So I'm just back from our School Retreat which took place in Delphi Adventure Centre, Killary Harbour, Co. Mayo. It was a really great trip and was a lot of craic. We headed for Mayo early on Wednesday morning, it was a 4 hour bus journey which didn't bother me because i enjoy travelling with my friends. After arriving we were told to put all our bags into a large hall before being split into groups. After splitting into groups we were told what activity doing. My group were really really lucky, we were assigned to go surfing! Keep in mind we were off the bus for about half an hour, and now we are going surfing. It was my first time so i was really excited because i'd always wanted to try it out.
We got a little bus to Carrowniskey Beach in Louisburgh (a beach which I had been a few times previous). The weather was actually quite warm which was a miracle considering it was Ireland in the middle of October. Thankfully we were given wet suits because lets face it, the Atlantic is freezing! Surfing turned out to be incredible, the sea was refreshing, the sun was shining, we saw dolphins swimming; it was great. Oh yeah, I was terrible just in case you were wondering haha, but i reckon if i do it again ill get a good grasp on it.
After surfing we met back in the hall where we were assigned our rooms for the night. I was in a room with three of my best mates so I was happy out. After a quick shower and a bit of dinner we all assembled out the front of the building at about 7PM to do a night Hike through the forest. We weren't allowed use our phones or any form of torch to navigate, we just had to use our eyes. Funny enough it was one of my favorite parts of the trip, there's just something really special about switching off your phone and taking in everything around you. It was a really clear night so the starts were out and the moon was really bright. It was a great opportunity to just walk, take in the surroundings and have a good aul' heart to heart with your mates. We finished the hike at about 21:30 and then headed back to the rooms. We went to sleep straight away...hardly. It wouldn't be a trip away without a midnight DMC with the lads, for those who are over the age of 21 a DMC is a Deep Meaningful Conversation.
The next morning we had a good breakfast and then had a whole day of activities which ranged from archery to rock climbing. My inner pyromaniac even got it's calling and i managed to convince our leader to let us light a fire.
We got on the bus that evening and headed back to Dublin, again DMC's galore on the bus. We also stopped halfway for grub which is always a plus. We didn't get back that night til 23:30. It was a long two days but great craic and I'd love to do it again.
