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I apologize for not getting this post up sooner, but I really had to build up the motivation to sum up all the memories I made and the emotions I'm still feeling.
Our last two days, Friday 3/13 and Saturday 3/14, were spent making the trip home to Bloomington-Normal from Charleston. On Friday we left the hotel around 8:45 or so, and drove straight to Frankfort, KY. Yeah buddy to a Jimmy Johns restaurant in one of the cities along the route (didn't catch the name because I had just woken up for a nap) for preparing the Jimmy Johns platters for us! It was convenient to eat along the way so we could get to KY at a decent hour. We had to stop in KY because our bus driver Larry was only able to drive for so long at one time in his contract. The stop in KY is called "Connection City," and we met up with the other ISU bus that traveled to Charleston (Charleston Mystery Bus). This was one of my favorite nights on the trip because after 8 days together, our group was so close and we were able to some incredible bonding activities. All 32 other bus members had such nice things to say to me, and it really brought together everything that we went through together the whole trip.
Saturday morning we also left around 8:30 or 8:45 and drove most of the way back to ISU. We arrived on campus around 1 PM because we didn't make a stop for lunch. However, we did fill up with gas at a Pilot in what I assume was Indiana, so I was able to get a Subway sandwich to tide me over.
This trip was one of the most extraordinary things I have been able to do in my lifetime. The whole week I called it my "leap of faith" because I didn't know anyone and leaving my bubble of comfort made me incredibly nervous. By far though, it has been the most worthwhile leap I could have made. I met the most genuine and kind people through this trip, and they are even more special to me because they all love service just as much as I do. I thought I would just spend time seeing the sights and helping out others, but this trip also helped me to help myself. I'm not going to say this trip made me magically less anxious, less shy or less fearful, but I am now so aware of who I am and what has made me the person that I am. It is so refreshing to be surrounded by a group of people that not only understand me, but can relate to me and my struggles. The Charleston Classic family has helped me to challenge myself and try new things, and I will never be able to repay them for that.
I'm planning on updating the "Gallery" tab with a larger assortment of pictures from the trip. Feel free to check that out!
Thanks so much for reading my blog and following my journey!
Yeah Buddy!
Becky
I want to end with a few quotes that both the group and I have been able to reflect on over the last week:
“Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young girl, and that what she was doing was not dancing at all. The young girl was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young girl paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young girl replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young lady, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young girl bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, she said, "It made a difference for that one.”
"We cannot do all the good things the world needs, but the world needs all the good things we can do."
“No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” -Martin Luther King Jr.
"Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren't any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn't be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life's challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person. ” -Buckminster Fuller |