Of Hikes, Kayaks and That One Evening of Ultimate Uno

March 2020. That was the last time the notion of organising a residential school trip was not met with much trepidation. For fifteen months, even a simple hike was out of the question, let alone a journey to the distant corners of this land we call België. It was a moment of opportunity that restrictions began to lift just as our senior students were at their final dash towards the end of their high school career. And so it came to be that nine wide-eyed thrill seekers, desperate for even just a whiff of the outdoors, found themselves along with two minders, yours truly and one other, in the far-flung French-speaking forested region of the Ardennes.

The trip was first conceived as a practice journey under the Duke of Edinburgh programme, but it turned out to be something more. For the Class 10 students, it became a graduation getaway and a way to form new memories. For the Class 9 students, it was a chance to reach out to their seniors after such long periods of isolation to form deeper and perhaps lasting relationships.

There were no high mountains to scale, nor vast valleys to traverse, but there were a great many stories to be shared. There is the one about the hours-long hikes across farmlands and secondary forests to the picturesque villages of Stavelot and Coo, with riddles and murder mysteries, and the occasional curious cow, for company. There is the one about the spontaneous kayaking adventure, where a raft of conjoined kayaks powered by twin oarsmen flowed leisurely along the gentle current of the river Amblève, to the annoyance of a lone weekend fly-fishing enthusiast. And then there is that one evening dedicated to the ultimate game of Uno, which saw the introduction and quick embrace of many strange new rules, from interjecting cards to drawing eight. Yet, the greatest story of all came from the simplest of circumstances, when the glares from mobile devices dimmed and eyes met, when digital communication gave way to real conversations.

It was a short stay, but one much needed. For some, it was a way to mark the end of a chapter in what would later become, I am sure, an illustrious life. For others, it was a final chance to be part of this community of learners before embarking on new adventures. For the two minders, it was about finding teachable moments beyond the classroom walls, once again.