Back from vacation!

Have been out of touch the last few days. Had to take some time off after VirtCamp which really took a lot out of me...in a good way. One of the amazing things I learned post-VirtCamp is that we weren't necessarily there to learn new things. It was more to bring out the knowledge, the skills, the desire from within that already exists but was probably suppressed. For instance, Mission: Lego wasn't about creating/programming a LEGO robot. It was about re-igniting that fire and excitement to do something new (or something you haven't done in a really long time), taking on that challenge and pursevering. There was nothing better than seeing everyone's project work in the end (and you all know how emotional I got!), but it wasn't about that. Look at the bonding that took place during this whole process? Look at how we came together, helped each other out, took over when our cadre mates were stressing, how we divvied up the things to do based on each individual's area of expertise. But the beauty of it all was that we didn't just do it on our own, we still helped one another learn what needed to be done in order to make it happen. How cool is that?!? Now what did Paul, Bill and Margaret say again? IT'S ABOUT THE PROCESS! Noooooow, I get it! =)

Day 2 - Part Deux

Bill asked us to rap-up Day 2 by discussing/reflecting on our biggest fears & hopes. By far, my biggest fear is that my brain has shriveled up so much that I'm unable to accept new ways of learning/processing information, and that I'll let my Work Group (Brandy & David), my Cadre-mates, my G.A.s, and my instructors down. I can accept personal failure--we're all human and can only do so much--but to let my friends down would be the worst!

I've already been blessed with a wonderful group of peers at OMET. They've gone from peers to real friends within 24-hours of meeting for the first time. And sto successfully complete this program together would truly be the ultimate reward for me. eriously...can anything top that?

In the midst of Day 2

I thought Day 1 was mentally exhausting, but it was NOTHING compared to Day 2! Mission: Lego had me on the verge of tears and contemplating the possible realization this program may not be for me. But alas, with the support of my Work Group AND my Cadre Group, I pressed on. Dave, Brandy and I had no idea what we were going to do. Nivred (aka Dervin) from our Cadre group has quite a bit of Lego robotics knowledge, so we decided to hear him out in hopes he would inspire some ideas. It was time to decide on our specific Mission: Lego project...we chose to separate the 'good' and 'bad' packages. What should've felt like progress (having chosen our specific portion of the project) unfortunately didn't give us any inspiration. Again, we chose to observe Dervin in action and hope our 'inspiration' would be received via osmosis. After an hour of observation with some verbal ideas being piped in, we sat down for the challenge. Another hour passed before we learned that our interpretation of our specific project was incorrect. Thankfully Bill put us back on the right path, and within the next hour, we were on a roll! It was 5:00pm and Bill was hollering about food--who needs food when you're on a roll--and the millions of pieces of legos on the floor were replaced to their proper containers. Our work group was able to create a prototype feeder/conveyor belt system! It was tough to end on such a high note, but now with the aroma of pizza permeating the classroom food sounds pretty darn good! Bill has mentioned 'hard fun' several times throughout the days here at VirtCamp. Today, it was hard, hard, hard, hard, hard, but in the end, there was fun. I guess I'll stick it out one more day afterall...

Only Day 1?!?

Today was an amazing yet exhausting experience for me. Not only was I pulled out of my comfort zone (of control, structure, direction, etc.), I was thrust into an abyss. An abyss, you ask? Well, the lack of structure, or what was perceived by me as lack of structure affected me to the core. Was it Paul, Bill, Tanya, Colette and Kristen's plan to shake us up? I have no doubt whatsoever! So again my own interpretation of structure & control left me squirming in my chair this afternoon. After an evening with Nancy and Salina, sipping on a quava mojito, I'm much more relaxed about taking on this challenge. What I'm most looking forward to is getting to know everyone in Cadre 10 and absorbing everything they have to offer. I look to my fellow Cadre team as my own personal mentors. How lucky I am to be on clearly one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever seen with a team of bright, knowledgeable individuals! I'm blessed with this opportunity and I plan to take full advantage of it! I've thrown away my box (okay, it's really just out of reach...but I plan to throw it away) and will jump in with my eyes wide open. May I be fortunate to bring as much, if not more, to the table. Thank you all for letting me be a part of this life-challenging experience!