Author: Leen Samman | Major: Biology and Psychology | Semester: Summer 2024

At the top of Little Mount Peel

Kia Ora! Nō Fort Smith ahau. Nō Pirihitia oku tipuna. Ko Leen toku ikoa. Tena koutou katoa, as the Maori say. I learned this greeting during my three weeks abroad in New Zealand with the University of Arkansas Faculty-Led Adventure Therapy and Outdoor Leadership summer intersession program. This introduction first answers where you’re from, who your ancestors are, and then your name. The Maori strongly emphasize one’s connection to their land and ancestry over a job or degree, but I’ll still tell you. My name is Leen Samman. I’m a Fulbright College student majoring in biology and psychology and minoring in global studies.

I chose to embark on my study abroad journey in New Zealand not solely for its picturesque landscapes but primarily for the unique learning opportunities offered by the faculty-led program. The program’s overarching goal was to explore the connections between leisure, recreation, mental health, and the outdoors. Unlike the conventional usage of nature as a mere backdrop, adventure therapy intentionally harnesses the power of the outdoors to facilitate leisure and recreational activities. This was a revelation for me, one that I was not aware of when initially signing up for the program. What wasn’t a revelation was my willingness and desire to try new things, especially outdoor activities. As an individual with no outdoor experience and who, for the longest time, thought the outdoors was not their thing, this program seemed like the perfect opportunity to figure out if the latter was true. Spoiler. It was not.

Three particular moments changed my perspective on not only the outdoors but myself. The first was sea kayaking. It was the epitome of type II fun: when you are miserable in the moment but look back on it and think, “Wow, that was awesome!” It was a crystal blue day, not a cloud in the sky. We put on our gear, got in our kayaks, and paddled for ten minutes. Suddenly, the wind picked up, the sky darkened, and the water became choppy. “Paddle, paddle, paddle! Don’t stop paddling!” was all I heard our guides say. To stop paddling was to tip the kayak. Our arms were protesting, but our minds were set on making it to dry land without tipping over. We eventually made it to our destination, but, to our guides’ dismay, the weather only picked up. We had to paddle back in 19-mile-per-hour winds and even choppier water. There was no stopping; the water kept splashing into the kayaks, and it was freezing. I don’t think I’ve ever felt relief so strongly when we finished our round trip (without anyone tipping!). It was a memorable and humbling experience illustrating the value of teamwork and mind over matter.

The second pivotal moment for me was when we summited Little Mount Peel. It was a six-mile hike with 3,284 feet in elevation gain. The ascent was all uphill, getting steeper and steeper the higher we climbed. The beauty of adventure therapy is taking a hike like this and using it as a tool for personal reflection and growth. On our ascent, we did a ten-minute “walk your thoughts” where we kept walking but in silence. This allowed increased awareness of our thoughts and surroundings. Before this practice, I only felt the wind on my face, but during the ten minutes, I could hear how hard it was roaring; I had only felt the pain in my legs, but then I could also hear the voices in my head telling me to stop; I knew I was hot, but I didn’t take a moment to admire the sun’s brightness. Grounding yourself transforms your experience in nature in a way that makes you more appreciative of it. This was made more true when we saw the views from the top: the mountain peaks we were level with, all the land we walked, and the coast. Seeing where we were only hours before compared to being at the top of Little Mount Peel was so rewarding.

The third moment I want to highlight was our bush walk in Peel Forest because I was able to lead in a space I don’t normally occupy. We learned some basic orienteering and map reading skills the previous day, and I wanted to put them to use. Instead of only following Malcolm, our facilitator, I had my map out, trying to figure out our location and where we were going. Eventually, Malcolm let me lead the way, and I got us to where we needed to go. On our way, one section of the path was chained off. We tried to go over it, but it was risky considering the cattle guard underneath, so I helped look for an alternative route around it. While we were looking, I found a gate in one of the surrounding fences. I felt like an outdoor leader, being able to read the map and find safe alternatives for the group, and this was new to me. I would have never considered myself remotely close to an outdoor leader had I not been provided with these opportunities.

Overall, this study abroad experience taught me that growth is on the other side of comfort. A fundamental principle of adventure therapy is “challenge by choice,” the ability to choose your level of participation so you are in your “stretch zone,” the happy medium between boredom and full-on panic. When you are being stretched, you are challenged in a way that’s conducive to learning. You force yourself to be uncomfortable to figure out how to deal with this discomfort. You grow your window of tolerance and gain personal insight unknown to you had you not been willing to try. Perseverance and adaptability during sea kayaking, physical and individual accomplishments from Little Mount Peel, and the capacity to take on leadership roles in unfamiliar places from our bush walk. These were stretch zones afforded to me by this study abroad program and ones that will resonate with me throughout my duration at UofA and beyond.