INUVIK
After a whirlwind tour that took them to four European countries, Inuvik's Girl Guides are back home.

Mackenzie Marriott of Yellowknife, left, and Inuvik residents Nicole Wilkinson, Candace Seddon, Kristen Colton, Kirsti Voudrach, and Destiny Beaulieu take a break from hiking in Adelboden, Switzerland, to pose for a photo. - photo courtesy of Candace Seddon

"In school, we didn't do much on Europe," said Des Beaulieu, one of the young women who went on the trip. "Going there was kind of cool, and it was good to explore and visit the different countries and see for ourselves."

The trip took four girls and two adults to the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and Italy for a total of 18 days. They visited two of the four official Girl Guides locations, and got to see a lot of history and culture up close. In so doing, they pushed their own boundaries and learned a little about their capabilities.

"It was amazing, I guess," said Nicole Wilkinson of a day spent at an adventure park in Switzerland where she went rock climbing.

"I'm afraid of heights, and I didn't think I'd get to the top, but looking up, it was only a few feet away."

The group travelled mostly by train while overseas, including taking the Chunnel to Paris from London. They met other Girl Guides from all over the world along the way, but really connected with another crew they met from Canada.

"When we saw other Canadians, it was one big happy commotion," Wilkinson said.

While there were highlights in each country, Beaulieu said nothing really stood out as the best experience of the trip for her. She did note that travelling in a small group with Girl Guides was the best way to see the

sights.

Wilkinson said meeting the pigeons in Paris and having them perch on her was the most memorable part of the trip for her.

"It was really great," said leader Candace Seddon. "I'm amazed with how smoothly everything went and very impressed by the girls. I was very impressed with their maturity, and their willingness to try new things and step outside their comfort zone.

Fellow leader Kristen Colton said she would do it all over again in a heart beat.

"I wouldn't have picked another group to go with," she said.

"There were times when I was hesitant to do things, and when I'd see them not hesitating, I thought, if they can do it, so can I."

The girls fundraised for months to be able to go on the trip, and while they were writing thank you cards to people who helped them along the way last week, they were already planning another adventure for next year.

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