Aside from the lack of sweat and heat, I left Georgia with feelings similar to my return from Africa 6 years ago. I was dazed, and everything felt fresh and clean. I didn’t understand why we needed so much water to flush toilets. Having a machine in front of me–this laptop–felt foreign.
While I certainly don’t miss using port-a-potties at the most inopportune time, it was a good week reminding me what it’s like to live simply again. During the race, I might have the comforts of home but there will also be times when we have to live in not-so-pristine conditions with bugs and rodents and who knows what–times that I don’t want to think about quite yet hehe. However, there were also a few firsts last week:
- Bucket shower (note the SINGULAR form)
- Peeing in the woods (I could write a whole comedic post recounting this experience but only my squadmate, Dani, will ever understand)
- Sleeping in a tent by myself…and on the other end of the spectrum, sharing a tent with 9 people AND our closets for the year
- Being moved from one location to another while playing unconscious–it’s all about trust!
Negatives: It was cold. Rainy. Pretty sure the parts of my tent lying in the middle of the living room have some sort of mildew on it. Or it’s just plain dirty.
Positives: Tornado watches but no tornadoes! Rain storms didn’t result in my bed flooded by earwigs. And of course, community triumphs all negatives 😀
My body is exhausted, but my soul is replenished. Praise God! Tomorrow: Training Camp, Pt 4 – Preparations of the Soul…Holy S*****!
PS I’m still at 40% from my first deadline and need $945 before I can leave in January. I hope that you’ll consider partnering with me!
