Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Have you ever heard the myth that eight spiders crawl into your mouth during your sleep each year? I first heard it when I was eight years old and developed a nightly ritual of burying my head into a pillow, mouth down, followed by a call to mum for a thorough room sweep. Sleep was never an option until my room had been searched floor to ceiling for the crawlies. But what would I do if I didn't have that luxury?

My school's annual 'survival camp' was fast approaching for the year sevens. As a year eleven student, I had embarked on this same journey four times and endured the volatile emotions that went with it, giving me the experience to lead the young group in the bushland. On the first night, our faces glowed as we huddled around the fire. Ever...