Camp: GA World Congress Center

Most 3-Day for the Cure events have their participants camp outside.  However, there must be a plan for inclement weather.  I believe that last year they had some bad weather and they knew that our early mornings would be cold.  This year they decided to go ahead and move camp inside.  It was such a great feeling arriving at the GA World Congress Center.  I was totally okay with camping inside.  All 3 mornings were cold and I was thankful not to be freezing all night outside.  Okay, so as I've said before, I'm no camper.  My main worry about camping at the 3-Day was...setting up my tent.  After scanning in, I found my bag and searched for my tent address to see if my tent mate had gotten their first.  When I found my address, there was no tent.  So, off I went to get a tent and attempt to set it up.  When I arrived at tent pick-up the lady asked me what my address was, I told her it was 37B and she said, "I was bored a little early and I pitched 4 tents, since your address is so close, why don't you just drag one of these that I have already set up!"  I thanked her...this totally made my day!  I am so thankful for my tent angel!!  Once I got my tent set at my address and my bag unpacked, I decided to shower.  The Porta-showers were great!!  They are in a transfer truck trailer and once you enter there are stalls similar to a college dorm shower.  You have a small changing stall and then your own shower stall, all private with warm water!!  Outside the truck there are sinks and mirrors.  I never had to wait on a shower and only short lines at the potties.  After a refreshing shower, I went back to my tent.  Still no tent mate, so I decided to go and grab some dinner.

Inside my tent...my REI sleeping bag.

There is so much food at the 3-Day and I can honestly say that I didn't have a bad meal or snack.  It is really too much to eat.  The picture below is dinner night 1.

Very colorful and loaded with carbs....it takes a lot of energy to walk 60 miles.

Camp is full of lots of things to do. Besides shower and eat, you can shop, dance, sing, sit in massage chairs, stretch on yoga mats, take photographs, remember and reflect, and check the post office.  I knew I'd have a letter from my Momma at the 3-Day post office, but I was not ready for what I saw there.  I was so overwhelmed by all my cards.  Thanks to everyone who took time to write me...some of you even wrote a letter for each day.  And yes, I followed your instructions and opened them on the day that you wrote on the envelope.  These letters made me feel so loved!  I have the best friends and family, students and co-workers!! 

One card that really stood out to me was from my friends Donna and Bugs from Coats Bend.  It had a quote on it that said, "Dream higher than a mountain, deeper than the sea, wider than the world - for the size of our dreams tells not how big we are but how big our God is."  This really summed up my experience.  This whole journey has been so much bigger than me.  I knew that I couldn't do this, but with God all things are possible and that he would walk with me and be there every step of the way.  I was never walking alone...there were thousands of others there and most importantly God was there from the beginning.  My faith in God raised the money and moved my feet.  I am truly blessed to have had this experience and the opportunity to walk for my Mom.

Massage chairs provided by Bank of America.

My tent mate never showed.  So, lucky me...I got the tent to myself, which it was really nice to have the extra room!  I guess my tent mate either stayed at a hotel or for some reason didn't get to walk.  I decided to get my massage and then head to bed.  I hadn't noticed the 20 mile sign when I arrived at camp.  It didn't matter that I was in my PJ's, I wanted my picture at that sign.  I was so proud of my first day!

Proud in my PJ's!!

 

The first night in the tent was rough.  I didn't sleep well.  It was a bit loud with all those people in the conference center. Also, they left the row of lights that was over my tent on all night.  My nose was a little stuffy too.  I tossed and turned most of the night.  I woke up early and got ready for Day 2.  I went to the dinning hall and got breakfast, filled my water bottles and stretched as I waited in line to exit camp and begin the route.  Tired and sore...I was ready to begin the day.  I knew up front that Day 2 was going to be difficult...