Journal Day 8
Cassie Glasrud, ’03
Spring Grove, MN

"Uh-oh!" Just a warning to all those reading this, please purchase the guide to official language of Bethany Koehler. For example, today we were driving through trees and bushes and as one was about to take off the heads of everyone on the left side of the truck Bethany yells out, "uh-oh." The next thing I knew, she ducked and a long branch whacked Lisa and Bridget in the necks.

Anyway, the day we’ve all been preparing for and the ride we’ve all been dreading has finally come. The entire group packed themselves into 4 covered trucks, called "si-laws," for what was supposed to be a 5-hour ride and ended up being closer to 6. The most original of them all was a small truck with ceiling and walls consisting of a steel frame covered by a tarp. It reminded me of my time spent in Colorado at the Air Force Academy. Throughout basic training and several times during the school year, we were packed into hot, stuffy, trucks similar to those we rode today. However, today’s experience was slightly different in that I was not wearing combat boots, fatigues, or carrying an M-16. My how times have changed. Back to the day at hand…the ride was far, far from being as dreadful as I had anticipated. In fact, I enjoyed it. I did not get car-sick, a miracle itself, and we had laughs throughout the ride. Dodging tree branches (as mentioned before), finding something to grip before the truck barreled through potholes and land erosion, and, of course, pretending Bridget’s poncho (saved from graduation weekend) didn’t smell like mildew made the trip that much more enjoyable.

After all that, we finally arrived at the Karen village where we will stay the next 5 nights. The people here greeted us very friendly and welcomed us well. I believe the next few days will be a great cultural and emotional experience for me, as well as the entire group. I also hope to overcome the language barrier and make some connections with the kids.