Out of the Comfort Zone

A key part of the GSE experience is doing things, meeting people, and experiencing lifestyles that are outside of your ordinary day-to-day. In any type of culturally immersive experience, you're bound to push the limits of your comfort zone - and learn about yourself in the process.

In mentally preparing for this trip, I expected moments of exhaustion, of meeting people that held differing opinions of my own, of perhaps not always being having an easy go of it. This didn't necessarily intimidate me. But what I didn't expect was this - being confronted with fears I would normally avoid (like hot air balloon rides, scuba diving, white water kayaking) - but being compelled to undertake them anyways.

The beauty of this trip - and sometimes the most challenging thing - is that we really don't decide our fate. Each day is scheduled, with the various clubs deciding how best to show us their worlds. For some, that might mean visiting the local military museum, or sharing their aboriginal ancestry. And for some - namely the clubs in Mareeba, Cairns, and Mission Beach - that means sharing the sometimes scary adventures that this part of the world has to offer. And we have no choice but to partake.

For me, this is both an amazing and daunting prospect. I've always been a bit nervous about heights - and extreme sports in general. I'd rather keep two feet firmly on the ground, thank you very much. So when I saw a hot air balloon ride on the schedule, I have to admit that my stomach dropped. But the team was doing it, so I did too. The pre-dawn drive to the ballooning site was one I'll never forget - a mix of nerves, and a little bit of excitement. But in the end, what an extraordinary way to see the Tablelands it turned out to be.

Next up - scuba diving. When you have an opportunity to scuba dive and see the Great Barrier Reef, do you say no? Of course not. You go for it. The instructor essentially had to push me (albeit politely) into the water. I thought I would sink like a stone with the heavy gear strapped to my back. It took a few tries, but I focused on staying calm. And lo and behold, I found my breathe. And the experience was truly magical.

And finally - our latest adventure. White water rafting down the Tully River. This one was a doozey. I was incredibly nervous beforehand - even though I've rafted through rapids before, it was always on a big raft with lots of people and a guide essentially doing the work for us. This was different - we were paired up and put into an inflatable kayak, given a few helpful hints, and told to have fun. Of course, the guides went with us as we made our way through category three rapids, but in many ways we were on our own. For most of the way, the time was adrenaline filled but mostly dry. But on the third to last rapid, almost everyone on our team went for a little swim. I happened to swim (or float helplessly, more like) through a few rapids myself sans raft before eventually being hoisted back in. And, I have the scrapes to show for it. What a ride.

Here we are above, sharing war stories post raft - with celebratory beers in hand, of course.

Before diving in (sometimes literally) these experiences seemed scary. I doubted my ability to have fun a mile up in the sky, to breathe calmly underwater, and to navigate a boat through unforgiving waters. But in all three instances, and with just a few bumps and bruises to show for it, I did it. I'm realizing that not only can I survive these things, but I can have fun in the process. I'm building the confidence in my own ability to do something different, sometime really difficult - even something most people wouldn't do. And, I'm realizing, that's what GSE is all about.