Living Passionately // Monsta Surf founder Cam Greenwood

If you haven’t come across Monsta Surf; get amongst it. These guys are existing to change the way that we live by inspiring a passionate way of life, whilst giving back to those not as fortunate. Through following the Monsta journey and its admirable ethos for the past few years; it’s insanely inspiring to see this brand have such a positive impact on individuals and communities throughout the world. This is the story of Monsta, and the man behind the undeniable magic- Chief wizard Cam Greenwood.

Surfer, photographer, writer, speaker, and absolute legend @camgreenwood

1 / To pursue this dream, you dropped out of a Commerce degree at University. What advice/words of wisdom can you give to the younger gen, or anyone for that matter, about pursuing their career path?

Know your why. So many people know what they do. Or what they want to do. But not many people know why they do it. When you have a deep why behind whatever it is you’re pursuing, your what will become so much stronger because you will be walking with purpose. You will also have more determination to overcome the obstacles along the way if you know why you are doing something. At Monsta, we have a very clear focus of the “why” behind what we do. And that is we exist to encourage passionate living. Our business is simply the platform we use to reach people. As I’ve pursued my dreams, I’ve become so fixed on the purpose behind what we do and it’s developed such a strong confidence for this adventure we’re on, from the valleys to the mountain tops.

@josh.hallam frothing in a Filipino pit. PHOTO @camgreenwood

 2 / Your Team released the Live Passionately film late this May (free to watch on Youtube btw!) Can you tell us a bit about the Kickstarter campaign for the production, and a few logistics in making the film happen?

What an amazing adventure that was! Last year, we took some of our ambassadors to the Philippines. We have some really talented crew on our team so we wanted to document the trip. We told the ambassadors they were going on your average surf trip. But what eventuated was not what anyone was expecting at all! We explored the beautiful coastline, climbed volcanoes, surfed some incredible waves but the highlight of the trip was doing water filtration for some of the affected communities of Typhoon Yolanda.

The team didn't know we had this planned and it was super cool to see the profound impact the projects had on not just the communities there but also on our team personally. When we got home from the trip, Jordy Merry was looking through the footage and really believed in the story that was there. He took a massive leap of faith and decided to quit his job in order to produce the film. It definitely wasn't an easy process but we learnt so much along the way. The post production took about 4 months and then we launched a crowdfunding campaign to help fund the final touches and raise funds and awareness for the locals affected by Typhoon Yolanda, who have become great friends!

The tribe meeting with the locals to install clean drinking water filters.

 3 / The Story of Monsta Surf - Live Passionately film is beautifully created, humorous and just down right inspiring. What was the main purpose in creating this film? Giving back being a core value for the Monsta brand and your way of life.

Thank you! At the core of everything we do, we wish to inspire people to live passionately in their own lives. Over the past few years, I have blown away by the response we’ve received as I’ve shared this story to schools and organisations across Australia. We recognised that we had a tribe of people around the world who loved what we were about but may not have had the opportunity to hear how Monsta started, why it exists or hear some of our ambassadors stories. So the purpose was to be able to share our story to inspire people to step into their own stories. It really just evolved from there.

En route to climbing a volcano. PHOTO @camgreenwood

 @elliotgray__ @camgreenwood stoked to be alive. PHOTO @seandwyeeer

 4 / Tell us about the Monsta Foundation.

The Monsta Foundation exists to remove the chains that hold people back from living a life of passion and purpose. It was founded in 2012 as I travelled to Kenya. I realised there was so much more to my dreams of creating a surf brand. That I could use this brand to also inspire people and make the world a better place along the way. We do water filtration work in South East Asia and Kenya. We also support our friends in the community of Huruma in Kenya. Next year, we will be expanding our work into local communities in Australia which I’m so excited for!

‘I see a tribe of people who are connected by their passion to live without limits, dream without fear and live passionately in every moment. We are a global family and together we strive for the same vision.’ PHOTO & WORDS @camgreenwood

5 / In 2012 you traveled to Kenya with Go Beyond All Borders; evidently it changed your life and many around you. I hear Monsta has an upcoming Awareness Adventure trip for 12 lucky people back in Kenya, where it all began?

 Yeh we sure do. We actually have 14 people coming with Caz (the legend behind Go Beyond All Borders) and I. We held Skype interviews with people from all over the world who wanted to be a part of the adventure. It was super hard narrowing the team down but I believe we have an incredible bunch of world changers coming with us and I can’t wait to get to know them all over the 2 weeks we will spend in Kenya.

Oceanic dreams. PHOTO @camgreenwood

  Beach bonfires and good vibes. A favourite moment from the Live Passionately film. PHOTO     @camgreewood

6 / In this consumerist society, where companies and brands have a major influence on what we choose to spend our moula on; do you think clothing brands such as Patagonia, OuterKnown and Monsta itself will start to overtake some of the bigger surf labels in the consumer industry, purely because of their positive impact and ethical core values? After all, the products we choose to buy are a reflection of ourselves and the values that we uphold.

I’m dreaming of a revolution in the clothing industry. As we move forward, we wish to be a really positive voice in the manufacturing space and I am constantly learning more about best practices. From the materials we use, to how they are sourced, to how the factories we partner with create a friendly working environment for their employees, we really wish to make the world a better place in everything we do. I like to see the other brands who have a similar ethos to us as our friends. As we disrupt the industry together, I would love to see the bigger brands change and focus on how they can too make the world a better place through their operations. At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for our world and its people. And if companies place less focus on market share and competition and more of a focus on what they’re actually doing and the ‘why’ behind it, I think together we can turn a fairly negatively impacting industry into a powerful force for change.

@brebsy and the crew delivering water filtration systems to a little village in the Phillipines.

 7 / What can we expect to see from chief Cam Greenwood and the Monsta Tribe in the future? Whatever it is, I'm sure it will be rad.

 Wow. So many dreams! I’m dreaming that our tribe will be a powerful voice in the world. I’m dreaming that we will have a world changing influence. I’m dreaming that we will be able to empower people to find freedom from their battles and live a life of passion and purpose, just as we are so blessed to live. I’m dreaming that our spark will blaze trails with love wherever this adventure takes us. And ultimately, I’m dreaming that with what started as one surfboard in a backyard, turns into millions of lives changed throughout the globe, just by simply existing.

Ready to inspire the world. The beginning of the Live Passionately film. PHOTO @seandwyeeer

Watch the full film here; it’s not one to miss.

The Live Passionately film documents the journey of Monsta Surf's 'Live Passionately' movement. The film follows the tribe as they are taken on the adventure of a lifetime to the Philippines. In this 50 minute film, the team head to the Philippines in order to find paradise and search for perfect surf...

Massive thanks to Cam Greenwood for taking the time to answer this interview, and for all that you do. Yew!

www.monstasurf.com

Clean Coast Collective // Trash Tribe Expedition

Wowza. Who would’ve thought spending 10 days picking up trash could turn into one of the most phenomenal weeks of your life. 10 days, 12 beautiful, inspiring humans, and an absolute shit tonne of rubbish. On location in Cape York Queensland with Clean Coast Collective at Chilli Beach, one of the remotest stretches of sands in Australia.

A two day drive from Cairns through vast, varying landscapes and red dirt tracks, the Cape can be hailed as a bit of a tropical paradise with its palm tree laden shores and white sands. Unfortunately, it’s not quite what you imagine. With the Eastern Pacific circling down from our Indo neighbours, this section of the coast accumulates a whopping amount of marine debris, the majority being plastic.

The tribe getting down and dirty. There’s no way we would have finished the beach without volunteers from Tangaroa Blue and the Australian Conservation Council by our side the entire time | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

A harsh reality | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

Meet the Trash Tribers! There’s just too much to say about this awesome lil fam. A bunch of artists, designers, photographers, entrepreneurs and conservationists with one mission, and a passion for protecting our oceans | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

In 6.7 kilometres of beach we managed to collect 7 tonnes of trash. 7 tonnes. How is that even fathomable? The amount of plastic in our oceans is a serious issue, and one that’s not going to be a quick fix when one piece can last 50,000 lifetimes longer than our own short stint on this Earth. Every piece of plastic that you don’t use, whether that’s taking a keep cup down to your local cafe instead of using a takeaway, or stylin with your super groovy hand-stitched Boomerang bag instead of a monotonous plastic one, really does make a difference.

The amount of plastic and debris was completely overwhelming. There was one morning where we only got through 200 metres in 4 hours. The realisation of the enormity of this global issue hit each one of us at a different stage throughout the trip. It wasn’t uncommon to see someone on the beach rise defiantly from the trash and shout a long, truthful “FUCKKKKKK” | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

Chilli Beach, Cape York | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

It’s extremely inspiring to see individuals and small groups of people like Heidi Taylor, co founder of Tangaroa Blue and Nat & Dan from Clean Coast Collective who go out of their way to tackle the plastic pollution issue, whilst inspiring others to do the same. Their efforts aim to change individuals way of thinking and the movement of contemporary society into a serious domino effect. These beautiful people are just a few of the movers and shakers of the modern day man.

Dan and Nat unravelling fishing ropes from a piece of driftwood. @_danielgsmith @nat.woods_ @cleancoastcollective | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

Picking up trash is made easy when it’s in a tropical paradiso like Chilli! @luke_okay @libbydoughty | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

Convoy en route | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

Clean Coast Collective came about after Nat Woods and Dan Smith travelled and meandered their way around Aus, in a troopy, for 7 months. They were completely baffled by the amount of plastic nestled throughout some of Australia’s remotest beaches and oceans. It bothered them so much that they created a consumer movement stopping plastic at the source. The best part - all profits go directly towards funding clean up expeditions like this 10 day Cape York trip. And what a good time it was. I seriously cannot express how much respect and admiration I have for my fellow Trash Tribers. When you’re thrown into a small bell tent with eleven other people, you can only be thankful that they are extremely like-minded, kind-hearted souls with incredible stories. Hats off to all these beautiful people doing great things, and playing their part.

Tangaroa Blue is an Australian-wide not for profit organisation that has been tracing plastic debris back to its source for the past 14 years - taking illegal fishing boats down with them. Co-founder and absolute lady boss Heidi Taylor’s mantra is “if all we do is clean up, that is all we will ever do.” | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

Spidermonkey @libbydoughty | Photo by Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers | Cape York, Australia

Cold beers, a sinking sun and insanely good vibes after 10 wholesome days spent on the Cape. Chilli Beach Trash Tribe 2017. Cheeeeers to that | Cape York, Australia

Surfing the Wild Rugged Plains of North West Australia

The North West of Aus. In these remote, arid stretches of red dirt and raw rugged plains, it’s easy to immerse yourself in the land and disconnect from society and the habitual use of social media. In fact, in most places you don’t have a choice; and it's seriously rejuvenating.

#35mm disposable // Enjoying the last rays. Captivated by this vast crumbling coastline and the abundance of marine life. When it effortlessly takes you 3 hours to explore every nook and cranny in a 200 metre stretch of beach, you know you’ve got it pretty good

Getting a lil creative. View atop the dune at dawn

Ahh the carpark. Arguably the best spot to admire the surf. Mind surfing all the way

One such spot is that well known for its harrowing left hander and coral reef breaks that have caused many painful drives over bumpy dirt roads into the main town - over two hours away. A face full of coral after a gnarly wipe out or a tiny, inconspicuous reef cut on your toe can often lead you down the same bumpy road- no kidding. We’ve seen guys whose feet have swollen until it’s too painful to walk, needing to be put on a drip whilst hoping for the best before the toxins slowly spread throughout their body- all from neglecting that slight cut with the betadine. Damn.

Grom @georgesimpson04. I’ve found that surf photography opens a lot of opportunities/chances to connect with different people that share the same love for the ocean. I think surfers and surf photographers see each other as the same entity; both are respected equally in their own rights.

Dawn patrol surf checks on the hill.

#35mm disposable // Waking up every morning to witness the pink glow over the ocean and whales breaching from the comfort of your swag. Phenomenal

The start of July is the busiest time in the North- Gnaraloo 3 Mile Camp flowing with Margs and Yallingyup locals who make up about three quarters of this seasonal community. The rest are Perth hopefuls and as always a few wandering gypsies. Gnaraloo when the swell is big- like 10 to 12 foot big- is absolutely incredible to witness. There’ll be about four or five guys in the water and the rest of the camp just watch in complete awe from the carpark. On those days you really are glad that your shitting yourself from the comfort of your camp chair, with refreshments in hand, and not from that oncoming  metre-thick lip that’s about to hit you on the head. When these swells reach the coast, WA surfers such as the Brown brothers and Luke Wyllie fly in specifically as not to miss an opportunity!

Paul ‘Antman’ Patterson down the line on a fun one at Tombstones. Antman is one of the early pioneers of big wave action off the West Coast, and has made the pilgrimage back to Gnaraloo 20 years in a row, this time shared with his fam

Desert sands

This July however, was a bit on the lighter side- and thank god really; it keeps everyone sane when they can get out for a surf. You can never truly rely on the swell/wind forecast- if you expect the expected you will be sourly disappointed. Even still, the weather word and weekly conditions always spread like wild fire around the camp. “Yep it will be light winds all day, no rush” An hour later at 10.47 am; breeze is in. Cheers Andy. It’s quite funny actually, you really just have to go with the flow and make the most of the good conditions whilst nature’s providing.

This time of year Humpback and Southern Right Whales migrate to breed in the warmer waters up North in places such as Camden Sound. Their presence was constant; every few minutes you’d catch a glimpse of this big splash of white water out the back, then see a little whales tail pop up a few seconds later

#35mm disposable // Travelling in the Toyota personnel carrier in this kind of arid terrain had seriously strong resemblances to an African safari- the only difference was we were chasing wild goats instead of lions and cheetahs. @livmickle @kalaniscott_

Where the desert meets the sea. @georgesimpson04

The smaller days are sometimes the ones where you have the best fun. The lineup changes from a friendly hustle to a tight little community where guys such as Antman are pushing their kids onto waves and you're chatting to that friend  you met the other day who’s on the campsite just down the track; being able to meet new people and listen to their stories whilst sharing the sea stoke. That’s what it’s all about.

About a hundred goats would meet and gather every night at dusk atop this little ridge overlooking the sea. Hhmmm family gatho anyone?

Western Australia’s coral coast is absolutely teeming with life, stretching all the way from Perth to the warmer climates of Exmouth // Exploring caves and taking underwater selfies, of course

The good ol’ dunny drop in the distance. With barely any rainfall throughout the year, native flora is adapted to survive with minimal water (xerophytes). The morning dew doesn’t do too bad a job.

@ethan_.jackson charging on his potato. Ethan will be in the water for 6 hours plus some days- paddling from break to break in search of the next wave. One time we spotted him through the binos surfing ‘the bommy’ by himself- and on a softop. Fearless

Apart from the surf, this part of the West Coast is renowned for its thriving marine ecosystem and desert terrain, amuck with now wild goats which were shipped onto the pastoral station in 1988. If you're not jumping off sand dunes and watching the moon set over the ocean, yes the moon, over the ocean (gawk); you're swimming with turtles in the coral lagoon and sipping sunset drinks around the campfire. Whatever bush tucker you prefer- the North West has it all.

Collage @jemmascott__ // Just me, the moon, and those great undulating dunes

Collage @jemmascott__ // Just me, the moon, and those great undulating dunes

Travelling on Intuition

Perth to the Gold Coast; a whopping 6,324 kilometres of vast undulating plains and a meandering coastline that is an absolute pleasure to surf and simply soak the soul. I was offered a free flight across to travel with the rest of the fam; and for a student scrimping and scrounging every penny she could muster for her travels ahead, it was pretty much a pot of gold at the end of a hard years work.
However, she gracefully declined. Instead, she decided to make her own way using the most unconventional route possible. Rideshare, bus, train, trust in that stranger who in no time becomes appreciated as a like-minded companion. Whatever worked at the time, whatever her intuition told her. It is so much more enriching travelling the land than flying straight over it. And somehow, pursuing this trip just felt so… right.

It took me a month before I reached Rainbow Bay, where I met up with friends and family. A month of meeting some seriously awesome people, of concerts and festivals, of eye-openings and boundless opportunities, and just being able to explore and understand a bit of our own backyard; this land we call home.

                                                                       En route

                               Collage

                        The Gap, Carla

Well, it all started with an email. It was a lift to Adelaide with the guarantee of meandering along the coast, taking it slow and enjoying the stops at small country towns as much as the open road. Welcome to Rideshare. And after meeting Carla in person for a beer at The Norfolk, already a good sign, euphoria was sky high. This ride had come down to first impressions; the vibes felt good, I admired her blue overalls and she was a lover of DOPE LEMON, so instant friendship right there. My stomach became giddy with excitement and the thought of this unkempt wild adventure. I couldn’t help but beam the whole train ride home.

By Feb there were five of us, and hell did we have a good time. Travelling in a tiny yellow Fiat (her name was Delilah) and a giraffe spotted Wicked camper, we were the grooviest cars on the road- and the most likely not to make it across the Nullarbor alive haha. The Nullarbor was something else; tranquil, remote and completely desolate. For some it’s classed as the most monotonous drive of their life with 1500 kilometres of almost straight road, the same low lying shrubs and just this never ending stretch of flat horizon. I loved it.

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Camp set up

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Limestone sunrise

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Nullarbor petrol station

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Norseman Op Shop

Its raw, vast beauty has always awed me; once an ancient river system made up of many small, fast-flowing rivers some 80 million years ago, it’s now the world’s largest limestone karst landscape. Nullarbor literally meaning ‘no trees’, it is covered with hardy drought and salt resistant shrubs such as Bluebush and Saltbush, and is home to more mammals and wildlife than you’d think possible- you just need to look out the window at the amount of roadkill to gauge that. Camping on the Nullarbor, in the bush, in the definition of the middle of nowhere, is what I've kinda always daydreamed about. Watching the sun cast a gentle glow over the low lying shrubs, the Fiat perched under a small tree, the girls eating saladas and tuna on our little camping table, soft tunes and outbursts of laughter fill the warm air, oh and Carla’s weed. Ha, a nice time to be alive.
Made it to Adelaide in time for WOMAD; a world music, arts and dance festival that aims to showcase different styles of music and bring people together from around the world. To put it quite simply; a phenomenon. We’d go from learning an African dance routine where 100 plus people are all in sync, feeling the rhythm of the drums and just getting absolutely jiggy with it, to going completely berserk amongst Parov Stelar’s sexy electro swing performance, to just chilling out on the grass and admiring artists like D.D Dumbo and yes, DOPE LEMON. A festival that is not only an absolute joy to the ears, eyes and soul, but one that empowers third world countries by giving them the opportunity to express their culture and contemporary issues of the society they live in.

                                                                   DOPE LEMON

If you haven’t heard of Couchsurfing, you really should look it up. A platform that enables travellers to connect with everyday people who offer their homes, hearts, or more often than not just a mat on the floor for the needy traveller in search of a roof over their head and a good conversation. For us girls, it turned out to be so much more. Tyran, our host, was a yoga instructor and tradie. We were three of seven staying at his house. Apparently that generosity wasn’t enough (don’t worry he says he’ll be rewarded with good karma); cooking up a massive feed of dhal, rice and curry, we all sat around a Buddhist inspired, low lying table on mats. The conversation ranged from the seriousness of corrupt political power, environmental devastation and our consumeristic society to the history of drugs in Nimbin. Actually one of the most meaningful and awakening conversations I've had in a long time. And that’s what Couchsurfing’s all about, sharing and learning off of other people and becoming immersed in their way of life. A cold beer and a bit of acro yoga doesn’t hurt too. This was just to Adelaide. Yeah I know… get on with it.

                                                                 The Nullarbor

                                                                     Elements

Caught a day bus to Melbourne. You’ll find that when you're bored, when you have hours in the plentiful and in a beautifully fixed position, that time is an inlet for freedom of space and creativity.

My time in Melbs was inspirational, yet a stark and harrowing reminder of city life and the contrast between suburbia and sleeping out under the stars. I caught up with other parts of my family and was reunited with a best friend from toddlerhood. We hadn’t seen each other in 16 years yet were basically living parallel lives, quite funny. After exploring the Mornington Peninsula we somehow managed to stumble into a Skeggs concert and got caked by the lead singer during their performance, yeah happy birthday man. The rowdiest, most intense crowds are often those in the local pub. There you’ll have the best fun.

                                                                         PEAK

To travel to Sydney, I booked a train ticket a few nights before leaving, but the morning after I received a message from someone on Rideshare offering a lift. Allessandro was his name, a Peruvian surf photographer who just got back from shooting a girls surftrip in the Maldives. My first thought: “Is this for real?” Oh yeah it was. With seven surfboards, three wetties and my little Meikon underwater housing, pit stops and surf checks at bays and beaches along the way were mandatory.
In Ulladulla we camped in the beach carpark, listening to the lapping waves of Mollymook and the pitter patter of rain on the tent canvas. It hadn’t stopped in two days straight. The morning arose with fresh swell, almost clear skies and vans of locals honouring their morning ritual. Hoora, we had hit the jackpot. Five foot left hand peelers and a morning glow so intense that it was almost blinding. Perfect time to get the camera out. We were out there all morning until our fingers started to look like prunes and the magnified light started to overexpose the images. Eventually all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, after an intriguing few days of travel and good convo, we parted our separate ways.

I caught an arvo train/bus to Byron, where upon arrival at 4.30am in the morning, you could still find people hanging out on the grass down at Main Beach. There’s something about Byron that’s simply magical. Its mesmerizing waters and rugged landscape is not one that you can easily walk away from. The people fortunate enough to make up the community possess a deep respect for the place they call home and emanate values that reflect this. You can see why creatives and nomads alike are so easily drawn to it.

                                                                    Just casually

                                                                          Slide

                                                               One step two step

I arrived on the Gold Coast exactly a month after I had left, much to the relief of my parents. That month had entailed more stories than you could imagine, or if you like, the number of crackers and tins of tuna I had consumed (a lot), and was undeniably and irrevocably sweeter than that 5 hour plane flight, hey.

// This story was featured by Summersite -check out their recent posts, they're pretty groovy!

Schoolies Alternative Adventure

Life after school; a time to reflect on twelve years of friendships; made and lost, of hard work and unquestionable bouts of procrastination, and what felt like prolonged drudgery in those last remaining months. High school is a truly memorable stepping stone in the paths of our lives; it helps shape who we are.

So wouldn’t we want to celebrate our past dedications and achievements, 12 years of our lives, with something merely more than “YEAHHHH let’s get pissed dude!”

‘Leavers’ and’ Schoolies’ originally started in the 70’s, and ever since has become almost a rite of passage for Aussie adolescents. Excessive binge drinking, a blurred count of vodka and lemon lime shots, and the forced thought of ‘I’m having great fun!’ when you wake up the next morning. Repeat times five.

There are better ways to celebrate the beginning of freedom and a life of your choosing; ways in which you will actually remember.

In late November I travelled to Nepal with a group of seven other schoolies. We trekked and traversed our way over mountainous terrain, volunteered our physical strength and love to a remote school in the village of Dhampus, and were lucky enough to fly over the Himalayas-  an experience that actually touches the soul.

Euphoria in Ghandruk. A dry open grass field with a 270 degree view of the sun rising onto the distant Himalayas.

The gentle pastel palette of a Nepalese sunset. 

We did this with an organisation called World Youth Adventures; a company that offers truly unique experiences in different destinations around the world- a rewarding alternative to more traditional schoolies.

One of my many favourite moments; the final day trek to Ghandruk:

Upon walking up to a grassy ledge above Dhampus camp, we watched the shades of the mountains turn from black silhouettes to dappled misty greys; the rising sun a ginormous ball of pink light. The scattered huts and rice paddies etched into the mountainside slowly became clearer. Dhampus awed us with its raw beauty.

The first section of the trek was through lush jungle, off the beaten path and up quite an incline! We were a bit worried the terrain was going to be like that for the next few hours, however eventually we reached the top of the mountain and were welcomed by a seat at a teahouse with a clear view of the Himalayas; Mount Pistol and South Annapurna. They were always moving in and out of our sight along the trek.

Trekking through the jungle like foliage of one of the many smaller mountains in Dhampus.

From here it was down and up stone steps. You had to remind yourself to look up every now and then to fully acknowledge and appreciate the view, pinching yourself that you were trekking in the Nepal mountainside. After our legs had almost turned to jelly from an infinite amount of steps up and down mountains, we walked along a flat dusty road for about an hour; seeing other trekkers and taking in the village of Landruk; local Nepali kids playing volleyball in their schoolyard and women beating millet (a harvested grain) outside their homes, a true atmospheric embodiment of a community.

We stopped for lunch further across in Landruk, down below a teahouse we perched ourselves on the grass, the chefs and porters utilising village huts and the open space to cook up their magic. The mountainside view we were blessed with was absolutely astonishing. We grabbed a bench chair and perched it on the edge of the slope, our feet lying underneath on the grass. We had a clothesline of patterned Soris and sheets over our heads, looking out into the haze of the mountains. The rice paddies and small local villages outlined in the distance.

Indra, one of our humble Nepali guides, served us pineapple cordial and for lunch a chapatti with small sliced sausages, vegetables and a bean mix with hot potato chips on the side; a mix of Nepalese and western cuisine. Safe to say we never went hungry! Also some of the best meals I’ve eaten. *Note: popcorn and soup together work wonders (this is no trickery!).

In the distance we could see the village that we needed to trek to for arrival at camp; Ghandruk. It was sitting above us on the opposite mountain, at a much higher altitude and a good length away. We were a little overwhelmed by what we had to accomplish in the next few hours; a knee wobbling descend and an intimidating incline, yet we hadn’t realised the great distance we had already achieved.

This experience really does make you grow as a person. And the amazing thing is you grow with other people, making lifelong friendships through some of the greatest moments you’ve ever shared. I’m visiting two of the girls who are from Byron Bay in the upcoming months; after only a few days of meeting each other we were already planning our next adventure! We couldn’t wait to be reunited with such like-minded souls.

 I have become so grateful for the places I've grown up in around Western Australia and come to not only appreciate, but love the simple things in life; after all, those are what truly what make us happy.

This is a mere snippet of my schoolies experience. And I think it was done right.

I hope that after reading this, more people can open themselves up to these kinds of opportunities; celebrate schoolies the right way. It doesn’t have to be climbing a mountain either!

Local kids of Pokhara.  

Wandering the back streets of Pokhara. After a kind Nepali lady let us stand in awe at the view from her rooftop, we were in search for another at sunset.

Dhampus camp // A community base while we volunteered at the nearby Primary school. Prayer flags are strung in the shape of a star, and when the sun rises over the mountains, it shines directly onto the roof of the community centre. A true embodiment of how Nepali people connect to the land.

Welcomed with marigold garlands and an abundance of smiling faces, upon arrival in Dhampus after a full day of trekking through the mountains.