Standing above the clouds on top of Mount Kilimanjaro, alongside 15 students who had summited that morning, I physically felt my heart leap. Bursting with pride for all they had achieved – battered and broken as they were – was a defining moment of my life; I cannot begin to comprehend what was going through their minds at the ages of 15 and 16, other than what an incredible thing it was that they had done.
My husband and I have had the privilege of leading many school expeditions across the years and we’ve been to some incredible places: Ecuador and the Galapagos, China, Peru and Bolivia to name but a few. But what drives us to devote our holiday time to taking the students away is never just about the destination. Each year we say, ‘Is it time to do our own travelling?’ and each year we agree: no, because the students are what make these experiences so special.
To try and explain the ‘growth’ they achieve while ‘out there’ is almost impossible. One of our students, who has since travelled with me as an assistant leader, and who was one of those who summited Kilimanjaro said, ‘It sounds cheesy, I went out there a boy, but I came back a man.’ In fact, he says it every single time I see him!

His story is not unique. I’ve lost track of the times I have seen the most withdrawn of students negotiating with a mob of taxi drivers in the middle of Tanzania. I’ve seen shy students haggling over chickens in the middle of a Beijing market, in a language they barely know. I’ve seen formerly reclusive students stand up in assembly on their return, in front of hundreds of people, and talk confidently and candidly about their experiences. This is what makes the trips for us: the fact that this travel experience, with care and guidance while we’re ‘in country’, inspires them to plan their own trips, plot their own itineraries and dream big about their futures and where they could end up. Dr Seuss wrote the book, ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ and it’s such an immense privilege to be along for the ride.
As I type, I have a running bet that we will make it to Chile before one of our students from our last trip to Peru and Bolivia. We had better get our skates on. As the good doctor says, ‘Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!’

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