After the Trip! TWB Reflections

TWB Reflections!

The Trip 2 participants gave the following quotes about their TWB experience this summer:

“Make the most out of everyday, you will be surprised where the best moments come from.”  – Haley Jones

“This trip is the best thing that has ever happened to my confidence, my faith, and my heart.” –Maya Anderson-Badillo

“At the beginning I wasn’t sure what I got myself into, but I am now confident that this has been the best 23 days of my life.” – Chloe Strickland

“TWB has been an experience that will continue to shape and define me, long after the trip has come to a close.” –Alex Smith

“TWB has been an amazing experience to meet new friends and learn so much about America.” –Allie Jones

“Jesss jesss jess jesss jesss jesss jesss, Cawww!!!” –Levi Peterson

“A chance to discover America and yourself- there’s nothing better than that.”

-Alonnah Murphy

“TWB is the best experience of my life that made me fall in love with life and our beautiful county.” –Brenna Rodgers

“TWB has been one of the most memorable and greatest experiences of my life, and we were able to experience it with new life long friends.” –Kyleigh Goodman

“I wasn’t expecting that, but heck yeah!” –Rustyn Orbison

“TWB is the greatest experience a teen can endure.” –Paschal Lutz

“This trip brings out the best in you; it boosts your confidence, grows your faith, and allows you to open your eyes to see the beauty in this beautiful country.” –Lauren Brewington

“TWB has been such a great experience and I have learned so much about myself, my faith, and my country.” –Meredith Witherell

“TWB is a life-changing experience.” – Samantha Skidmore

“TWB is the most lit thing in my life and if you are looking for a good time this trip is for you.” –Clay Gotte

“Many thousands of miles later, I have learned more about myself and the greatest nation on earth thanks to TWB.” –Jonas Nielsen

“I have absolutely loved it, I have met the most amazing people and truly found where I belong.” –Emily Esarove

“This trip helped me find confidence in my insecurities while creating life-long memories.” –Sarah Umphlett

“TWB is an awesome experience that pushes you out of your comfort zone and brings 82 strangers into 1 family.” – Sarah Roth

“I was so scared about not knowing anyone but once I put myself out there it was the best experience of my life.” – Briana Waters

“This experience has been one of a lifetime that really matures and builds us young adults.” – Cheyenne Doss

“Going on TWB was the best choice I have ever made in my life.” –Caleb Chipman

“TWB has taught me so many valuable life lessons that I will never forget.” –Matthew Moore

“This experience is one like no other; the lessons you learn and friendships you make are even more amazing than the places you see.” –Ashley Rak

“It is awesome!” –Bradie Holmes

“Live everyday like it is your last on the trip because eventually that day will come and you don’t want any regrets.” –Ian Faulkner

“Take chances, make friends, live everyday on the trip like it’s your last.” –McRae Moore

“The only words I can say about this trip is it makes you look at life from a different point of view.” – Hannah Denson

“Unforgettable experience, dreading leaving my 82 new family members.” –Ben Harris

“I never knew how badly I needed TWB.” –Elizabeth Kurtz

“This is an opportunity I’m glad I took a chance on and will never forget.” –Anne Cloaninger

“For me, TWB was an escape that turned into something much bigger: A love for my country, a deeper relationship with God, and friends for a lifetime.” –Hannah Locklear

“Nothing you will ever do can compare to TWB; take advantage of every second, it’s over before you know it.” –Elizabeth Foy

“In 23 days I discovered the difference between good water and bad water.” –Robert Keck

“The first week was rough, but after that I loved the trip.” –Rennie Pearson

“I’m so glad I opened up early in the trip because it flies by.”- Stephen Deutsch

“TWB gave me a second family and helped me become a better person.” –Sydney Hoffman

“From all the laughs to all the tears TWB friends will be friends for years.” –Amelia Christensen

“I was super nervous at first, but I’ve never been more comfortable around 82 strangers.” – Caitlyn Andrews

“Absolutely no way to describe how truly amazing the TWB experience is.” –Caroline Shoemaker

“It’s a trip to remember; make it last.” –Hunter Avery

“It’s an amazing experience you can’t get anywhere else.” – Sara Mauney

“ I’ve never had so much fun with complete strangers, now my best friends.” –Landon Bisson

“TWB is a great escape from all past troubles and a way to discover yourself and your country.” –Julia Knapp

“Giving your 100% on this trip pays off in unimaginable ways.” –Cate Johnson

“Experiencing TWB has opened my mind in ways unthinkable to others and brought my feelings of pure happiness at just the right time.” – Ashley Matheis

“Truly the best experience of a lifetime.” –Makayla Stadler

“It is one of the greatest experiences of my life and I will never forget it.” – Grant Harris

“It is more than a 23 day trip… it is a new reality that takes you away from the distractions at home to explore the other side of America.” –Lauren Schultz

“Best experience of my life. Enjoy it while it lasts because it’s over before you know it.” –Meredith Levy

“It’s been real… It’s been fun… but it ain’t been real fun…. JUST KIDDING!!!” –Noah Rodriguez

“One of the most life changing experiences I’ve ever had, and even though this trip has had it’s ups and downs for me, I would do it again in a heartbeat… 10/10 would recommend.” –Anna-Grace Agnini

“Couldn’t have spent 23 days of my summer any better, this was truly and incredible experience.” –Maxwell Bradley

“It is impossible to prepare for the dynamic experience that TWB offers; just know that it will change you in ways you least expect.” –Jack Seigel

“This was the best experience of my life, it really opened my eyes to a lot.” –Jayda Canada

“Absolutely breath taking experience.” –Creighton Ivey

“This trip was the best thing I’ve ever done, without question.” –Jodi Hatcher

“The best time of my life spent with my amazing friends.” –Nick Mitchell

“Every shower is a community shower if you want it to be.” –William Balkum

“This has been the best experience of my life and I’ve made lifelong family.” –Jake Kepley

“There is definitely more friends than food on TWB.” – Colton McElveen

“23 days plus 82 people equals an experience words can’t describe.” –Abby Black

“This trip was a once in a lifetime experience that introduced me to 82 kids who would, over the course of 23 days, become my family.” –Eryn Faggart

“This trip is a once in a lifetime experience where I met 82 amazing people and embraced the love for my country.” – Kathryn McRae

“This trip is something you can’t describe in words; it is the most magical experience you can ever have.” – Kevin Kang

“The best thing my parents have given/done for me.” – Madelyn Daggerhart

“This has been one of the best experiences of my life and I wouldn’t take it back for anything.” – Julia DiBella

“Not having my phone on TWB has helped me form deeper, closer, and longer-lasting relationships with all 82 people on this trip of a lifetime.” – Courtney Prevette

“Put yourself out there and live each day to the fullest.” – Annalise Froehlich

“Everyone is so special in there own way and I am so happy to have made life long friends.” – Madison Ketchie

“TWB helps change your perspective and find out new things about yourself.” – Ashlyn Sharpe

“I’ve fallen in love with everyone on this trip and it hurts me that only a few of them live near me.” – Lucas Horton

“23 days that truly feel like a lifetime with people you love.” – Collin Walsh

“TWB was an awesome experience that I didn’t realize I needed.” – Julia Jakubowski

“Who knew you could squish 23 million memories in 23 days??” – MaryMichael Belue

“The greatest experience ever and will never be forgotten.” –Spencer Norman

“It changed my life for the better and gave me the people I truly needed.” –Makayla Lawson

“TWB is exactly what I needed; it has changed my life and I love my new life-long friends.” –Sarah Esarove

“This trip has made me realize the person I want to be and the type of people I want to be friends with.” – Bryson Dellinger

“ I never knew I’d meet my best friends on this trip and I never expected it’d be so hard to leave.” – Chloe O’Briant

“On TWB you not only get to see and experience the beautiful west but you get to watch yourself and friends grow, it’s really something special.” -McCauley Palmer

 Thanks for a great summer, TWB!! WE LOVE YOU! Cawwwww :) 

"Today is my moment and now is my story....I'll laugh, and I'll cry, and I'll sing!"

Day 4- Carlsbad Caverns

WEDNESDAY JUNE 20TH, 2007

Hello Family and Friends... This is Wilbur the Blog Master!!! Sorry about the late blogs. We had to get up @ 4:00AM.... Whew!!! Long Day!! But... here it is. What a Beautiful morning. Here is our mighty steed the "Tank"!!!!! We Loved waking up to Licky Vicky's lovely voice once again VERY early in the morning. But we did catch up on time and sleep while heading to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. The Caverns smelled like bat guano and felt like being in a huge freezer with no ice cream. Stressful as it was, the hike into the caverns was an amazing experience for all of us. After we reloaded back onto the Frank the Tank mobile, The Miss America, and Carolina Panther we were off to Roswell, NM. Reaching our destination we were greeted by Col. Duncan from the New Mexico Military Institute where we also received a tour of the grounds. But our minds weren't the only things being exercised; we busted our buns doing just a little taste of the Air force Academy fitness training. We were also lucky enough to receive a VERY RARE speech from Donald R. Burleson. To reward us for our efforts Vicky Licky had another surprise; POOL AND HIGH DIVE!!! Then we ended the night under the gorgeous star filled sky looking for UFO's. Signing out Group Sleepy; Ben Misay, Mason Blair, Will Bridges, Layne Davis, Kevin Elmore, Anna Elzey, Emily Gibbings, Devin Madden, Brittany McCarthy, Annsley Stroupe, Lindsey White, Ryan Williford Randall Threlkeld had an amazing nap this morning. Wonderful Day on the bus!!!! Here we are at Carlsbad Caverns!! Laura Beth Brumfield and Amber Carver enjoy a little cave dwelling. A little exercise did us some good at the New Mexico Military Institution!!! Jake Flowers and R-Bex show off their jumping skills. We had so much going on yesterday that we were to busy to cook so The V bought us dinner...Hooray!!!!!! Counselor's Corner - Wow, what an amazing group of young people. I cannot begin to say enough good things about this group. I love every single one of them. This could be the best group of young people that has ever been out west. The bonding and friendships that have been made are already so strong and it is only day 4. I can't wait to see what is going to happen in the next 19 days. - The Wilbur

Day 3- San Antonio

TUESDAY JUNE 19TH, 2007

KAILA STOUT had a birthday yesterday and we celebrated!!!! It was out of control. San Antonio Today began very early, waking up at 4:30 a.m. The sun had not yet risen when we pulled out of Fontainebleau State Park before 5:30. Almost everyone slept on their bus or vans, until a traveling breakfast was served a few hours later. Today was a day of much traveling- over 12 hour's worth. San Antonio was our only stop, where we remembered the Alamo and experienced the San Antonio River Walk- barefoot. Several memorable events occurred during the long rides, including one on the Miss America van. Counselor Wilbur, caught a pigeon, tossed it into the van during a group photo shoot. After San Antonio, we traveled two more hours to the local grocery store, where group Happy shopped for dinner (tacos) and yours truly, group Bashful, shopped for tomorrow's breakfast and lunch. After tonight, all groups will be switching duties, so new bloggers will be coming on board starting tomorrow. We, the Bashfuls, look forward to our new cooking duties, and future adventures we have yet to discover. As we leave, we'd like to take this opportunity to say Hi! to all our parents, and say that even though we're having a great time, we still miss home. Love y'all! Group Bashful Signing off- Elizabeth Carriel, Becca Troxler, Taylor Long, Kristen Layne, Brittany Rogers, Jon Arkin, Anna Faria, Kati Cardwell, David Sullivan, Nathan Dove, Alex Cooley, Brandon Mullally, Matt Krueger, Peter Terrio We had an early morning on the bus. Participants were a bit tired. We even had a performance from the TWB Choir. Ladies and Gentlemen the 2007 Trek #2 Director... The Big V, Likki Vikki, and V-Twin, helped us make sure it was okay to cross the train tracks. TWB did the ALAMO!!!! We saw a real deal Texas Ranger and we liked his Stache. Fun times in San Antonio, with waterfalls... ..And attack of the killer pigeons!!!! Sally Evans is one of our bookkeepers who work's hard to keep our money straight. We ended our day learning about the killer pigeons and how to protect your-self. Counselor's Corner- WOW! Let's just say 4:20 a.m. is incredibly early for most people to start their day. For Teens Westward Bound it's just another day in the journey of discovering the wonders of our great AMERICA. On our way out of Louisiana we watched the sunrise behind us well some of us did, but most of the participants fell asleep as soon as they hit their seats. Who could blame them?!?! Before we knew it, the sun had risen and the blue skies led the way into the great state of Texas. We traveled nearly 600 miles today, but, that gave the participants lots of time to chat and get to know their neighbors on the vans and bus. After a HUGE taco dinner we are ready for bed, ready to start another fantastic day. I can not express how great, smart and incredibly talented all of the kids are. Only on day 4 and already such a fantastic group they have become. What will tomorrow bring? Counselor - Rebekah Mitchell

Day 2- New Orleans

MONDAY JUNE 18TH, 2007

First of all, I apologize for not having the Blog up and going last night. There was a thunderstorm that joined us for most of the night, and I could not stay connected to the internet long enough to get anything done. After a short night we are back on the bus at 5:14AM CST. ROCK N ROLL TWB 2007 Trek#2!!!! -Wilbur Wow, this morning hit us hard. After a night of sleeping on the floor of a very hot gym (thanks to rain), 5:40 AM came sooner than we had hoped. Before the rough night, we participated in many relay games, with our groups (don't worry, Bashful won most). The games involved milk jugs, bats, tennis balls, spoons and 2 liter bottles. After these eventful games, we all gathered around the counselors with our flashlights and had a nice little sing-along, where Billy Fisher performed a guitar solo. Then, we all rushed to the showers and found a spot in the gym. After we loaded everything on the bus and vans, we left LaGrange around 6:30 AM. From there, we started our journey to Auburn University. On our way, we crossed into central time. This added another hour to our day. When we reached Auburn University we took lots of group pictures, and then quickly loaded back into the vehicles for our long drive to New Orleans. After 2 stops in Mississippi, we finally reached our destination, in Louisiana. New Orleans, also known as the big easy, was a very interesting city for us to explore. After presentations at the edge of the Mississippi River, we went to Cafe Du Monde to sample the popular French donuts. After this short break, we went to the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral. On our way, we got the joy of hearing a random local jazz street band. We took many pictures there, and then we were set loose to explore Bourbon Street, and all the other beautiful places in the City. After shopping and sight seeing, we headed back to our vehicles and made our way to our campsite for the night. On the way back over the 20.6 mile Lake Ponchatrain bridge, we were faced with much bad weather, including thunder, lightning, and even a water spout. All of us were very thankful to arrive safe and sound at the campground, ready for dinner, the Dixieland competition, and our indoor sleeping arrangements.  Elizabeth Carriel, Becca Troxler, Taylor Long, Kristen Layne, Brittany Rogers, Jon Arkin, Anna Faria, Kati Cardwell, David Sullivan, Nathan Dove, Alex Cooley, Brandon Mullally, Matt Krueger, Peter Terrio We still have time during our busy schedule to have fun on the bus!!! Jacob Highfill caught a little shut-eye sometime this morning. We stopped at the Mississippi/Louisiana State Line for a bathroom break. We met some awesome ladies from the Gautier Cookie Ladies. They gave all of the T-Dubers a homemade cookie. They were delicious!!!! Trek #2 has the Best Looking Counselors, by far!!!!!!!!!! Sally Evans along with several other participants gave us a presentation on New Orleans and the surrounding sites. CAFE' DU MONDE!!!!!!!!!!!! Bourbon St. was great!!!!!!  BIG DADDY'S!!!!! YYYYEEEEHHHAAWWW!!!!!!!!! Counselor's Corner: It is unbelievable the bonding that has taken place in only two days. This afternoon on the bus we played a game where we changed seats every five minutes so we could meet our new best friends. The vans played a unique version of the name game and by the end of the day everyone knew all the names, where each other lives and the size of everyone's training bras (is that too much information or not???). If this group continues to develop their friendships for the rest of the trek at this rate, then I am sure it will be impossible to say our goodbyes to each other at Davidson College on July 10th. To all the loved ones back home, please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we see a little of God's handiwork. Love, life and laughter, Dennis

Day 1- Sendoff & LaGrange

SUNDAY JUNE 17TH, 2007

Welcome one and all to the TWB Adventure #2!!! This happens to be the greatest adventure that TWB has ever experienced! This blog is written by group BASHFUL!! The adventure began on June 18, 2007 when we met at Davidson College. While traveling we went through Atlanta, Georgia and passed Georgia Tech University and Turner Field, where the Braves play! Two rest stops and six hours later, we finally reached the Wal-Mart in LaGrange, on the Georgia-Alabama State line. There, we shopped for dinner supplies and last minute items. One memorable experience was when our new friend, Evan Martin, threw up on the van. (Don't worry Mrs. Martin, she's fine, she was just a little gassy). The rest of the ride was filled with many corny jokes, stories, and games. We're becoming familiar with many new faces and names. Tonight, we will be staying at LaGrange College on the soccer field after enjoying our gourmet meal of hamburgers prepared by the Happy group. We look forward to our New Orleans adventure tomorrow! Please keep yourself updated on our traveling adventures. WE LOVE YA'LL!  Elizabeth Carriel, Becca Troxler, Taylor Long, Kristen Layne, Brittany Rogers, Jon Arkin, Anna Faria, Kati Cardwell, David Sullivan, Nathan Dove, Alex Cooley, Brandon Mullally, Matt Krueger, Peter Terrio What a great departure we had. Thank you to all of the family and friends who showed up today!!! We love you!!!!!! We went to Wally World today so the cooks (The Happy Group) could buy our dinner!! Frank the Tank got some fruit for the road!!! We also had some time to goof off a bit!!!!!! The Happy Group made us some outstanding Cheeseburgers before we had a relay race and then ended the night with a sing-a-long. Counselor's Corner: You can not imagine the fantastic journey that has begun today. Outstanding participants who served us great grilled burgers, super team competitions in fast paced relay races , and now our first group sing a- long... Can it get any better then this? I know this trip will only get better each and every day because of the fantastic participants that we have. America the beautiful, land of the free and home of the brave, and TWB Trek 2 will touch it and become another thread in the fabric that makes us proud to be Americans Love, Vikki P.S. We are expecting showers tonight so we have moved inside to a Gym at LaGrange college.. Thank You to Laura Williams @ LaGrange College!!!!