Getting wet in Wales

One of the things I've found challenging throughout the time I've been working for Full On (NZ) Ltd has been the good old 'Elevator Question'. Having about 30seconds to clearly articulate to someone what it is you do... Now I could probably recite the Full On mission statement ["To be creating the most powerful, respected, fun and ecological activity based personal development experience for youth in the world"] but that wouldn't sound very genuine coming out of my mouth.

I could say we take American youth abseiling off a castle in Wales, but that wouldn't even come close to the true gist of what we do. I could even add that we do a variety of presentations based around personal and social development but I'm still not sure that really explains it. In fact, sometimes I wonder if the only way to really understand it is to experience it yourself... but here goes...

Full On is a New Zealand based company that currently has six sites around the world. We have a client called People to People who run trips across the globe for American youth that are based around peace through understanding. We spend one day with these American youth. Our programme has been described as a life changing experience. Both for staff and students. It's focused around personal development, utilising outdoor activities as a medium for that. There are many opportunities provided in the day to overcome fears and create a greater understanding of our own potential. This is supported by a variety of presentations that provide tools to assist us in taking these steps and understanding the experiences and how they relate to our lives.

Is that about 30seconds?

This season in particular has been an emmense learning experience for me. Largely because I came in, in a new role as a Programme Co-ordinator. But also because there have been a few added challenges to our season this year. By the way, did I mention that we operate for 2 1/2 months of the year?

We have some amazing staff. This year 25 in Wales. Part of the Full On lingo that you learn to use in every day life is Excellence and World Class. We are halfway through our season and I can confidently say that each and every one of these staff are creating a world class programme with excellence!

It can be pretty hard work. Emotionally draining at times. Long demanding hours. Before the season started I heard a quote that has stuck with me every day, on and off programme. "Today might be the day that you change someones life". It might be today, and you might never even know the difference you've made, but live like you mean it. After all, you only get out of life what you are prepared to put in.

Adventures in a foreign jungle

We arrived in Bangkok tired, hot and sticky. Tired from the 10 hours of travelling. Hot and sticky from the humid thai air. "The Plan" was to get the hell outta there that night. Down to the beautiful southern beaches. The rustling palm trees. The pina coladas and then towering cliff lines just begging to be climbed. Due to technical difficulties "The Plan" was put on hold.

Bangok can only be described as chaos. Colourful chaos in a language we could not understand. A swarming mass of cars, tuk tuks, motercycles, and people. Filling in the gaps was litter, stray dogs and cats, and an abundance of street stalls. We checked ourselves into a hotel and had dinner in the form of corn on the cob.

The nexy day was a time to be brave so we sucked it up and sorted ourselves out. Score one - two ticket to Krabi for 7pm. Score two - tuk tuk rides, temples and learning to say pang pai or too much! And after a blur of activity we were off, away from the city lights, the noise and the rush, and on our way to our destination.

I'll tell you two things about Thailand. Firstly, nothing is ever simple. And secondly, nothing is ever as it seems! Our bus ride began as just that - nice reclining seats, air conditioning, and movies. On our arrival in Krabi we could tick off the back of a ute, a van, sitting on plastic chairs and waiting until we are told what happens next... But the most magical moment was arriving at the sea. Seeing with our own eyes the golden sands, the rustling palm trees and the towering clifflines.

We caught a longtail boat from the famous Ao Nang to our home for the next 11 nights, west Railay beach. Now, I would thoroughly recommend longtail boats as a way to travel. Skimming across the water. Cliffs, sand and sea surrounding you. Jumping off and wading to the beach at your destination. Bliss.

On Railay we treated ourselves and stayed at the Railay Bay Resort and Spa. If there's one thing I've really appreciated about Thais, it's their hospitality. A cold drink and a cool towel on arrival. Bags are taken off your back and a smile says they've been looking forward to your arrival.

After a sigh of relief and a change of clothes we were ready to explore. Railay is a penninsula with two sides - Railay West and Railay East. Both are lined with beachfront bars, cafes and resorts, and flanked with clifflines offering some of the worlds best sandstone. One of the most exciting adventures is a trip accross to Tonsai, the neighbouring beach just a 15minute walk away. Tonsai has long been known as the 'climbers hangout' due to the beachside climbing and the slightly more relaxed athmosphere. These days the destinction is still there but is becomming less apparent. In the opposite direction is Phra Nang, another beautiful beach with equally beautiful climbing but less man made luxuries on the beachfront.

It's amazing how fast 11 nights can go. I must admit we didn't do as much climbing as expected. Maybe because of the heat. Maybe because of the plethora of other exciting things to do. Maybe because of the pina coladas... who knows. But one thing is for sure - after 11 nights we struggled to leave. We arrived feeling like we were in a foreign jungle, and left feeling like we were leaving home.