is anyone out there???

Self-discovery.

We learn things about one's self when we are in adverse situations. This summer I spent 3 weeks "volunteering" on the Cadets food truck. We worked 15 hour days, slept on an RV with 8 other volunteers and worked hard all day in the sun.

Things I have discovered:

1. You can judge a shower by how it looks. I can forgive a lot about a shower if the floors are clean.

2. I require more than 3 hours a sleep at night. My brain just doesn't function properly and it takes me a long time to connect the dots when going on only a few hours of sleep.

For example: I put the other food truck crew members cell phone numbers into my cell phone using their first name and food. (Mainly because I don't know their last names and it gives me a quick reference to who they are.) So one day I got a call from Robin Hood. And I was like: "How did Robin Hood get my number? And why is he calling me?" It took me several minutes before it finally occurred to me that I had mistyped "Food" and put "Hood" and that it was Robin from the food truck calling. See? Not so quick...

3. I don't require a lot of time to get ready. I was amazed at how quickly I could take a freezing cold shower. And without access to a mirror, I can be dressed and back to the food truck in only minutes.

4. Please and thank you can go a long way. It was amazing how just a simple thank you from one of the kids made it all seem worth while. Some of the kids were so polite and gracious and thankful for the work we were doing for them.

5. Aprons are wonderful things. The first day I went through 3 changes of clothes. Then someone introduced me to the aprons and it was, well, amazing.

6. I do not like heat, hard physical labor, and functioning on little to no sleep.

I'm so thankful to know this about myself.

And after saying this, I can guarantee that I will be one of the first to volunteer to be back on the food truck next summer.