Training Camp… where do I begin? It was amazing, that’s for sure, and I’ll be honest: I’m still processing a lot of it. Processing in a good way, but it’s definitely taking up a lot of my brainpower right now.
So until I finally get my head together to write half a dozen detailed blog posts, here’s a quick rundown of a few lessons I learned at camp.
But first! Here’s a video I made during my ten days at Training Camp – rather than have me describe it, watch it through the eyes of the U Squad (and my GoPro)
And now that you’ve seen Training Camp firsthand, here are eleven things I learned there:
1. Comfort zones, personal space, and secrets are overrated.
When I first met my squad, I was a little intimidated by them – not the people specifically, but the prospect of sharing my life with 50 strangers. I was afraid of making a bad first impression. But I decided to jump in with everything I had, and I’m so glad I did. While I didn’t volunteer all of my information right from the get-go, I answered questions honestly and opened up about my struggles. Others did the same, and the bonds this formed were incredible. Being vulnerable might be uncomfortable, but it’s so worth it.
2. Bad weather is no match for good preparation
I learned this one the hard way. One night at camp we had to go out to a campsite in the woods and sleep under tarps. In a torrential downpour that lasted hours. I didn’t think to get my rain jacket out of my pack before we left, and I didn’t bring a change of clothes, since we were going to return the next morning. Well, I got soaked to the bone and shivered through the entire night, miserable and unable to sleep. I stayed up the entire night by the campfire where it was warm, until one of my squadmates offered me her sleeping bag at around 4:00 am. Never doing that again, that’s for sure. On the other hand, my companions with more common sense than I were much more comfortable.
3. Actions and attitudes multiply themselves
Generosity breeds generosity. Compassion breeds compassion. On the other hand, impatience breeds impatience, and complaining breeds more complaining. The entire group’s dynamic can be affected, be it positively or negatively, by one person. Fortunately, more often than not, it was the positive attitudes and actions that shaped the U squad last week.
4. How to get a World Racer’s attention in four syllables:
Peanut Butter. If it’s somewhere nearby, world travels like wildfire. Thankfully, whoever has it will usually share.
5. It’s easier to listen to new ideas and analyze later than to reject them right away and maybe accept them later.
During the first few days of camp, there were a lot of teachings, and with them came a lot of new information for me. Some of it scared me, but unlike my first training camp, I was able to listen without too much bias. Although I didn’t agree with everything, I realized it was okay to not agree, and I could do my own research in scripture later. Sometimes I discovered something new I had just never encountered, and sometimes there was a definite difference of opinion, but it’s 1000 times easier to listen first and deconstruct later.
6. Your mindset about food changes
In our wealthy, western world, food is always associated with pleasure. At Training Camp (and the World Race), not so much. Portions were small and every day, we would eat foods from each region of the world that the Race went to. This meant that there were some interesting things and didn’t always have the most desirable flavor – but early on we all learned to view food as sustenance rather than something to enjoy. On the second morning I found myself eating strawberry jam willingly for the first time in probably 20 years – it was there, and it was food. I wasn’t saying no to that.
7. What’s mine is my squad’s
One thing that really stood out to me about the U Squad was the culture of generosity. Anything we had brought for ourselves was almost always offered up as community property, be it granola bars, gatorade mixes, bandaids, or just about anything. This was put to the test one night when we were all paired up, and then one partner “lost” their pack, only to be left with whatever was in their daypack. I ended up keeping my stuff while my partner, Kate, lost hers. I was prepared to share my tent and offer her my sleeping pad and sleeping bag, but it turned out she had her hammock in her daypack, opting to sleep in it. I felt a little guilty for having my tent to myself while everyone else was sharing, so I resolved to give up as much of my gear as necessary to squadmates who needed it. Before the night was over I had lent out my sleeping pad, my hammock straps, and my fleece jacket, and was storing two additional backpacks in my tent. And you know what, I didn’t need that gear or that space, and I didn’t mind going without it knowing someone else who needed it was using it.
8. Bucket showers and port-a-potties are a luxury compared to the alternative
And in this case, the alternatives are baby wipes and behind a tree in the woods, respectively. Need I say more?
9. Know yourself and know your limits (for the introverts)
Be aware of when you’ve met your maximum social level, and take some time to yourself. This could be as simple as going to bed earlier or waking up earlier just to recharge a little bit. It can be tempting to spend as much time as possible with the squad, especially when you’re trying to get to know so many of them in such a short span of time, but if you get burned out, it can backfire. Sometimes you just need to go lay in a hammock, watch the fireflies, and just spend some time alone with God. Yes, I did that, and it was quite refreshing, especially since Training Camp is all community all the time.
10. Feedback is a verb
“Feedbacking,” “to feedback somebody,” “getting feedbacked”… It’s just another part of the World Race lexicon.
11. Struggle and silliness alike foster community.
Once again, that campout in the thunderstorm was a rough night, but I would do it all over again. Why? Because of the way it shaped us a a squad. Leaders emerged as we tried to set up camp and cook dinner, people willingly gave their gear and extra clothing to people who needed them, and we huddled together around a tiny campfire. Then, a bunch of us who had no assigned task started singing a cappella in the middle of the campsite, which turned out to be a great morale booster. After that night, we were so much more unified as a squad than we had been up until that point, and I don’t think any of us would have had it any other way.
So that’s 11 things I learned from Training Camp! More blog posts to come, but in the meantime, I’m almost 75% funded and would love to be fully funded by launch – you can donate by clicking the “support me” button to the left.
