Ft. Collins -- Environment

I've snowshoed through the Rockies, traveled in a car driven alternately by Tanner Frevert and Kaitlyn King (send help) and spent a night in a blizzard in beautiful Amarillo, TX, but my biggest challenge thus far faced me in a toddler-filled Denny's 4 hours into our team's epic road trip to Ft. Collins, Co. 

Carol, our precious but forgetful waitress, mixed up a few of our orders. For 15 minutes that seemed to drag to eternity, only 9/12 of our team had their breakfast. In an act of solidarity, we waited to eat. My plate full of steaming hash browns and scrambled eggs stared me down, tempting me silently for 15 MINUTES, but I didn't lift a fork.

Since that first meal, our team agreed upon an unspoken rule -- we do things together. We were provided two rooms for sleeping, but that didn't fly for the Eagles. We threw all our luggage in one room and spent the better part of an hour re-arranging our sleeping bags in the other, Tetris-style, until we crammed all 12 of us inside. Please don't call the fire marshall. 

Tanner's quick trip to Wal Mart to buy cold medicine turned into a full-team expedition. Our attempt to play sardines ended up with all 11 of us following each other around, yelling at one another when we found the hiders. As soon as Dylan started to wash the dishes, we all rushed in to hel... OK, not really. I mean, Dylan had the dishes under control. He's a professional, after all.

But really, even though I spent all day climbing through the Rockies on snowshoes, in complete awe of nature and snow (sorry, can't help it, I'm from Texas) and the opportunity we've been given to serve in such a majestic place, our team's connection is what continues to blow my mind. As part of a trip focused on protecting and preserving the environment, I didn't expect the kind of warm fuzzies you get from helping others in a more visible, tangible way. But my team has already given me that experience, and it's only day one.

I think that's what continues to drive people back to ASB year after year. It's about service, sure, but it's also about finding something in common with a group of people you would never run into in your marketing class or in the lounge of your Res Hall. It's about making connections, supporting one another and being humbled by the sincerity, wit and selflessness of the people who surround you daily at the University of Missouri. 

When we finally get down to business tomorrow (OK, you caught us. We've just been playing in the snow so far. Don't tell Caleb.), I know we'll continue to grow as a team. As long as Dylan keeps doing the dishes and hash browns aren't involved (my self control is absolutely shot on that front), I can't wait to see what our team accomplishes this week. The Eagles fly together.