“Training Camp was just a blur of tears!” –My squadmate, Elissa
It’s true – for most people on my squad, Training Camp was a less than pleasant experience.
“I just remember hiding in my tent and eating the granola bars I wasn’t supposed to bring,” said another squadmate.
“Yeah, I was just constantly overwhelmed and cold – really cold.”
The other evening, a group of us were reminiscing about our Training Camp by looking through old pictures and sharing how we really felt when we showed up in White, Georgia with our oversized packs and recently purchased REI tents that we barely knew how to put up. At the time, most people masked their panic with a cheesy smile even though we were all absolutely freaking out on the inside and wondering what on Earth we’d just committed to. These days, it’s much more comical though. The panic has faded into nostalgia.
But here’s the thing, there have been so many times during the Race that I have looked back to a particular experience at Training Camp with appreciation because that crazy, stressful, uncomfortable week in Georgia really did prepare me for the Race.
(photo by S. Bernotas)
O-Squad, do you remember that one infamous night on the bus at TC? Remember how everyone would wake up simultaneously every two hours, for no apparent reason except to shift around from one uncomfortable position to another? Now think back to our travel day from Albania to Bulgaria. Remember how we had to get up every few hours to cross another border and we’d all shuffle out of the bus, half-dazed, and offer our passports to some stern looking border patrol guy? Those are eerily similar experiences, are they not?
And then there’s the oft talked about month in Guatemala that a few of us had. We were miserably cold in our tents and hammocks for most of the month, but I felt somehow prepared for it just because of a few cold nights at TC.
And of course, the teachings about the Holy Spirit and evangelism and feedback often come to mind at various times during the Race and I honestly have flipped back through my journal to re-read the notes I took.
(crowded buses in Central America… photo from J. Garner)
If you’re a Racer who’s about to head off to Training Camp and you’re starting to freak out, here’s my advice to you: Relax. Seriously, chill out.
Training Camp is designed to be a challenging experience, and you’ve probably gathered that by now. But don’t stress yourself out with worry. Just remember that everyone else is also freaking out a little but the cool thing is that the shared anxiety causes a strange sense of camaraderie to drift through the camp. So instead of hiding out in your tent, go talk to someone new. Go toss a Frisbee around, or start a pick up game of soccer, or sit in the grass and get to know someone new. Don’t worry if you don’t get to talk to every single person on your squad. Just pick a hand-full of people to get to know.
In many ways, it all feels a lot like a Christian summer camp, but that’s okay. You’ll be glad you didn’t sulk away in your tent all week when everything’s said and done. Trust me.
Also remember that absolutely nothing you’ll do is without purpose, no matter how ridiculous or miserable it might seem in the moment. Embrace the discomfort, the sacrifice, the difficulty. And despite the rumors you’ve probably heard about the strange mealtimes that will make your taste buds cringe and your stomach shrink, do not hoard a bunch of snacks in your tent. You will be fed. Again, just embrace it.
Training Camp is awesome, really. So when you show up, just jump right in to every part of the experience. And remember that the people sitting around you are your family, whether you all realize it yet or not. A year from now, when you’re sitting in a hut in Africa or walking through a crowded market in Asia, you’ll look back at Training Camp through a lens of gratitude that will make you laugh at how uncomfortable it all once was. Those people that you met at the airport or sat next to in one of the sessions – those people will be the same ones that will sit next to you on 30-hour bus rides, who will give you big hugs when you’re super homesick, who will stay up late having hard conversations with you, who will laugh and cry and sing and dance with you all over the world.
(team photos from TC to Guatemala)
