matter that we came back from the one-week adventure with battered body, everyone seemed to be enjoying it up to the very last moment.

Looking back, none of us had any clear idea of what to expect when we arrived in Lumut. True, some had already asked dear friends who had been through but that hardly prepared us for the real challenge that lay ahead. First off, certainly no one would have guessed that the dormitory would be placed so high up that going up and down looked more like an endurance test rather than a routine affair. Then there was also the long ordeal of kayaking around Pangkor Island, covering a distance of 24 kilometres in two days. As our muscle still ached courtesy of the rough kayak experience, we were put on a whaler in a group, rowing and sailing for another two days. Boys and girls, no escape, everyone was in. The strong cheered for the battered, and together we braved through the sea heading to our destination. Each time a goal was reached, it felt brilliant.

You see, battling physically to pass through all those ordeals is one thing, but convincing yourself that you can actually do it in the first place is quite another. You spent hours battling the sea in your kayak yet the end was nowhere in sight. There and then, with energy drained fast, the only thing that pushed you forward was your conviction, the voice in you saying that you could reach the destination. I do not know if anyone ever questioned the logic behind OBS, but if there is the answer is clear; it trains you to constantly renew your willpower, to always have the self-belief in the roughest of circumstances.

The experience also renewed my respect and admiration for the opposite gender. They laboured the same amount of works as the guys yet there was no complaint, everyone was determined to see off the challenge. When difficulties arise, they were amongst the first to get up and offered help.

I am forever grateful for this experience, for the chance to do things that I could not possibly think that I would be able to do. Also, the opportunity to say hi to old acquaintances and make some new ones along the way was priceless. I will forever keep the memories etched in my mind.