A brain twist for myself...
Why do I take up every year the challenge to spend 4 days in a nature park in Borjomi / Georgia (Caucasus)?
And why do I like to do this with a group of people I don't know or which I hardly know?
Why does this trip have so much impact on me as well as on those who are joining us?
It is not easy to explain!
What I know for myself is that for years I believe in the attraction of nature and that this can have a major impact on how we experience our humanity as a person. Being confronted with the nature elements (rain, sun, fog, etc.), the hardships that were confronted with, the beauty of the views over the valleys, sleeping in a tent and waking up in the morning by the belling of the deer ... have made me what and who I am as a person.
I discovered for myself that just escaping from the fleeting, hectic hurried life and withdrawing into nature is a great joy for me. My inner batteries are always fully recharged and this at a rapid pace and I can handle the upcoming months at work again.
I have learned that "Nature does not lie to us“. When it rains and we are walking we get wet. When the sun is shining hard and I forgot my sun cream, we get sunburned in our faces. When I a feel sad, I will be grumpy and that affects my surroundings. When I am happy and full of energy, it returns into my behaviour. In a group, our social masks are falling down and we show who we really are.
We sometimes swear our way up the mountain. We sigh and puff when it gets too steep and another path goes up every turn. There is no end to it, it seems! .
But despite everything, I managed to reach the top again and we spend the night at the first ranger shelter. And to be honest ... I (stil)l drag some extra kilos on my body - so I know, when I can do this,everybody can do this!.
Every time again I am astonished to ask myself the question "HAVE I DONE THIS?". And I realize "YES" !!!!!
The experience that I am going through is going further than the physical challenge, forgoing and socializing at the top and enjoying the simple food by the campfire in the evening.
You can see people changing when they come along with us. Suppressed feelings, emotions, dreams and ideas emerge and are discussed at the campfire. We talk spontaneously about it with each other during dinner and we question and challenge each other. New ideas take shape through the conversations in this atypical environment and through what we are experiencing. Personal engagements are formulated and written down in our own personal reflection book that I use when coming home after every trip.
People and even teams who (sometimes recently, but also for much longer) work together and go on a journey, suddenly discover that there are a lot of other things to tell at the campfire than the daily (work) conversations and meeting topics. We come to the realization that we get to know each other in a different deeper personal way and we appreciate that more and more.
Ultimately, the effect of the journey goes further than the journey alone. The insights into ourselves change due to the intense experience we experience and we get to know ourselves better. Even insights into how we function and act in our team change. You could say an advanced form of team building. But one that you discover through nature and adventure!
And yes .... when we return back into civilization after our journey, we take time to discover the country by getting in touch with the local community in Tbilisi. Enjoying culinary and cultural aspects of what the capital gives us. After all, after the physical exertion and hardship there should also be some joy! NO????
Fortunately we are going back in September! I'm looking forward to it.
Ronald
Note: do you feel the need to join us on our next trip? Let me know and send a message to ronald.keersmaekers@experiential-learning.eu