Introduction

In April of 2004, I went to take part in the ‘year long’ program at the Teaching Drum Outdoor School.

When I first heard about the school, I thought of it as something

that I would like to do.

Yet, I had no idea how I would be able to attend.

Then one day, I was invited to come up for a visit.

I went.

I knew right then that I needed to participate.

I set my heart on going.

This is the account of my journey.

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I spent the year with nine people from five different countries.

There were eight men and two women when the course started.

There were five men and two women when the course completed.

We lived, laughed, cried, struggled, and learned together.

We became very close.

A group of strangers became a family.

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I have organized this book topically.

In cases where stories relate, one subject will lead into the next.

The main thing about this book is that it is ‘my story’.

I sought not to tell of the experiences of the other people,

unless it was my experience as well.

The first section is recollections about various things that happened, descriptions of projects that we did,

and stories about daily life in the woods.

The second section is journal excerpts.

Its purpose is to express the day to day flow of camp life.

I feel that it is more raw than the first part.

The words express the feeling I had at the moment.

What's more, it is a chronological exposé of events.

As far as I know, I have kept no secrets.

I have done my best to convey what I went through on my journey to self discovery at the Teaching Drum Outdoor School.