At the end of year six, it was our treat to go on a long weekend residential trip to a PGL centre. This was pretty much the worst weekend of my life. For someone who doesn't like getting dirty, is afraid of heights, can't swim and has never had to share a room in my life, this weekend was a living nightmare for me. As much as I loved my friends to pieces, I hated spending that much time with them. 

Since year six there had been plenty of other opportunities for me to go on PGL trips but I wisely stayed away. If you don't know what PGL is it's basically this chain of dormitories and adventure parks which offer children the chance to get outside and try out new activities, they may not have done before. Even at the age of 11, I was a massive lover of routine and having a shower every night. While my friends went to sleep in their clothes, I insisted on going to sleep at the same time each night.

I wasn't cut out for these kinds of things. That's not to say everyone found them bad, for some it was the best weekend of their life's but for me, it was a nightmare. Here are 25 things that happened on every PGL residential trip, I would love to know if any of you guys experienced any of these if you went on one of these trips! Enjoy! 

1. You got up really early and flocked onto the coach with the rest of your class, buzzing because this is your first experience of freedom

2. You ate way too many sweets on that coach journey so much, so you're now bouncing off the walls of the coach

3. Someone was sick... It's inevitable 

4. Any toilet break stop took over half an hour in order to make sure everyone was rounded up, and no kid was accidentally left behind 

5. When you arrived, you got introduced to someone probably called Kate who was looking way too happy and over enthusiastic, probably giving you a look of.' I'm going to put you through hell this week.'

6. Going to your dorms and bagsying the top bunk 

7. Then almost throwing your guts up and all those sweets you ate earlier looking at the state of the bathroom ( I don't know how 11-year-old Nicole managed) 

8. Running between the dorms, banging on the doors to find out where all your mates were sleeping 

9. Finding out who was in your group and realising it's going to be a long weekend 

10. Having to participate in stupid team games which were pretty ridiculous. 

11. That one kid who always thought they were in the bloody Olympics 

12. Not being able to walk anywhere quietly as your team leader insisted that you chant marching songs at the top of your voices

13. Spending way too much in the gift shop on complete and utter tat. 

14. Having that one kid in your group who cries at every activity. (Yes, that was me. I would be surprised if you didn't guess that) I even have a photo to prove it!

15. Living off bread rolls for the weekend because the rest of the food looked like it would give you food poisoning. 

16. Having a go at quad biking and feeling like this was the end 

17. Going canoeing and desperately trying not to fall in 

18. Having dirty wet clothes stink your dorm out for the weekend 

19. Not being able to get to sleep because there was always that one room who would never shut up. 

20. Having a wilderness activity which basically taught you nothing but was great if you hated heights 

21. Doing the obligatory archery lesson 

22. Probably auguring with your room mates at some point because someone had lost something

23. Going on the zip wire which was always the ultimate part of the weekend 

24. Having the end of weekend disco which lets face, it was crap 

25. Being very thankful when you got home for clean running water and your warm, cosy bed. You probably swore you were never going away again. 

Weren't PGL residential trips fun? No, they weren't. They were absolute hell for me! I hated every second of them if I remember correctly but nonetheless they gave me lots of experience and taught me I appreciate my home comforts way too much. 

Have you ever been on a PGL residential trip? How did you find it? Was it the best weekend of your life or living hell? Tell me down below! 

Thank you for reading X