Troop Travel

Ashlyn F., Troop 794

After months of planning, my troop embarked on our journey to Pune, India. The main focus of our trip was to attend the yoga-based program at Sangam, the WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) center in India. During this program we explored the worlds of yoga, dance, and general health. Every day, we had an hour-long yoga session early in the morning and focused on another topic later in the day. These topics ranged from different kinds of meditation, Ayurveda (a type of alternative medicine commonly found in India), and learning more about local culture.

The opening ceremony was one of the highlights from the trips. We had a long few days of traveling, due to some weather mishaps. Arriving at the opening ceremony was just a moment of relief as we realized: we made it! Even just standing there, watching the ceremony, was refreshing and exciting. Later that day, we met Sister Lucy, founder of Maher, an orphanage that partners with Sangam. She is the most wholehearted and dedicated person I might ever meet.

After talking with Sister Lucy, she invited my troop to a wedding ceremony of one of her former orphans. My troop leader managed to surprise us all with punjab (a style of clothing) for this event so that we were properly dressed. When we arrived at the orphanage, where the ceremony was being held, we were taken on a tour of the orphanage and had the opportunity to meet all the kids there. Seeing the ceremony and touring the orphanage was such a unique moment of the trip.

Similar to other WAGGGS World Centers, Sangam reflected aspects of the local culture, which was a lot more laid back compared to other world centers. Due to this, we had a lot of time to shape our own experience with topics and activities that we were interested in. During our free time, my troop spent time together and truly bonded. I was able to talk and bond with people I wasn’t yet close with, which is something I might not have accomplished in a traditional troop meeting or event.

One thing that Girl Scouts teaches is pushing yourself to do bigger and better things. During this trip, I was able to become more in touch with myself. Mental health was a topic of conversation during the week and I learned more about my own. Almost a year later, I still find myself thinking about the trip and using some of the methods of meditation I learned about. With these methods, I can be a better person and not be as stressed as I was before the trip. My time in Sangam taught me so much about myself and life. This trip was something I will treasure forever.