D.I. Wow! What an experience!
A lot of learners dread Destination Imagination here in PLP. I used to be one of them myself. It causes a lot of stress, and frustration and takes up precious hours of your time. But amidst the challenges lie invaluable lessons and incredible opportunities for personal growth.
Let’s rewind to the moments after the regional competition. Our team, unprepared and improvising, surprised everyone with our success. We barely rehearsed, half-knew our lines, and were hastily propping up props moments before our performance. Yet, against all odds, we pulled off a show that amazed us all.
After regionals, I felt accomplished, ready to put D.I. Out of my mind for a while and enjoy my March break. But as we returned to school 2 weeks later, reality hit: the provincial tournament was just around the corner, and we hadn’t made any improvements to our solution.
I couldn’t believe we had to do our performance, again!! After school, our team gathered to strategize our next steps. I took charge of creating eye-catching Red Bull signs because, in our performance, the free solo climber is sponsored by Red Bull. To enhance the visual appeal, Baz and I collaborated on painting the Burj Khalifa, transforming its dull gray exterior with textured details and windows, making it resemble a true skyscraper. The improvements were remarkable.
2 days before our performance we learned that we were going to be missing one of our team members for the provincial performance. It wasn’t ideal, but we were just going to have to adapt, which is something D.I. has made me quite good at. You have to be ready to navigate multiple unexpected challenges that come your way.
The day arrived. I felt ready, but also nervous.
The Seycove hallways were buzzing with activity as soon as I arrived on Saturday morning. Students of all ages roamed the halls carrying their creative props and wearing their interesting costumes. The enthusiasm and energy from elementary-level teams was inspiring. The tournament kicked off with an opening ceremony, where all the teams + their team signs paraded into the gym. And then the day of performances started up.
Our 11:30 instant challenge was a success! We worked well as a team and quickly came up with a clever solution, leaving me much more satisfied than our regional attempt. At regionals, we brainstormed ideas but failed to execute them effectively. This time, we hit the ground running, wasting no time in crafting our solution.
With our instant challenge completed, we had two hours left before our performance. We used the time to organize ourselves, watch other teams perform, and run through our performance. Everything was smooth sailing until moments before showtime when disaster struck—our kinetic art, Zeus’s Wings, broke, requiring rapid tape fixes. Then, just seconds before stepping on stage, we realized we had forgotten our team sign, crucial for our Burj Khalifa peak illusion. We had removed it for our opening team parade and then forgot to put it back. Oh well. We would just have to make do without.
What a whirlwind our performance turned out to be! Both the audience and tournament appraisers loved our performance. We were able to make the audience laugh several times, we kept the plot moving so that it was never boring, had jaw-dropping props, and delivered killer dialogue. Our rap segment was a hit! Who knew dropping rhymes could have such an impact on Zeus’s change of heart?
Watch our performance below!
The day ends with an awards ceremony, to celebrate the creativity, innovation, and hard work of the participating teams. My team got 1st place for our epic performance and instant challenge. 🏆 🥇 💪
As I look back on my journey through Destination Imagination, from feeling stressed out at the start to standing proudly on stage, I can’t help but think how lucky I’ve been to be a part of it all. It wasn’t always easy –most of the time, it was challenging – but looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
See, D.I. taught me something really valuable: that the challenges we face are opportunities in disguise. Who would’ve thought that a random group of students with completely different personalities could come together and create an awesome solution to a challenge? But we did, and it’s because we learned to roll with the punches, to adapt when things didn’t go according to plan, and to trust each other.
Sure, there were times when it felt like everything was falling apart– like when our entire script was deleted, when half our team didn’t show up to our dress rehearsal, or when our props broke and we forgot our team sign – but you know what? We made it work. And looking back, those moments are some of my favourite memories. They’re the moments that taught me that life’s not about avoiding the rough patches; it’s about persevering through them.
So, to anyone out there who’s feeling stressed or scared about taking on a big challenge, whether it’s D.I. or something else entirely, just know this: you’ve got what it takes. It might not always be easy, and you might stumble along the way, but if you keep pushing forward and trusting in yourself, you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.
And hey, who knows? You might just end up surprising yourself, like I did. So embrace the challenges and find strength in the struggle. Because in the end, it’s not about the trophies or the destination – it’s about the journey, and the incredible memories you make along the way.
Thank you for reading!!