This Winter Break has been filled with reuniting, relaxing, and lots of running. I loved spending time with my family; however, I never imagined I would miss my friends from college as much as I have. This past weekend I went on Winter Trip with MSC Fish. I drove up to College Station on Thursday afternoon and was finally reunited with one of my best friends, Kandace Beall. We ate dinner at Newks and then met up with the rest of the gang. I cannot describe to you how sweet it was to see all of my best friends again. It is incredible to think that we were all strangers only 4 short months ago and were all placed into the same FLO by chance. I cannot imagine my college experience without any one of them and I know we have started friendships that will last throughout our college years and beyond. Thursday night was very exciting to say the least. We played an intense game of catchphrase and watched the supernatural horror film, The Devil Inside. It was horrible… probably the worst movie ever. I am still not too sure who suggested we watch it, but that was an awful choice. I accidently fell asleep during the film, Grace paid to shield her eyes from the screen, and our “big tough and strong” men clung to one another. Despite the overwhelming negative response from the movie, we still had a great time simply because we were finally with our fellow fishies. That night I had a sleepover with Kandace at her house-- filled with girl talk and LOTS of catching up. On Friday morning, we met up with the rest of our friends for the highly anticipated start of Winter Trip!
Kandace and I arrived at Lot 46 and smiles filled the parking lot. Everyone was ecstatic to be back in the place we all love so much with the people that make it truly special. We took roll and headed to a group lunch at Fuddruckers. The best part of lunch: Our Dinosaur Army. All thanks to Laura Mixtacki and her ingenious creativity. They were $0.50 an animal and collectively we wasted over $20. Worth it. After lunch, we wandered through Target, played at the park, and splurged on Sonic Happy-Hour. Once the clock struck 3:45pm, we were on the road headed to Camp Allen. The road-trip passed by quickly and all of the girls’ in the car (plus Will Brooke) were jammin’ the entire time. Our camping situation was way better than I had expected. We had our own campsite with girls’ and guys’ cabins, a common eating area, and plenty of space to hang out, throw the football, and play various games. Our wonderful AD’s prepared all of our meals and helped plan this awesome trip. We couldn’t be more thankful for them! Friday night we were free to do whatever we wished within the camp grounds. We started the night with a game of Sardines. This is a backwards version of hide-n-go-seek. Kandace and I were partners and we hid underneath the building. It took nearly 30 minutes for a single person to find us. No one ever thought we would hide somewhere so disgusting, but we were the best partners ever (so we did). We played an INTENSE game of catchphrase and various other card games as well. A group of us played Mafia for over three hours. It was a ton of fun; however, the last game the Mafia won with all four members still intact. It was an epic fail for the townspeople. Later in the night, all of the girls met in one of the cabins and had pillow talk for a few hours. This was an incredible start to Winter Trip.
The next morning came too quickly and we headed to the common area for breakfast. On the schedule for Saturday were service projects and high ropes activities. We were divided into two groups and I was so thankful for the people I was placed with. Part of our group participated in a gardening service project for the entire morning. We pulled out all of the weeds, clipped the vines surrounding the garden, and transferred rocks for a new project. It was actually pretty fun (even though the wrapped vines were never ending) and we felt very accomplished with our finished product! I love service with FISH because you’re surrounded by people you love working towards a goal that is sharing unending love with others. After lunch, we headed out to the high ropes course. There was an obstacle course/zipline, a pamper pole, and a “V” partner-dependent activity. I challenged myself to all of them and my motto was, “What would you do if you had 20 seconds of courage?” Kandace and I were the only ones to both make it across the ENTIRE “V” partner course. It took stability, communication, and teamwork. That accomplishment was by far the highlight of the weekend! We played plenty of sports throughout our time at Camp Allen; soccer, football, volleyball, and basketball. We also had a bonfire where we roasted S’mores and took countless pictures. That moment surrounded by the fire was one I’ll never forget. I couldn’t stop smiling and it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. I have never been happier or more content every aspect of my life. I know that God is doing incredible things within MSC Fish this year and He is molding lifelong friendships along the way. I am exactly where I am supposed to be surrounded by people that I love more than anything. I feel beyond blessed that I was able to go on Winter Trip. The memories that were created only made our friendships grow to greater heights, but we were truly missing every single FISH that couldn’t join us this weekend. This upcoming semester is going to be unbelieveable. Friendships will continue to grow. Selfless service will be present on and off campus. Big things are going to happen. I CAN’T WAIT!!!
FISH FRIENDS + CAMPING +
WINTER BREAK = BEST WEEKEND EVER
