My Norwegian adventure began by flying to Oslo from Dublin, then taking the express train to Drammen where we met other members of the travelling group. Everyone was very welcoming and excited to get going, and we all just clicked. We took a bus through the Norwegian countryside to our camp accommodation, which was located beside a beautiful lake. We went canoeing there and a few of us brave souls took a leap of faith into Norway’s icy waters.

Each day, we began with ‘‘rise and shine’’ activity energisers to wake us all up and get us going for our jam-packed day ahead. Many of the trip’s activities focused on getting to know each other and in particular learning more about the organisation we represented.

Most of the sessions were very in-depth, but with a lighthearted twist so that we opened up to the task and expressed ourselves without feeling judged. The topics varied and so did our opinions, but we all found a unifying common ground in the end.

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There was a lot of variation in the group tasks as each participant was required to share their ideas and explain how to execute them in order for the task to be completed successfully. This applied to planning events, letters to society and conducting trust exercises. I learned a lot from these tasks on how to improve and adapt new ideas in my own Macra club and county. There is a phrase that stuck with me throughout the trip – ‘‘the little things mean a lot’’. For me, this means considering those with mental or physical disabilities and include and welcome those who find themselves excluded from social groups or events.

Overall, the autumn seminar was a fantastic experience and I hope to attend many more as I find myself wanting to get involved and learn more. A huge thank you to all of the prep team and to all who attended the seminar, where memories and life-long friendships were made.