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Finding Adventure Down Under
When Girl Scouts become Cadettes and Ambassadors, they have the opportunity to explore domestic and international destinations through Destinations trips. Since becoming a Girl Scout as a Daisy, Paige looked forward to this opportunity
“My mom went on one when she was in Girl Scouts and thought it was a good experience,” Paige said. “I love traveling and learning about different cultures.”
In 2021, Paige was supposed to go on a Destination trip to Ecuador, but it was canceled due to civil unrest in the country. She was presented with three options for a new Destination and chose Expedition Australia + New Zealand.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Australia, so I thought it was super cool,” Paige said. “It would make up for the lost trip because it was three weeks long. All the different excursions sounded amazing.”
While Paige didn’t know any other girls who would be attending the Destination with her, it didn’t take long for her to make friends. Before leaving, she began talking with Megan, a Girl Scout from Minnesota, and they immediately became close friends during the trip. She also became close with Ashlyn, a Girl Scout from California. Two years later, Paige still meets up with Meghan, Ashlyn, and Addison, who she met on this trip.
During the Destination trip, Paige experienced many memorable moments. For instance, in Australia, she climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and went snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. She even celebrated her birthday while in Sydney. “The first time I ever saw the Sydney Opera House was on my birthday” Paige said.
In New Zealand, the group went on a Bay of Islands cruise, where, during a lunch break, Paige and her friends walked up a hill of one island to see the most beautiful view. The group also connected with the Māori tribes during one of their island visits. During their meetup, the Girl Scouts saw Māori dancers perform a “haka” cultural dance and were initiated into their culture with their “breath of life.”
“It was so cool to learn about these people and be a part of their culture,” Paige said.
In between their excursions, Paige and her fellow Girl Scouts spent their time getting to know one another. “At night we’d go into rooms and play cards and talk, and that was really fun,” she said. “It was really fun to connect with everyone and become close friends. It was really hard to leave at the end of the trip.”
During her Destination, Paige realized she didn’t learn just about new places, people, and culture. She also learned more about herself. “I learned that I love meeting new people, love being able to go somewhere where I know nothing and no one and come out of it knowing about the country and land and wanting to go back and wanting to see these girls again,” Paige said.
For Girl Scouts considering their own Destination trip, Paige said to just do it. Don’t let homesickness or fear of not knowing anyone hold you back. “You are doing so much on the trip you couldn’t think about it,” she said. “You were in such a cool place you don’t want to go home. If you are afraid of not knowing anyone, that won't be a problem. You’ll meet people you'll connect with so deeply you won't forget about them.”
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