ASB Reflections

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Young, Wild, and Free

I think I can speak for everybody on the trip when I say that today was an all around great day. We not only got to learn what Playworks (the organization we will be working with throughout the week, that encourages healthy play) was all about  but we finally got to play with the kids! At recess, I personally had a great time interacting with all different kids from a variety of age levels. It was especially rewarding to play games in which everybody was included, which I thought Playworks and the Coach did a great job organizing. It was really refreshing to see the smiles on all of the kids faces. Throughout the day, I was especially surprised how all of the teachers and students embraced us. It definitely made my experience a lot better knowing that the kids were genuinely happy to have us there with them. The kids also added some humor into our day. They referred to once of our trip members as Zac Efron (which I think boosted his ego just a little too much).  They were a great group of kids to work with and I hope that by the end of the trip I impact at least one child’s life.

One thing that really resonated with me was the Junior Coaches program. After we played recess for three hours we got to help out with this program. It encourages a selected group of kids to be leaders among their peers, especially in the recess environment. I think this program is so positive for the children’s self esteem. It was very obvious that they were all confident with themselves and their abilities to lead a group. I think it is a great thing to start at such a young age, and I hope it will have a positive impact on their future lives.

Overall, it was great to just be a kid again, and to relive my recess days. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the week brings, but as for now I definitely felt young, wild, and free.

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Day 2, Round 2

Waddup ASBers,
Day 2 of Team FITting In’s trip was a blast! We started the day with a tasty breakfast (complete with cinnamon buns) at the Lodge. Groceries were next, and we were super efficient getting everything we need for this week’s lunches. Everyone was very excited to get the shopping done with (shout out to our amazing PB&J team aka Marissa and myself) so that the team could go play a few quick rounds of flash. We learned a lot about each other and team bonded during flash, and it was a great new icebreaker. We then made our way to the Duke Gardens where Kaitlin and Bo promptly killed the hide and go seek game. Also, 75 and sunny is a nice change of pace relative to the snow in Easton right now. After the Gardens, we made our way back to the Lodge for reflection, dinner, and a movie. Reflection was an hour well spent, and we were very open for the first day on the trip. The Internship was a solid movie choice, and everyone (hopefully) enjoyed it. Overall, it was a fun day and I am looking forward to the week to come!

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Team Fitting In Day 2

On this fine Sunday, Team Fitting In traveled to the Duke University Gardens! It was a magnificent experience. Not only because the gardens were beautiful, but because we got to play hide and seek in them. It was a great bonding experience for our group. After coming back to our camp site, some of our group went on a jog around the camp grounds. Personally, my right ankle felt like it was about to snap off. I kept going though, because I’m not a quitter and neither is my group. I was informed that I should switch to Asics running shoes, rather than Nike.

An important part of our day was the reflection period. Each group member had the opportunity to share why they are personally connected to this trip. I appreciated this time because I truly felt connected with every person in some way from what was shared. I love them all <3

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In 45 mins…

Bowden said we would arrive in 45 mins and we drove for another 2 hours. We spent a whole day crammed in a van with pillows and luggage. I would not have survived if it wasn’t for Dale’s music. Around 7:30pm we made it home to mac & cheese and it was all worth it. Being super exhausted did not stop us from staying up and playing games until 12am. We played mafia for 3 hours and I didn’t get to be mafia once :(

On the bright side, I wasn’t the first one out of ninja  which is usually the case. I don’t remembef much of the late night activities because I was half asleep but stay tuned for updates on our adventure in North Catolina.

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Just Add Hot Sauce

After about an 10 hour travel day, we have made it!!! We had some close calls, but my brave team handled them well.  Mary and I battled toll booths and then Luis and I took it a step further and conquered death.  Actually. We went to a Mexican food restaurant and tried a hot sauce called “death”.  It was really only injury worthy though: the real killer was one called “Endorphin Rush”.  The next time we challenged death was when they put me behind the wheel.  After my car learned that animals can love and what gross domestic happiness was through twenty questions, we finally got to Chestnut Ridge!  After dinner, we ended up playing Mafia for probably three hours.  People died from falling off of beds, parked cars, and tripping over pebbles. Others were wrongly incarcerated, some (like me) simply for “looking innocent” or others for moving.  We fought to the very end, but when it was over I felt so close to my team.  Put 15 strangers got in a car, add some hot sauce and some obstacles, and 10 hours later, you get a strange big family!

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Bonding Day

Day 1 of ASB: Team Fitting In was rather interesting. It would be safe to summarize this day as our team’s bonding day. We traveled from Lafayette College in Easton, PA to Durham, North Carolina in two SUV’s. This trip took a little under 10.5 hours. Our team sang, introduced each other to new music, and played intense, sometimes stressful games of 20 questions (I don’t know why we chose to disrespect the last question that would’ve made it 21 questions). Also, we were fed well along the way to North Carolina – shout out to our group leader(s).

Upon arrival to our site, we ate dinner and got ourselves situated in our cabin. The team bonded further through games of Ninja, WA, and Mafia. Mafia is not for the weak-hearted, let me tell you. However, it was a great experience all around. There was some betrayal that took place in these games, and I was bitter about it. But in the end, we were all able to laugh about the ridiculousness of it all.

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On the road

First day for our team FITting in — a great team bonding road trip that ended with a lot of laughters.

The morning started out a little grey, rain pouring down when we tried to pile all the packages into the vans. But by the time we got to Durham county in North Carolina, seeing the warm sunset outside the window made our bumpy trip totally worth it. After we settled in, and had a dinner served by our host in Chestnut Ridge, we had more team bonding games in our lodge– Mafia is one of my favorites. “Successfully” being a Mafia until Dale(the narrator) gave out the secrets! We had so many laughters until midnight. And the group made me feel more comfortable to open up myself!

After today, after getting to know each one in the team much better, I cannot wait for the upcoming week and adventure that awaits us!

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The Trek

No, I don’t mean Star Trek…today we started the long journey from Lafayette to Chesnut Ridge Retreat Center in North Carolina. We left Lafayette campus at 8:30 am, bright eyed and bushy tailed. We were all ready to go. Eleven hours later, after endless road trip games, sing alongs, and naps (especially by a certain team member) we arrived at our destination!! Right away, I knew we would be getting the full camping experience, and I was very excited, as long as S’mores would be a part of the deal. After a great dinner thanks to Chesnut Ridge and much to the surprise of the group, we played some interesting ice breakers. Things got pretty heated, but in the end we are a better team because of it. Overall, it was a great way to spend our first day. WE OUT!

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Marissa Stop Accussing Me

The first day of our trip is in the books! The drive was very long, but thankfully we played a lot (and I mean A LOT) of games in the car to keep us entertained. We learned that Luis might possibly be colorblind because he thinks lemonade is green, and that Zach can sleep for a full day and still be tired. Mary also paid her first toll and pumped her own gas! They grow up so fast. We stopped at California Tortilla where Kaitlin and Luis decided to chug hot sauce for fun. We arrived at Chestnut Ridge at 7:30ish, we ate dinner as a team and did some team bonding. Tomorrow we’re doing a cultural activity, and Monday starts the real fun! I’m so excited to see what the rest of the week brings!

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Hello North Carolina!

We made it at last! After hours of driving, laughing at good (and bad) jokes, and the occasional foot cramp, we arrived in sunny  North Carolina! Although it was dark and late, we were all very happy to be at our new home for the next week! Once we moved in, enjoyed a delicious dinner and three ninja games later, everyone was ready for the next day! As we all settled down for the night, I thought “I wonder what’s next? What awaits us tomorrow? What will the week bring?” As I turned over in my bunk bed and looked out into the darkness, I knew this break would be one to remember.