Page 30 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

page and even taking us all out for a meal! When venturing out on the third trip to Walmart in three days to feed the group, it was looking more and more like the storm had passed and the next day we would be able to get some walking done.
As hoped, the next morning we were welcomed with absolute glorious sunshine and boiling tem- peratures. We headed straight into the National Forest for our first day of proper walking. Thank-
fully the pace was significantly slower than the training we had been doing at West Point the week prior; however, this didn’t stop us from getting pretty warm right from the get-go. It was a given from then on that shorts and a t-shirt were the dress for walking!
Over the four days of walking, we managed to complete several routes within the Sam Houston National Forest, with many left to go and several other National Forests in the area. The choice was absolutely incredible, with everyone else we met on the routes being incredibly friendly and fascinated of our whereabouts.
We were sad to leave the gorgeous weather and scenery, not only because the early flight meant we were out of the accommodation at 0300hrs on Sunday 16th April, but because it meant the journey of a lifetime to America was over for some of us. After dropping off several of the team at different airports, the majority of the team got to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston for the three flights to get us back to Britain. After pretty much a whole 24 hours of travelling, we ended up back under the grey skies of Heathrow by 0900hrs on Monday 17th April.
Overall, the trip was absolutely fantastic and a thorough success on many levels. Whilst we did not manage to walk every day due to the rather sporadic weather, the walking we did was thor- oughly enjoyed and a welcome wind-down from the events of the previous week. During the time we weren’t walking, we were lucky enough to indulge in some Texan traditions along the way.
Exercise TIDE CADET
OCdt Jeffries
After arriving at around midday into Bugibba (Malta) and settling into our hotel, we made our way to the British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) dive centre. We received a warm wel- come by the BSAC instructors, and were given a collective brief about the week ahead. After being split into our two groups (Ocean Divers and Sports Divers), we began the first part of our training immediately. Whilst the Ocean Divers received an interesting introductory presentation about BSAC as an organisation and some basic
diving theory, the Sports Divers jumped into the centre’s pool and refreshed themselves on some of the basic skills they already knew, in a con- trolled environment.
On Monday morning, the Ocean Divers jumped into the pool to be taught and to practice the very basics of diving; a shock for some at the brand-new sensation of breathing underwater, but an exciting first step into the world of div- ing nevertheless. The Sports Divers, meanwhile,
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