Day 1- Our Journey Has Just Begun :)

"Poor people and investment bankers have one thing in common: they both expend considerable energy thinking about money. They have to juggle, predict, and plan, and every decision has magnitude" (Shipler 27).

Hi everyone! This is my first blogging experience, so bear with me. :)

Today was the first day of the Bonner Leader and Alfond Scholar intercession. Despite the fact that a vast majority of our day was spent immersed in team builders and book discussions, I felt myself grow closer to the other students surprisingly quickly.

The day started out with (of course) the dreaded ice-breakers. Since having arrived in college, I have come to realize that such games are simply unavoidable and, as much as I hate to admit it, I've actually come to enjoy them in the proper setting. After micro and macro discussions of David Shipler's The Working Poor, we relaxed and ate a quick lunch before heading back to the classroom for more interactive activities. While one task encompassed personal placement and theatrics, the other was far more reflective and caused many to expand upon parts of their life that they may not have otherwise shared. Emotionally drained and "feeling sexy" from our recent catharsis, we set off to our hotel in Clearwater.

The bus ride was fairly uneventful. There were curbs hit, concrete slabs cracked, and one really angry lady in the car behind us- but hey, those are standard immersion formalities.

Once at the hotel, we split off into groups to prepare dinner with one another. From past experiences in the kitchen, I feel qualified to proclaim that cooking and baking are, in fact, some of the most difficult and trying  team building exercises. Amazingly enough, however, my group (in charge of the appetizers, salad, and desserts) ran like a well oiled machine. The food for dinner was diverse and the supply was plentiful, much like the stacks of dishes we were told to clean afterwards.

Soon, we will be off to attend a period of reflection before hopefully retiring to our rooms for a good nights sleep. From what I've heard, we need our rest for tomorrow when the real work begins.

#AlfonnerLove <3