My master university where I study, PPM School of Management, really concern about the soft skills that should be owned for the next future leaders, especially for their promising students. Then, the university held many evens related to gain our leadership skill, one of them cooperates with Outward Bound Indonesia, a world class training institution for character building. The event held from June 21st to June 23rd in Jatiluhur Reservoir, Purwakarta. I was wondering what will we do during the outbound because there were no explanation at all. They just told us to prepare our physical and mental to face the challenges.
The first day was good. I should paddling a canoe together with a partner on the 2 kilometers-reservoir. But, the sun so damn scorching hot, sore hands, added with unclear instruction of how to paddle perfectly, then my canoe left behind quite far from the others. We panic but try to calm and strengthen each other. Suddenly we saw our instructor's boat then they pulled our canoe to the edge. In the evening, I should cooked boiled vegetables with pecel, fried tahu and salted eggs together with Reza and Indah for my 12 members-team with traditional stove with no gas in the jungle while the others built tents for us to take a rest. After that, we played ferry merry games that need full concentration. At 11.30pm, we slept in a tent. No bath, no toilet, what we can see surroundings were only trees and reservoir.
The next day we woke up at 6 and did morning gymnastic because we should go hiking, walking around the mountains for four hours and we should carried our 25kilograms carrier . It's not easy, we went through the rice field, jungle with damage road everywhere. After arrived in the pointed place, we played high ropes, walking on the thin ropes tied up above 5 meters height. I'm a bit afraid because there were a rope that stuck in my safety belt. Thank God with the encouragements from all my friends, I can finish those 6 challenges and closed the game with flying fox. Arrghhh..
After got dinner, we should sleep separated in the rice field. The game named solo night, that we should build our own tent with the branches and ropes, sleep on a mattress, surroundings with stones, accompanied with a candle light and the cicada voices. It was 11pm and we should woke up at 4am to evaluate that day performance. It is such a great experience though it's hard to do.
The last day, we should make a boat from drums, ropes and bamboo so we can cross the reservoir. Our team has great cooperation day by day so it's not difficult to make and finally paddle the boat to the base camp.
When we arrived, we washed all the equipments in the carrier then we took a bath and went to toilet after 3 days challenges.
It was fun, challenging and unforgettable experience I ever had. I learn to struggle and not to give up, to serve and not to selfish. I learn to be a leader of my self, to give my best in every single step I make, to gratitude for all I have.. I will never ever forget this experience.
Ever!