Food and Locale written by Andrey, Lina, Alice, Sofie, Oliver, Sanjana, Anastasia, Amyra, Teo, Advita, Aaron, Vandan, and Wyded

Empowered with a detail-oriented lens, all learners had a chance to reflect on the food served at the campsite. They also analyzed the campsite itself, including its tabins and the play area. Below are a few of their detailed reflections:

“I loved the food at the campsite which ranged through all the types of food. The campsite gave everyone more than three meals a day and at the end of activities we would have snacks given by the kitchen staff. Although a lot of people disliked the tabins since they had very hard beds and not great washrooms. The campsite was amazing for me, there was lots of space to run around.” Andrey

“The food was very good, (Not the pasta) but I loved the hot cocoa with the Oreos and the pancakes with Nutella. The strawberry juice was very good too! The campsite had lots of games and obstacles! Tabins were not very clean, but they were nice to sleep in. Very nice!” Lina

“The food was good, but I preferred the breakfast, with the hot chocolate pancake…I also liked the concept of the breakfast picnic. What was practical in the tents was that we had our own bathroom. And the tabins were next to each other which is practical when there is a problem.” Alice

“The food was really good, and it is better than the school lunch. I like it when we have our own bed and a bathroom for us. We also get to talk in our tabins.” Sofie

“The food at the campsite was average. The pasta could have been better. The dorms were nice. The beds were comfortable.” Oliver

“The food was very good. I liked that some items were spicy, and some were sweet. I liked the fact that the tabin was very old-fashioned. I also liked that the campsite was very big.” Sanjana

“The food was actually pretty good because they had a good selection of food. They gave us more than 3 meals per day, and it was really good. We were also able to have Oreos, cookies, etc., which I actually did not expect. The rooms were ok, although the bed was really hard and the washroom wasn’t the best either, in total it was good, not what I expected, but good. On the first night, it was freezing, because our head was wet cause of the shower.” Anastasia

“I really liked the tabins except for the bathroom as it was very small, and it always got very wet. The food was nice. I really liked the variety of options. I also liked the campsite as it was safe and had all types of adventure activities. I really liked how the tabins had 4 beds and things for everyone.” Amyra

“The food was pretty good at the camp. We got some food that I am used to but there were some new things to taste. I did not enjoy the tabins beds because they were so hard to lay on.” Teo

“I liked all of the food except the pasta only because it was not what I expected. I also liked how big and spacious the tabins were. I feel that there are still some areas where the campsite could improve but overall, it was still AMAZING. I love how kind the instructors were/are and how they took us in with a lot of hospitality. I loved how we went strawberry picking and how kind the farmers were.” Advita

“The food was very good, and it was better than in school because it was home made.” Aaron

“I thought the food was great and that we had a massive variety of what to eat and the only thing I found foul was the fact that the pasta was extremely salty and was not that appetizing. I loved the cabins because they gave me privacy and I was able to be safe from things like bugs. I also liked the fact that it had a massive bathroom and that it was fully functioning. The view outside the cabins was amazing and I loved everything we got to do in it and outside of it.” Vandan

“I loved the food at the campsite, I didn’t like only one thing that was the pasta it was kind of gooey but that was the only food that I didn’t like. But on “Friday” we eat breakfast so hot chocolate, pancake with NUTELA or Maple syrup…with eggs. After we had gone to pick strawberries and they were excellent strawberries. Then we took the bus to go to Mapro and we eat some delicious PIZZA and for the dessert, we eat a more than DELICIOUS ICE CREAM!” Wyded

Looking Back – Personal Reflections written by Lina, Advita, Keshvi, Alice, Teo, and Aaron

The act of reflecting is essential for the purpose of driving change, acknowledging missteps, and preparing for the future. As the P5 learners reminisced, they came up with feedforward and suggestions for the future. Here are some of their thoughts:

“I could have stayed in my room when it was time and listened to the teachers. During the night it was so loud, but we were also talking very loudly in my room. I could have been quieter… I actually don’t want to change things.” Lina

“As a learner in the night, I feel that I could have been a little quieter before we slept. I also feel like I could have been more of a risk taker as I was too scared to do rappling. I feel like I tried to be my best self on the field trip. I like that how I encouraged my friends to do stuff like the Burma bridge.” Advita

“I would have listened and stayed in my room and not made too much noise in the afternoon. people were also blaming us because they thought that we were the ones who were making all the noise, but we think it was them.” Keshvi

“I think I could have avoided wearing a white T-shirt for the obstacle course where you had to roll on the ground. Now my t-shirt is all dirty, I hope it will wash off. I SHOULD THINK BEFORE I AM DOING SOMETHING!” Alice

“I want to say that I was going and ringing doorbells sometimes. That is mostly what I want to change. “Teo

“I think that I could have been a quiet in the tabins the night.” Aaron

New Experiences written by Advita, Lina, Oliver, Akshaj, Baptiste, Seong Jun, and Teo

Being fully immersed in nature is something that all the P5 learners enjoyed about this field trip. The new knowledge gained from their time together will forever remain in their hearts and minds. Here are a few comments from the P5s about their acquired learning:

“I always wondered what the tiny star-like objects are in the sky, in the field trip I learned that they are satellite. I also learned how to control my balance on the Burma bridge. I learned how to trust my teammates when climbing up the ladder. I was a risk taker for trying to zip line, as I am scared of zip lining I did it anyway and I had tons of fun.” Advita

“I learnt that going out in the wilderness with friends is so much fun and relaxing! I learnt to be a risk taker and try new things without being scared. I learnt to be caring to the animals and the nature.” Lina

“I learned how to put on a harness. I learned how to explore caves. I learned how to roast marshmallows.” Oliver

“I had learnt more of the geographical landscape of Panchgani as I learnt that Panchgani was a volcano millions of years back. I had also learnt that there was an art village in Panchgani plus Panchgani is famous for the ripe and delicious strawberries.” Akshaj

“I learned how to rappel on the mountain and how to climb better. I learned how to pick strawberries faster. I learned how to explore caves.” – Baptiste

“I learned many things from this trip- to Listen carefully to the teacher, not to fight with your friends and focus to what the other person has to say” – Seong Jun

“I experienced things such as how it is to live without technology, how it is to live outdoors and how we can experience different behaviors than usual” – Teo

The purpose of field trips is to equip learners with an understanding of the surroundings, engage them and enhance their curiosity. The P5 overnight field trip to Panchgani did exactly that and much more!