“Loving yourself is a wonderful thing. Learning to love yourself, together with a group of friends, is a life-changing experience. I count myself fortunate to join 200 members of the worldwide Guiding family at the ‘Free Being Me’ Festival in India (DATE?). It was my first trip to Sangam and to India, so I didn’t have any idea what to expect. On arrival, I was overwhelmed by the friendliness and hospitality of the staff. The attendees were very supportive and encouraging as we celebrated and spread the word about the importance of body confidence and self-esteem. The Festival programme gave us with a unique platform to share ‘Free Being Me’ with children from a local school. The children, aged between 6 and 10, were very welcoming. Communicating with them was easy, even though we all spoke English with different accents. One incident that left a very deep impression on me happened during the ‘Changing the Media’ activity, which required the children to brainstorm ideas for using the media to promote body confidence. A group of children – without much prompting – drew a poster that included writings in Hindi and Marathi. I felt very motivated on seeing that the children not only understood the ‘Free Being Me’ messages, but that they were a powerful channel to reach out and make a difference in their communities. The Festival was one-of-a-kind-experience. It not only reminded me to love myself for who I am, it also showed me the importance and joy of sharing this important message with others. I will treasure this experience and the memories!”