Learning To Live…
One week in the woods at world race training camp can change your perspective on life. There’s just something about being taken out of your comfort zone, being thrown into a community of ‘strangers’, and having your eyes opened to new things, that can help a person gain a new outlook on what’s important in life. I spent one week at training camp, and these are a few things I learned…..
Living in a community
At the beginning of training camp, I didn’t really know anyone. I had participated in my squad’s facebook conversations, but I didn’t really KNOW anyone. Being in a crowded room and not knowing anyone can make an introvert like me shut down pretty fast. During training camp we were put in a number of situations that gave us firsthand experience with what it means to live in a community of Christians who support one another, love one another, and lift each other up. By the end of training camp I felt like my squad was my new family, and I am excited to live in a community with them for the next year!
Learning to live outside your comfort zone
If I could choose an overall theme for this week of training, it would be something like ‘stepping outside of your comfort zone’. I’m pretty sure that every aspect I encountered this week took me out of my comfort zone. My squad is full of outgoing/loud people and I tend to be quiet so I had to push myself to step outside of that. I had to depend on other people to provide things for me (like shelter), and I am a very independent person and struggle with asking for help. I was SO emotional after all of our workshops and I had to be vulnerable in front of my squad mates. Oh, it also downpoured almost the entire week…so I was literally cold, damp, and uncomfortable.
Learning to live without showers and embrace the stank
Ok…I am a girl who likes to be clean and showers every day. I was not thrilled with the idea of not showering for days on end. Who wants to smell and have greasy hair? Not me! Well…I can tell you that I only took 3 ice cold bucket showers over the 7 days of camp, and I survived! Everyone was in the same boat, and nobody cared! Don’t like the look of your greasy hair….throw on a headband! Embracing the stank a little too much…..use some baby wipes! The bottom line is, hygiene is important but you can survive without a shower and it’s not a huge deal.
Learning to live without make-up
I am not necessarily a girl that uses a ton of make-up but I do like to have it around, especially if I’m in public. This week really helped me grow in this area. I didn’t wear make-up for 5 days, and on the 6th I only put on some mascara. Ladies, it is incredibly freeing to not have to worry about what you look like…I didn’t even look in a mirror for a couple of days! It’s awesome to be able to just be yourself, no ‘mask’, knowing that people are getting to know you and love you as you are in your natural beauty.
Learning to live without clothes
During camp I ended up being without my big pack for 3 days in a row….which meant that I was basically stuck in the clothes that I was wearing. It wasn’t ideal, but it also wasn’t a big deal. I think I wore 3 different pairs of yoga capris, 5 different shirts, the same bra, and like 5 pairs of undies (don’t judge, I didn’t have my pack). I packed WAY too much for camp considering what I used and didn’t use. When I returned home and looked in my closet, I was a little overwhelmed by the selection I had! I’m a shopper and love clothes….so if I can do it, so can you!
Learning to live on small food portions
At camp they seat you with 7 other people and give you one large platter of food to share. Sometimes you get plates/utensils, and sometimes you use your hands. If you’re a germaphobe, you will get over that quickly. Portion sizes are pretty small. The guys struggled with portions more than the girls. Some people were hungry, but most people adjusted to it and were satisfied. I have food sensitivities to gluten, yeast, dairy, and rice….so this week was a bit challenging. However, I knew my food issues so I brought snacks and was prepared to supplement what they didn’t give me.
Learning to sleep in any circumstance
This is probably a critical thing to learn for any world traveler. I slept in my tent, cuddled up in someone else’s tent, slept in an ‘airport’, slept in a room with 150 ppl, slept under a tarp in the woods, and shared a big tent with 10 people. You stay up late, and get up early….but it’s awesome! Sleep when you can, because you’re gonna need it!
Learning to live minimally
By now you have probably caught on to the fact that for this week, you will live with the minimal amount of things that you need to survive. It’s challenging, but also rewarding at the end of the week when you realize you survived all those challenges and actually enjoyed it!
Learning to live with change
Do you like change? I’ve never been one to really like change. However, change isn’t always a bad thing, it often leads to growth! Embrace it.
Learning to live without a schedule
If you know me, you know that I am VERY organized and like to follow a schedule often. If you are like me I have some unfortunate news….you won’t be given a schedule for your training camp. Yep, you’re gonna have to go with the flow and enjoy it! Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. It was nice to not have to be in charge of organizing anything. When changes happened it wasn’t a big deal, because we didn’t really know the original schedule anyway 😉
Now you have a tiny glimpse into what life at training camp is like. If you’re a future world racer and preparing for your training camp, good luck! You may be anxious/nervous and not know what to expect, but that’s ok….you’re going to love it!
Team Key Bearers: Austin, Ariah, Tabbi, Derek, Heather, Bryce, and myself
3rd Generation N Squad!
