This blog is about the third Monday with the Norwegian students. This day we focused on the map and compass skills.

Because we went to the snow and slept in the bivaks the weekend before, I hadn’t so much energy to focus on myself. We were placed in groups on experience with maps and I placed myself on the place with the most experience. When we started, I focussed on Heige and Celina on Hanne, to help them with the techniques. We walked to the lake and I realised that Celina knew better why we were at the point where then me. This was for me a realisation that I didn’t had to show that I knew it better, but that I also could learn something from Celina. I started to ask her how and why she knew the place instead of defending. On that point I didn’t care about what the Norwegian students would think, but wanted to learn. I chose my development over my ego, because I don’t think that makes me better in any way. We went on and I walked with Hanne, to get to know her better as well. 

On the second point where we had to go, I (because of my energy level) didn’t really wanted to go to the cabin what was the specific point on the map. Celina wanted to go there and again I followed her, to be more passive than dominant. I made a few jokes about it, to relay the focus from my lazy attitude to the joy we had in the activity. I used to do this more, when I know that my actions are not focussed on learning, or if I think my habits are negative in that way. After the photo we had to make for points, we went back and we talked a bit about the life in Kristiansand. Hanne wanted to help me with fixing my bike, so she made a call to the bike repair centre. I really liked that, because I used to care about that for other people. I think that how you act to other people also comes your way and this was a great example of that. 

When we headed back, we did a hide and seek game, what went very well. Again, I followed Celina, to learn about the thinks she did, instead of being the dominant guy. I counted my steps the same as she did, to back her up. This was a great example to learn from for Heige and Hanne, because two persons checking each other is better, then doing it alone and maybe count wrong.  

The last game we did was about answering the questions and running to the bottle. If it is a game as that, I am 100% competitive. In this game I combined my spirit to win, with working together with my team, as much as my running qualities. In this game I didn’t cared about how people saw me, but I wanted to have fun. So, we made jokes and I ran very hard!   

At the point we were done and didn’t win, I already lost the focus on winning and only cared about the fun we had. In this situation you can see that I am more and more capable to relay the focus of winning, to having fun and learning from other people.