PERSONAL GAINS

Bailey Hansen

A long dragging afternoon with problem after problem, continuing, with no end. And with the text “I’m here” showing blatantly on my phone, marked a break from the uprooting of my demise. I was tired, but getting in the car, I knew that I would see something I’d never seen before. 

The car ride was long and bumpy, resulting in obvious nausea. But the moment I arrived at the airport, I could feel the fresh wind and the team spirit. While it may have been embarrassing to see a group of 13 people blocking the door, I was excited to try something new. The realization of the event didn’t hit me until about 11:00 at night when we were walking the streets of Saint Louis pointing out every hotel in sight wondering if it was ours. 

We didn’t go to our rooms until 12:00, because we had to meet to go over the next day’s plan. And as to be expected, several people forgot the plan that they had created just the day before. And even after entering our rooms, no one went to bed, we all were committed to long and thoughtless conversations. 

Upon the next day, I promptly woke up on time and ate a completely mediocre breakfast. Not mediocre in the sense that it was standard, but mediocre in the sense that it was not too good, nor too bad. I would soon come to realize that mediocre was the word to describe most food in Saint Louis. 

Moving on to the class, I went to a leadership workshop, where I learned about the qualities of a good leader. Unfortunately, I didn’t take into account that my mother is a 20-year leader in the making (so I knew most of the information beforehand). That being said, I bonded with my mom over something I never thought that I would, which stood for a great chance for personal improvement. 

I inevitably broke down that night crying both over the emotional conversation I had with my mom and over the stress I had from school. However, after crying, I realized that this trip stood not only as a learning experience but also as a break, a chance for reevaluation. 

Streets of St. Louis | Kelly M.