My favorite times on the World Race are definitely Q times. We have an AMAZING family. [Check out our most recent family photo!]
At the end of India, we all gathered together for our Month 8 Q Debrief. Our amazing Q coaches – Jay & Denise – and our first Squeaders — Tiffany & Patrick – joined us. SO amazing to have the whole fam back together again.
I left Bangalore a few days early with our Squeader, Andrew, to help with debrief preparation [I am part of the Q’s Hospitality Team — the first of its kind]. We took an overnight bus, slept most of the way, took a Rikshaw to the convent in which we were staying, and immediately took a nap.
Preparing for debrief was an incredible time. Amy D. [another hospitality woman], Tricia, & I were able to spend an entire day shopping for the “Welcome to Debrief” packages we placed on each of the Q’s beds. [please imagine 74 rolls of toilet paper, 37 packages of cookies, 37 bags of chips, 37 apples, 37 juice boxes, tons of candy for Easter eggs, fruit for the coaches, plus Amy, Tricia, & me — all in the same rikshaw. Our driver’s jaw dropped when we started loading.
Running errands + stuffing envelopes + making room assignments + filling hundreds of Easter eggs + welcoming each team as they arrived = amazing. I absolutely loved helping our logisticals & squeaders with debrief prep. [AIM Staff — a hospitality team is not such a bad idea… just saying].
Curfew at the convent was 10pm… which meant we had to be in our rooms with the doors closed or the nuns would come and scold us. Not such an awesome thing when we had 70ish 20-30 year-olds who haven’t all been together in a few months…
Ashley Musick is incredible — she’s an AIM staffer who met with us to talk about re-entry — which is crazy that we only have 3 months left!
We had a birthday celebration — a pizza party for our amazing Q “Mom” Denise. Love her.
New teams were announced — super sad to leave Kindle, BUT excited about my new team. They are phenomenal women. [Read about them here].
We also used this Q time to film our Mother's Day video — love you Q Mamas! 🙂
Tuesday morning of debrief — I was planning on getting baptized. We had searched all over the city for a place to do this… & eventually I asked the nuns if I could use the pool-esque thing at the top of the hill within the compound. They shook their head [yes] and I got up at 5:30am to begin filling it… almost immediately, a nun turned off the water. Uh-oh… eventually Patrick just asked Jay & Denise if we could use their hotel bathtub. They agreed. It was perfect.
I absolutely loved hanging out with The Q — night time worship, day time one-on-ones, and the DANCE OFF — which Team Flaming Zoo Animals [Kindle + Eleutheroo] DOMINATED! .
After debrief…we began our longest travel day[s] ever. I love Q time. Really. I do.
