Why did you decide to take an Outward Bound Course?
I decided to take an Outward Bound course for many different reasons. The one that stood out above the rest, however, was the fact that I was a little burnt out and needed a break from my day-to-day life. I felt that this would give me the break I was looking for, while providing multiple opportunities to better myself and experience once-in-a-lifetime activities.
What was the most unexpected thing about your course?
This question is a little funny to me because I really didn’t know what to expect going into this trip. I guess I had anticipated that this course would be difficult, but maybe not to the degree that it truly was. When we first got to the boat with all these random people and just thrown into that situation. That was pretty unexpected, just truly how challenging it would be.
What was your favorite part of the course?
My favorite part of the course had to be surfing in Costa Rica. We got to experience some of the best surfing on the continent in a way that hardly any other people could. When people ask about my course, this is the first thing that I tell them and they immediately become jealous.
How did you feel at the end of the course?
The end of the course brought a lot of different emotions for me. Firstly, it was a very bittersweet moment. The people I had bonded with for the last 85 days would now be going in different directions, so I certainly felt a little sad that I would no longer be with them. That feeling was replaced by an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and excitement. It was finally time for me to come home and test what I had actually learned over the past three months.
What is life like back home?
It’s better in a lot of different ways. Outward Bound gave me a lot of perspective on my life. I can appreciate the little things that many people take for granted in their everyday lives. Personally, I feel more excited to take on the challenges in my life, so a lot more motivation.
What has been your biggest takeaway from Outward Bound?
I learned a lot from my Outward Bound course, but nothing more important than life is a lot about attitude. There are going to be times where life throws something unexpected at you, and it is going to knock you down. You have to be strong enough mentally to take on that challenge and become better because it happened. Having the right attitude in life is something I lacked before coming and is something I still work on today. However, I have made some huge steps in the right direction to make sure I can have the best attitude possible.
Watch Bennett’s video