My NYSC camping experience at Awgu in Enugu State Nigeria.

Who goes??

I was not a hundred percent ready to go camping when I checked my dashboard. Initially, it was not so exciting because I was indifferent about where I was going to be posted to serve my country for a year. A couple of years dropped when I saw my state of deployment thanks to my face mask that could hide the tears. I felt I was going to be posted to Delta but fortunately Delta turned to Enugu. Well I had to be courageous because they say big girls don't cry.

Day to travel came and I decided to take the step. For the first time since I graduated 2019 I did not miss home so much to be gloomy on the first night in camp.. my journey to another state very far from home was a boring one because I felt I was going to a place where I felt I knew nobody. It has been an experience I would live out just once. I don't want to bore you with details of why the program was instituted and all of that . Well I had my fair share of digesting information about camping both online and offline on Whatsapp Facebook even from friends. I felt I've gotten enough to thrive just fine.

On Expectations

Things didn't pan out as I expected but what is even cooler is that they turned out to be even cooler than I anticipated. I was posted to ENUGU state the coal city state. But no jokes and exaggerations the place was as cold as anything when I got to the camp I felt I was going to get Frozen. On the first day in camp I got in really late and I couldn't do my COVID 19 test so I was directed to a room to pass the night and resume the next day. Mehn the stress was nothing to write home about. I kept wishing on the first night that I want to go home.

Well camping was cool everyone was getting accustomed to the fact we had to got through the routine of waking up by 4am . Wait who wakes up by 4am Even the cocks haven't started crowing by that time of the morning. And yeah we had to go for morning drills in the chilly weather. Pretty cold in the morning. I felt it was punishment but they called it preparation for the next stage of Life. We all looked forward to Sunday because there was really no time to rest or have your time to yourself.

On friendship

There were no expectations on having so many friends in camp and while that could stand I could not exist in isolation because you literally needed friends in other to survive in camp for the next 21days. I knew quite a handful of Corp members I could casually say hi to. For someone like me who could be jovial I knew better than to force friendship with anyone. I wanted to sail with the wind wherever it took me .

On wahala no dey finish part . I can't leave out the part where to slim fit your khaki and jacket could cost almost a thousand naira. Nothing comes without a cost at the camp market. Same goes with the jungle boots I literally walked around camp for a whole day looking for someone to swap with me because I wasn't given my correct shoe size. Mehn it wasn't a funny experience. It was an eye opening experience to spend 21days In camp. The soldier's Expectations , state coordinator expectations and one's expectations on what to do or achieve after the 3 weeks orientation camping exercise. There were series of lectures. On good days we pay attention and on other days that were not so good we would close our eyes for a short while until the speech was over. Enugu state has been nice to me.

Well this is where the ferris wheel slows down. This is where I got down and made my way down the path, following God to the next season of life for the next one year.