The build up

14 July 2019 was the day we all waited for. The day we had all been counting down to for a very long time. A day that finally came.

I packed my massive purple duffel bag, then double, triple and quadruple checked that I had packed my passport, and I was on my way.

The 14th of July was the day that 143 South African Scouts climbed on a plane and flew to Dubai from 3 different airports. In Dubai we all made friends, nervously smiling at eachother, and then climbed onto our next flight- 14 hours from Dubai to New York.

In New York we waited, not so patiently, at the airport for the bus to arrive, and then took a scenic bus ride through New York, which we all fell asleep on very quickly. We woke up to the boys in our contingent yelling that there was a Whale in the Hudson River, which we believed in our half asleep state.

The next day, we spent having our Shakedown Camp. This was our first official day together, and this was where we got to know the people in our patrol and we selected Patrol Leaders, as well as played camp sports. We ended a boiling hot day with a swim, and went swiftly to bed.

6 Flags Adventure was our next day of excitement. We spent about 2 hours in the bus, and arrived to an intense day of heat and humidity, but of course the Scouts made the best of the situation, eating plenty of Ice cream thoughout the day. 6 Flags Adventure is a theme park near New York which has multiple rollercoasters and thrill rides, unlike anything we have in South Africa.

Day 3 and 4 did not slow down for anyone. All the Scouts were given metro cards to ride the Subway, and sightseeing passes, which allowed us to do tourist activities. The Scouts were split into patrols, and were able to choose where they wanted to go, accompanied by a scouter. Some of the places my patrol went include Rockefeller, Maddame Tousards, Ripleys Believe it or not, Times Square, Central Park, and even the National History Museum- the place that The Night at the Museum was made about. We then ended our New York stay with a Ferrie ride around New York, viewing the Statue of Liberty on the way, and then we were off to Washington DC.

In Washington we viewed the Whitehouse and some Monuments, but in the peak of the heat wave, some scouts found it apt to catch up on some sleep.

The next day we then headed off on a bus to West Virginia- our home for the next while.

And that leads me to today, but that story is for another time. Come back again soon!