Now that we are only a few days away from getting on a plane to Texas, I find myself thinking about the trip all of the time. Every morning when I wake up, I normally check the weather for the day, and now I’m also checking the weather in Falfurrias, Texas. I was surprised to see the estimated temperatures for each day are dropping slightly the closer we get to the first day of our 2025 Beyond Borders trip. Checking the weather is one way that I prepare for each day, and I have started incorporating it into my preparation for the upcoming Texas trip. Along with checking the weather, I have started collecting all of the supplies and clothes for the trip and separated everything into piles in the corner of my living room. Everyday I see the pile and add something to it that I remember I might need.
Seeing my friends and family over the recent holiday, I have been asked almost every day if I am ready for the trip, and each day I feel like I have a slightly different answer. With all of the supplies and gear, I believe I am prepared for the weather, as we know I have been checking it everyday. I believe I am prepared for the long days as I have water bottles and snacks, but even with all the preparation that I am so blessed to be able to do, we do not know the challenges we might face in the field until we are there. In preparation for the trip, I have started to read some excerpts from books that Dr. Latham had suggested in one of our Beyond Borders team pre-trip meetings. I have also reached out and talked to previous years trip members and asked them to tell me about their personal trip experiences.
I have been thinking about it, and I think the answer to the question if I am ready is yes, I am physically ready for the trip, but we will all have different experiences each day we are in Texas. As the days get closer to the trip, I find myself preparing in different ways. I’m going into the trip each day reminding myself to be open to whatever challenges might arise, and to approach each day with a positive attitude. Just like the weather, we can try to prepare for what is predicted but it can always change. The way we react to the change is what is important.