Zhang Chen is a participant of the 2025 ADLINK Youth Exploration Camp. During the journey to Western Sichuan, she challenged herself beyond her comfort zone, connected deeply with nature, and built strong bonds with her teammates. The following reflection captures her personal growth, emotional insights, and unforgettable memories from this transformative experience.
ADLINK Youth Exploration Camp: Zhang Chen's Insight
Hello everyone! My name is Zhang Chen.
The seven-day exploration journey in Western Sichuan has come to an end, but the shock and emotion it left in my heart still linger. This trip gave us the chance to step out of our comfort zones, face the grandeur of nature, and discover a better version of ourselves through challenge.
Standing on the Yuzixi Platform at an altitude of over 4,000 meters, with the wind howling past me, I truly felt my own smallness for the first time. Walking across the highlands of Western Sichuan, I sensed the vastness of heaven and earth. Yet it was within this immensity that I uncovered a courage I had never touched before—pushing myself through the final stretch of the mountain trail to witness the breathtaking Five-Color Lake, and persevering through physical exhaustion to reach the summit with the support of my companions. If the mountains and rivers taught me humility, then the companions who walked beside me taught me to believe that even in our smallness, we can be strong because of one another.
During these twelve days, “encounters” became the most precious gift. Meeting the distinguished guests was a pleasant surprise; meeting the three instructors was a comprehensive learning experience (thank you for guiding us with professionalism and patience); and meeting the twelve volunteer partners was nothing short of a miracle. From the awkward self-introductions on the first day, to the brainstorming during the preparation phase, sharing daily reflections during our “co-good” sessions, late-night snacks and heartfelt talks after the children fell asleep—we became comrades who could tease one another and also rely on each other. The rain we endured together in Western Sichuan, the sun-darkened skin, braving the piercing cold at 4,000 meters just to get the perfect photo, and bargaining fiercely at roadside stalls—these are our shared codes, known only to us.
These seven days not only allowed me to witness the magnificence of nature, but also taught us the value of teamwork and the meaning of perseverance. This precious experience of growth will become an important asset in my life, inspiring me to keep moving forward.
In the end, I want to say that these ten-plus days may be just a single page in life, but because of you all, it has become a chapter I want to read again and again. Thank you, everyone, for letting me be part of this story.
I am Xiao La. Wishing everyone peace and well-being.
