Expected number of mosquito bites since arrival at Shad: 27
Actual number of mosquito bites since arrival at Shad: 2
Average hours of sleep per night: far too few
Required number of morning coffees: 15
Actual number of morning coffees: 0
Let me start off by saying that today in particular was another exhausting day at Shad Valley UBC. Like all other mornings, breakfast was between 7:30 and 8:30. All 52 of us trundled into "The Lounge", anxiously awaiting a new day of unknown activities.
We boarded the bus to Lynn Valley (our first official 'field trip' as an entire group) at 9:05am sharp. As one knows, a school bus filled to the brim with excited teenagers is rather... noisy, to say the least. A near hour-long bus ride later, the Shads spilled out of the bus to take in their new surroundings. We were astonished. We were surrounded by lush green forest that towered above our heads. For those of you who haven't been to Beautiful British Columbia, perhaps the simplest way to describe Lynn Valley is that it looks as if it came straight out of the Lord of the Rings films. For those of you who aren't fantasy buffs, here's a photo: (coming soon).
We intrepid Shads got our first taste of exactly how frigid a creek is in early July. We waded through a rushing stream, and although swimming was not planned into the itinerary, quite a few of us ended up getting soaked. Yours truly managed to evade the worst.
About two dozen of us went hiking in the afternoon after lunch. (One learns to appreciate meals in a completely new way when one is away from home). The larger group (myself included) took the long route, which delved into the forest and spanned close to 14 km. The return trip took almost 4 hours! Needless to say we were exhausted on the bus ride home... but still as rowdy.
Not to forget our friends south of the border, the evening was finished off with cake and a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner by Dr. Martin Adamson (our Program Director) on guitar and vocals and Steve McCarthy (our Program Manager) on vocals. All in all, it was such a busy day that I will wake up at 6:30 am tomorrow, anxious to experience another day at Shad. And somehow managing to get through the entire day without coffee.
Deanna Choi
Shad Valley UBC
Hometown: Kingston, Ontario
