Forty-eight years after her first course, mere months away from her retirement, Gail Wettstein found herself tucked away in the pines, in her solo camping spot, reminiscing her winter expedition with Voyageur Outward Bound School and the spark of self-awareness and empowerment.
Picture the 1970s. The war in Vietnam was coming to an end. The Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade. The Godfather won best picture. The U.S. government founded the DEA. The Watergate Scandal began. The U.S. was in an era of political turbulence and activism. Gail was an undergraduate student at Denison University, embarking on her senior year of college. During this time, one of Gail’s psychology professors mentioned Outward Bound – an experience of a lifetime. Gail pondered on the thought of an Outward Bound expedition. It proved to be a perfect solution for Gail’s current situation – a need to fulfill a self-study requirement and to satisfy her craving for the outdoors.
Gail signed up for a month-long Voyageur Outward Bound Course (Minnesota Outward Bound School, at the time). Gail knew this was more than a wilderness experience. The mental and emotional elements of reflection intrigued her, as well as the idea of traveling with a group. Still, she wasn’t sure what to expect.
Gail embarked on her Outward Bound journey in 1974.
Like all great expeditions, the first day was filled with unknowns, anxieties, and plenty of learning curves. She met her companions for the next month – instructors and fellow crewmates. At 21 years old, Gail started the course feeling scared but confident in her physical capability to complete the expedition. Scared but confident in her physical ability, she wanted to find a crewmate that would be an ally on course. Her crew was predominantly men, with only four women, including herself, embarking on the expedition. As she observed one of the other women navigating the course, doubts entered her mind, questioning whether the woman could rise to the challenge. Gail found herself making judgements about this woman. Would she prove to be the reliable ally Gail was looking for?
The crew set out on their expedition, learning how to mush the dogs and ski through crunchy ice in chilled conditions. They arrived at their first spot to set up camp, collect firewood, and sleep for the night. After building their fire structure, everyone was trying to find the matches to start the fire and to earn a much needed break from the frigid temperatures. As it turns out, the young woman that Gail silently critiqued carried the matches. After the young woman brought the matches out and started the fire, Gail realized that this crewmate was highly competent. This helped Gail acknowledge that she had underestimated the young woman and, in turn, overestimated herself.
This was the first ‘aha’ moment for Gail on her course, a moment she carried with her throughout her career – everyone brings something of value to the group, expected or not.
After this course, Gail earned her bachelor’s degree. She spent the next ten years working and continuing her education, earning a master’s in counseling, and later, a degree in law. Through practicing law, Gail revisited that VOBS ‘aha moment’ in her work repeatedly. After clerking for a judge and starting her own criminal defense practice – which she mentions might be the only thing harder than her VOBS expedition – Gail went on to work with the Department of Human Services as an administrative law judge. During her time with the Department of Human Services, she served as a public guardian for the state of Oklahoma. In this role, her purpose was to take custody of clients who were unable to stand trial on the basis of their intellectual disability. She managed groups of social workers, providers offering direct care, PhD psychologists, and “everyone in between” who worked with these clients.
Throughout her tenure, Gail was reminded of her VOBS course and her lesson on humility.
She remembered that “sometimes the softest voice in the group is the one who has the match”. Gail made it her mission to create an environment where everyone had a voice, and a voice that mattered. Throughout her career she cultivated spaces where people were heard, and not discounted because of their opinion or disposition. As she brought these values to her team, she noticed that the people around her blossomed. Her coworkers gained confidence in their work. They collaborated more effectively and purposefully, as they felt like they were being heard and that they matter. They became more animated and expressive. The supervisors that reported to Gail also became more open to hearing the perspectives of their direct reports.
By mirroring the opportunity for empowerment that her instructors provided that young woman on her course when giving her the matches, Gail changed the culture of her team by uplifting others’ voices before her own.
As her retirement neared, Gail decided it was time to venture to the North Country and go on another VOBS dog sledding expedition. Curious to see how she had grown from her initial course in 1974 to the year 2020, Gail wanted this course to be a touch point for understanding if she, indeed, had the mental fortitude she believed she’d gained. She mentions that going into her first VOBS expedition, her mindset was heavily self-focused, concerned about how her peers viewed her and critical about her crewmates.
Through her expeditions, Gail was able to create a barometer for measuring her growth.
From her 2020 course, she reflects on her flourishing. She says, “I was really happy that I was not so concerned about myself. I was interested in the other group members. I was comfortable with doing what had to be done and knowing my limits. I was not the strongest person in the group, I was the oldest! But I knew I was enough to meet the rest of life’s challenges – whatever they turn out to be. And that lead me to be happy with the experience and say ‘yes, I am enough to meet these challenges.’”
Editor’s Note: A special thank you to Gail who took time out of her trip half way across the world to make space for creating this article. A true testimonial to the power of VOBS and its lasting impact. Thank you, Gail!
About the Author
At Voyageur Outward Bound School, we believe in the potential of every individual. We believe when people discover strength of character, an aptitude for leadership and a desire to serve, it has a positive impact on their lives and the lives of those around them. And that discovery has the power to make the world a better place. Our mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery. We offer life-changing expeditions for everyone, regardless of social or economic status, race or gender, from struggling teens, to first generation urban youth, adults in transition or veterans integrating back into life outside of active duty.
