Friday definitely felt like the longest day! My alarm went off at 4.15am and I did not stop moving until 9pm! I had to get up early to make it to Kim’s house by 5am so that we could carpool up to Lake Lanier (located north of Atlanta, ~50 minute drive) for the start of the 3Day. At Kim’s, I finally met the two Jenn’s (Dooley and Latino). Kim, Dooley, Latino, Meredith, a couple of devoted family members and I piled into two cars with all our luggage. We actually made it out of Decatur on time and arrived at Lake Lanier at approximately 6am. We dropped our luggage off in a huge parking lot, where volunteers took it and loaded it into different Uhauls according to our tent assignments. We then parked and headed toward the opening ceremony. Even though we hadn’t done anything yet, a group of cheering volunteers and spectators pointed us toward the opening ceremony location
From the parking lot, it was just a few minutes to another parking lot for the opening ceremony. It was still pitch dark outside, but the place was alive with hundreds of people and tons of huge, lit balloons that made it possible to see where you were going. Opening ceremony was held in another parking lot, but they set up different booths (and a lot of portapotties) where you could purchase merchandise and check-in, if you hadn’t done so on-line. All of us had checked-in on-line and printed out our badges, so we hung out near one of the balloons and waited for the rest of the team. While waiting, we got the most adorable pink bunny ears from the presenting sponsor, Energizer. By the time the walk started, nearly everyone was sporting pink bunny ears. As someone nearby commented, we looked like a crowd of Playboy bunnies :)
Around 7am, they asked the walkers to start gathering in the corral and the spectators lined the perimeter to cheer us on. Opening ceremony began around 7.30am. It was very short and a lot of fun. We did a group stretch together (it’s difficult to find space in a crowd, but we made it work), then listening to an inspirational pep talk by one of the directors. Some of the breast cancer survivors brought in the inspiration flags and raised the 3Day flag, which was a very emotional moment for us and brought home the importance of what we were doing. After that, the walk began with other walkers carrying the “who we walk for” flags as U2’s “It’s a Beautiful Day” played. They had us start the walk by traveling from the front center of the ceremony through a path in the middle, then around the inspiration flags and down a long path lined with screaming spectators. If you were still sleepy at that point, this opening woke you up. Everyone was yelling and clapping, and I have never high-fived so many people as I did on that path. We were pumped by the time we reached the end and began the trek out of Lake Lanier!
At this point, it had begun to get light outside. We had managed to escape rain thus far, but it was very cloudy and you knew that the luck would not hold out.
Leaving Lake Lanier, the magnitude of what we were embarking on began to sink in. I kept staring at the massive line ahead and behind me of walkers, and thinking about how I would pretty much be walking back to Atlanta- a drive that took 50 minutes would become a walk that would take three days.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Day 1- First Miles (10.23.09)
The first few miles were very quiet, but that did not last for long. As soon as we approached downtown Buford, we began to realize that this would not be anything like our training walks. If we thought high-fiving and screaming with all our supporters at the Opening Ceremony would be the height of support, we were completely wrong. In downtown Buford, we encountered our first mass crowd of supporters, and this would continue all weekend. People lined the roads everywhere, waving signs and handing out all sorts of candies and gifts.
The crowd highlights from Day 1 were the little kids at the Sugar Hill Elementary School who came out to clap and cheer for us with their teachers, the Wild Card 8th grade band that set up on the side of the road and entertained us with music on a quieter stretch of the road; and our first stop in Buford by a church with a beautiful pumpkin patch in the front yard! At every stop, from beginning to end, we would see Kim and both Jenn’s family and friends; I am still astounded at their dedication to the whole 3 days of walking!
As we approached lunch near a local high school (I think in Duluth? I have poor geographical knowledge of Georgia), I happened to walk up next to a young girl who was walking by herself at this point. She had no team gear on and I wondered if she walking alone or had been separated from a friend. I began talking to her and learned her name was Estelle, she was a student at UGA, and she did not know a single person at the 3Day. Of course, being me, I immediately announced that she would join our team for the rest of the day, be the 7th member of the New Kids on the Walk, and that she had no choice in the matter. I walk 7 miles a day by myself, and I walked up to 18 miles alone, but NO ONE should walk the 3Day alone. Meeting and sharing stories with strangers is part of the experience. Estelle joined us for dinner and stayed with us the rest of the day, and we saw her around camp for the next two days!
All day, we had been excited to reach lunch and take a break to reflect on the walk so far, rest our feet a little, and eat a good meal. However, the clouds that had threatened rain for so long finally broke, and within minutes of our arrival at lunch, heavy and cold raindrops began falling. Within minutes, we were wet to the core and VERY uncomfortable since we were sitting in a church parking lot. Obviously, this sped up the lunch-eating process, and our half hour lunch barely lasted 15 minutes.
Of course, as soon as we hit the road again, the rain stopped. This on-and-off pattern continued for the rest of the day, so we spent a lot of time removing-then putting back on- our rain gear. It was almost better when it rained because the humidity was high and it just felt warm and sticky when the rain stopped!
The only other interesting note of the day concerning crowds was seeing the Chik-Fil-A cow as we approached the finish line. He was pretty cool, but not nearly as fun as Thrash
We finally reached this hill and people kept telling us the end was “just” up the hill and down. It felt more like a mile than just around the bend...Once we *finally* reached the final stop, we waited for the next bus to arrive. The bus then took us on a 10-15 minute ride to the campsite, which was the North Atlanta Trade Center, off of exit 101 on I-85. It was definitely not within walking distance and we were happy to have the buses, even if the A/C stiffened our muscles! We were very curious to see what our campsite looked at, so as we pulled up, we craned our necks for the best view.
The crowd highlights from Day 1 were the little kids at the Sugar Hill Elementary School who came out to clap and cheer for us with their teachers, the Wild Card 8th grade band that set up on the side of the road and entertained us with music on a quieter stretch of the road; and our first stop in Buford by a church with a beautiful pumpkin patch in the front yard! At every stop, from beginning to end, we would see Kim and both Jenn’s family and friends; I am still astounded at their dedication to the whole 3 days of walking!
As we approached lunch near a local high school (I think in Duluth? I have poor geographical knowledge of Georgia), I happened to walk up next to a young girl who was walking by herself at this point. She had no team gear on and I wondered if she walking alone or had been separated from a friend. I began talking to her and learned her name was Estelle, she was a student at UGA, and she did not know a single person at the 3Day. Of course, being me, I immediately announced that she would join our team for the rest of the day, be the 7th member of the New Kids on the Walk, and that she had no choice in the matter. I walk 7 miles a day by myself, and I walked up to 18 miles alone, but NO ONE should walk the 3Day alone. Meeting and sharing stories with strangers is part of the experience. Estelle joined us for dinner and stayed with us the rest of the day, and we saw her around camp for the next two days!
All day, we had been excited to reach lunch and take a break to reflect on the walk so far, rest our feet a little, and eat a good meal. However, the clouds that had threatened rain for so long finally broke, and within minutes of our arrival at lunch, heavy and cold raindrops began falling. Within minutes, we were wet to the core and VERY uncomfortable since we were sitting in a church parking lot. Obviously, this sped up the lunch-eating process, and our half hour lunch barely lasted 15 minutes.
Of course, as soon as we hit the road again, the rain stopped. This on-and-off pattern continued for the rest of the day, so we spent a lot of time removing-then putting back on- our rain gear. It was almost better when it rained because the humidity was high and it just felt warm and sticky when the rain stopped!
The only other interesting note of the day concerning crowds was seeing the Chik-Fil-A cow as we approached the finish line. He was pretty cool, but not nearly as fun as Thrash
We finally reached this hill and people kept telling us the end was “just” up the hill and down. It felt more like a mile than just around the bend...Once we *finally* reached the final stop, we waited for the next bus to arrive. The bus then took us on a 10-15 minute ride to the campsite, which was the North Atlanta Trade Center, off of exit 101 on I-85. It was definitely not within walking distance and we were happy to have the buses, even if the A/C stiffened our muscles! We were very curious to see what our campsite looked at, so as we pulled up, we craned our necks for the best view.
Day 1- The Campsite (10.23.09)
The campsite consisted of a large parking lot and a warehouse. The bus loading area was full of 3Day banners , and as soon as we came off the bus they scanned us back in. We took the path that led us straight to the food area, where they served meals and drinks in buffet lines in a small area of the lot. To our right was a huge white tent filled with tables, a stage, and the 3Day stores. In front of us was the huge warehouse where we would sleep, and tucked in the back right were the shower trailers. Upon arrival, we immediately went to the warehouse and picked up our luggage. In normal, outdoor circumstances, we would have been assigned a tent area (E-50 was mine), but since we were indoors, they told us to set up our tents in lines in the order we arrived. Each “area” (names of island resorts) was marked with signs to help us identify where were tenting. Strangely, I can’t remember the name of our area…St. Thomas or something like that!
We finished between 4pm and 5pm, so we had a lot of time to spend at camp, getting our tents up (which was fun and very easy!) and looking through the stores. At the Energizer station, we were able to sign up for chair massages, which felt GREAT after a day in the rain! Then we ate. Dinner was pretty good, considering how and where they prepared it (another truck). Entertainment began as we ate, so we listened to a review of the day and listened to announcements for the next day’s walk. Due to the rain and camp location, they had make changes to each day, including ending the walks at the last pit stop (they shortened the walk by a good 6 miles because we could not walk from the last pit stop to the campsite).
We finished between 4pm and 5pm, so we had a lot of time to spend at camp, getting our tents up (which was fun and very easy!) and looking through the stores. At the Energizer station, we were able to sign up for chair massages, which felt GREAT after a day in the rain! Then we ate. Dinner was pretty good, considering how and where they prepared it (another truck). Entertainment began as we ate, so we listened to a review of the day and listened to announcements for the next day’s walk. Due to the rain and camp location, they had make changes to each day, including ending the walks at the last pit stop (they shortened the walk by a good 6 miles because we could not walk from the last pit stop to the campsite).
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Day 2- Suburbia (10.24.09)
Day 2 did not start well, but fortunately, it would end very well. I woke up at about 1.30am,feeling terrible- apparently the rain and stress of Day 1 brought back whatever I had earlier that week. BLAH. I briefly considered seeing medical, but I knew they would withdraw me and I didn’t want that, so I prayed for a while and managed to fall back asleep for an hour or two. Once it reached 5am, I felt well enough- although not perfect- to continue. The nice thing about staying indoors is that we didn’t have to pack up our tent or bags, so all I had to do was dress and eat breakfast before the start. The 3Day breakfast is a huuuuge breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, potatoes, cereal, yogurt, fruit and more. I didn’t eat much for breakfast, but it was great to have all this delicious food available for consumption :)
I hate morning bus rides, so being corralled onto a bus at 7am wasn't very fun. However, it was a quick ride to the drop-off point (the parking lot of a shopping center). Even though we took one of the late buses, we still made it there before the walk had begun. As we made our way through the first few miles, I woke up, and some of the energy sapped by my cold returned.
Weather-wise, day 2 wasn't very pleasant. It was cold, windy, and very dreary outside. The only sunlight we had occurred during the first 10 miles, and it did not last long. However, we still had a lot of fun! We were walking through the suburbs, so we had stretches of quiet roads broken up by the occassional shopping center. We also had a little secret to look forward to: unknown to Kim, her family had driven down from Ohio and were waiting at the first cheering station to suprise her. The whole team knew, but Kim had NO idea. We purposely kept a brisk pace the first few miles because we knew we would have a long rest at the cheering station! It was the perfect surprise- about halfway through the huge crowd, Kim saw her family. She was shocked to see them and ran over to hug them all. We spent a lot of time there, but it was well worth it. Plus, there was a DD there, so in honor of my sisters, I visited there while Kim was catching up with the family :)
After about half an hour, we hit the course again. Though the weather forecast called for more sun and higher temperatures, Mother Nature was not ready to reward us quite yet and we endured very rough wind with cool temperatures. By the time we reached lunch, we were freezing; it did not help that we had dressed according to the 3Day’s weather forecast and therefore did not have as much protection as needed. We did spend more time at this lunch, though, because the 3Day provided Mylar blankets for us while we ate. We also stretched our muscles while listening to the 60s music. The theme for the lunch stop was Woodstock, and the volunteers (and some participants) started dancing around and singing with the music. The themes of each station really added energy to the walk; besides Woodstock, other themes included candyland, teddy bears, and sleepover. Once we started up again, we did not stop for long until we reached the final cheering station, near a Gwinnett elementary school. There, we were treated to a special treat- the school graciously opened their doors and allowed 3Day participants to use their restrooms. Ahh, the joys of a real bathroom! We spent a long time talking with friends and family. I love Dooley’s family for giving me a blanket while we hung out- I didn’t wear pants that day (because it was supposed to be 60 degrees) and that blanket made me feel better than anything else so far that day. Finally, as it became darker, we decided to see if we could skip out on camp and eat with our family and friends that evening. We walked to the bus loading area and discovered that we could leave with our family as long as we were back by 9pm and got our credentials scanned upon return to camp. Thus, we headed off to Dave and Buster’s, where we ate a big meal and bonded (and caught up on college football scores). Rejuvenated, we returned to camp with full stomachs, high spirits, and sleepy eyes.
I hate morning bus rides, so being corralled onto a bus at 7am wasn't very fun. However, it was a quick ride to the drop-off point (the parking lot of a shopping center). Even though we took one of the late buses, we still made it there before the walk had begun. As we made our way through the first few miles, I woke up, and some of the energy sapped by my cold returned.
Weather-wise, day 2 wasn't very pleasant. It was cold, windy, and very dreary outside. The only sunlight we had occurred during the first 10 miles, and it did not last long. However, we still had a lot of fun! We were walking through the suburbs, so we had stretches of quiet roads broken up by the occassional shopping center. We also had a little secret to look forward to: unknown to Kim, her family had driven down from Ohio and were waiting at the first cheering station to suprise her. The whole team knew, but Kim had NO idea. We purposely kept a brisk pace the first few miles because we knew we would have a long rest at the cheering station! It was the perfect surprise- about halfway through the huge crowd, Kim saw her family. She was shocked to see them and ran over to hug them all. We spent a lot of time there, but it was well worth it. Plus, there was a DD there, so in honor of my sisters, I visited there while Kim was catching up with the family :)
After about half an hour, we hit the course again. Though the weather forecast called for more sun and higher temperatures, Mother Nature was not ready to reward us quite yet and we endured very rough wind with cool temperatures. By the time we reached lunch, we were freezing; it did not help that we had dressed according to the 3Day’s weather forecast and therefore did not have as much protection as needed. We did spend more time at this lunch, though, because the 3Day provided Mylar blankets for us while we ate. We also stretched our muscles while listening to the 60s music. The theme for the lunch stop was Woodstock, and the volunteers (and some participants) started dancing around and singing with the music. The themes of each station really added energy to the walk; besides Woodstock, other themes included candyland, teddy bears, and sleepover. Once we started up again, we did not stop for long until we reached the final cheering station, near a Gwinnett elementary school. There, we were treated to a special treat- the school graciously opened their doors and allowed 3Day participants to use their restrooms. Ahh, the joys of a real bathroom! We spent a long time talking with friends and family. I love Dooley’s family for giving me a blanket while we hung out- I didn’t wear pants that day (because it was supposed to be 60 degrees) and that blanket made me feel better than anything else so far that day. Finally, as it became darker, we decided to see if we could skip out on camp and eat with our family and friends that evening. We walked to the bus loading area and discovered that we could leave with our family as long as we were back by 9pm and got our credentials scanned upon return to camp. Thus, we headed off to Dave and Buster’s, where we ate a big meal and bonded (and caught up on college football scores). Rejuvenated, we returned to camp with full stomachs, high spirits, and sleepy eyes.
Day 2- The Campsite (10.24.09)
Since I had not slept much the night before, I opted to immediately shower and get ready for bed. Some of you asked how it was to shower in the back of the truck. Honestly, it was fantastic and one of the warmest areas of camp. We bought the towel package, so we had an unlimited number of fresh towels and since we showered so late, we could take long, hot showers. They also had sinks located outside the showers, so it was easy for me to brush my teeth and replace my contacts each day.
I rested by my tent for the rest of the evening, contemplating the day’s event and preparing my bag for the next day. Like the night before, I pulled out my pink/white Thrashers jersey and, as usual, laughed at my sister's reference to 10 minute misconducts (Kerry Fraser...) and smiled at all the fun, silly, and sweet messages written by everyone. Starting at 7pm, I also began wondering how my dear boys were doing at Philip’s Arena, and was very grateful for the score updates from Blaise and Rob during the game. Following the game also re-connected me with the world; after 2 days of walking, I felt so distant from reality and it was a welcoming feeling to be reminded that life existed outside of the 3Day (and why it was so important to do things like the 3Day).
Though I hadn't found Estelle during Day 2's walk, we did run into each other at camp! She was camping along the same corridor as us, so she came upon us walking to her tent. We hung out for a while and caught up on each other's days. Finally, we took a few photos of the group and called it a night.
When I crawled into bed that night, I was exhausted, but very happy. I was a little anxious about waking up in the middle of the night, but I had a good feeling I would be fine this evening. Thank goodness I was right; I slept through most of the night fine. I still woke up early (around 5 am), but I'm more of a morning person, so no surprises there!
I rested by my tent for the rest of the evening, contemplating the day’s event and preparing my bag for the next day. Like the night before, I pulled out my pink/white Thrashers jersey and, as usual, laughed at my sister's reference to 10 minute misconducts (Kerry Fraser...) and smiled at all the fun, silly, and sweet messages written by everyone. Starting at 7pm, I also began wondering how my dear boys were doing at Philip’s Arena, and was very grateful for the score updates from Blaise and Rob during the game. Following the game also re-connected me with the world; after 2 days of walking, I felt so distant from reality and it was a welcoming feeling to be reminded that life existed outside of the 3Day (and why it was so important to do things like the 3Day).
Though I hadn't found Estelle during Day 2's walk, we did run into each other at camp! She was camping along the same corridor as us, so she came upon us walking to her tent. We hung out for a while and caught up on each other's days. Finally, we took a few photos of the group and called it a night.
When I crawled into bed that night, I was exhausted, but very happy. I was a little anxious about waking up in the middle of the night, but I had a good feeling I would be fine this evening. Thank goodness I was right; I slept through most of the night fine. I still woke up early (around 5 am), but I'm more of a morning person, so no surprises there!
Day 3- Atlanta (10.25.09)
Morning came quickly and cold. As we prepared for the day, I thought about how far we had come since Friday, and even after just 2 nights, how strange it would feel to sleep in a bed miles from my teammates. It was extremely cold that morning; the temperature hovered around 40 degrees and we would have to wait until well past sunrise for any warmth.
Buckhead was not my favorite place to walk. First of all, there was a lot of traffic because of the numerous church services in the area. This delayed us because it meant a lot more waiting at crosswalks. Additionally, the sidewalks were smaller and therefore we were more cramped. Finally, the drivers and people of Buckhead couldn't have cared less about who we were and what we were doing. It's the only place I walked where I actually saw drivers yell at police officers for blocking traffic, and we received the least amount of enthusiasm in this area. Luckily, after one pit stop near a shopping complex (which did have some very nice supporters), we headed up Cardiac Hill and out of the area. The rest of the walk would go much better :)
Our next big stop was Atlantic Station, where we reconnected with our family and friends again. We opted to take a longer break here; after all, why rush to Turner Field when we would just have to wait until 5pm for the closing ceremony? Dooley's husband brought us Swedish Fish, too, so I got my sugar high for the day at that time. A good amount of fans lined Atlantic Station.
Heading out from Atlantic Station, I think we all began to feel anxious to finish. Yes, the weather was great, but we knew we were so close- 5 or so miles- and we were ready to be done. We soon learned this would be the day of college campuses, as our lunch location was Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech also hosted the best lunch of the 3Day; even though it was the usual sandwiches, they were absolutely delicious! It was very sunny at this point, and it felt nice to sit and stretch in the warm sun. From there, we headed down fraternity row and closer to Turner. Honestly, the rest of the walk wasn't very eventful; going through downtown Atlanta is truly not that exciting, unless you count the homeless man who followed us for 10 minutes and the hungover guy who thought we were messing with him when we said we were walking 60 miles.
We completed our college tour with a break at in Georgia State University (GSU) area. After stocking up on drink and food, we headed into the final home stretch. Let me tell you, 2 miles have never felt longer. It just kept going and going...we were excited to see the final mile sign, but it still felt like forever before we reached the Olympic Rings and had Turner Field in our sights. As soon as we approached the Turner Field area, we began seeing a lot more people, including groups of the crossing guard volunteers, who congratulated as we passed through our final crosswalk. It felt strange to think we wouldn't see them anymore!
The walk into Turner Field was surreal. It was absolutely incredible to see hundreds of people packed into such a small area, cheering us on to our final steps. When we approached the gates to Turner Field, they announced each team's name. At this point, we all gathered hands and strolled into the outside patio together. As we walked through the crowd, I think we were all overwhelmed with emotion. When we came upon our supporters, we had to break off for huge hugs and congratulations. Then we gathered hands again and entered Turner, where we would be placed in a holding area. As we rounded the corner into the holding area, an explosion of noise greeted us- all of the people who had finished before us were there to welcome us to the end. It was an exhilarating feeling and I don't think I can even put into words how incredible it made me feel.
After chilling in Turner Field for a while, we began preparing for the closing ceremony, which would take place in the parking lot where the Fulton County Stadium wall is located. First, the volunteers needed to leave for the ceremony. As they walked out, we decided to thank them in the way they thanked us all weekend- we lined up and began cheering them out, high-fiving them, and even giving a few hugs. I hope our shouts and applause showed them just how much we appreciated their work!
Then, they lined us up for the procession. We lined up in lines of six (which break into two threes when we reached the parking lot), linked arms, and then headed out together. Once again, we were greeted with cheers, and this walk through the supporters was the most intense of the experience. I actually recorded part of the procession and it's been fun to watch it; I am continually amazed at the fervor with which people cheered. When we reached the stage, we gathered to listen to the closing speech. After a few words of welcome, the director announced that the final group- the walkers who were also cancer survivors- would enter now. As they did so, every walker removed his/her shoe and held it up in the air as a salute to these brave people.
The ceremony ended shortly thereafter, and it was time for final hugs and goodbyes! We re-connected with our families and friends, took many more photos, and then split off. It felt strange to leave everyone behind, but we would always have the memories to keep us close. :)
Though we wouldn't start walking until 8am, we still got up around 5am to pack up our bags, put away the tents, and move our luggage to the loading dock. Then we headed to our final breakfast and huddled in the tent while waiting to board a bus. The bus trip this morning was a little longer; we headed down 85 South to reach the Chamblee High School. I didn't recognize much of the area, but Lisette grew up in the area and immediately began pointing out places she'd been and predicting (accurately) what would be appearing down the road.
The first place we passed was the Lowe's cheering station. Despite the frigid temperatures and a sun that had just barely risen, a large crowd of people were standing there, cheering for us! Our dedicated cheerleaders were there, so we stopped to talk with the team's family and friends and deciding which candy to take from other supporters :) Lisette's boyfriend also stopped by, so he and I chatted about hockey (he had been atSaturday's game). The big shock of the morning was when he told me about Kovy's injury; that news had thus far been withheld from me (and probably for good reason). Though I wasn't happy about the situation, I admit it did wake me up- having a very vocal freakout on the lawn of a Lowe's at 7.30am on a Sunday does wonders for your adrenaline.
From Lowe's, we traveled along the MARTA rail, even being lucky enough to have the MARTA train salute us with a long beep as it passed. The roads were still quiet, but the sweep vans came by often with their horns and music to keep us going.
The first pit stop was at Oglethorpe, the first of three campuses we would visit that day. After stocking up on water and food, we hit the road again and wound our way through Chamblee. More and more spectators showed up; one person even set up a stand with Bloody Mary's (whether or not they were virgin remains a mystery; though we had taken candy from strangers, we felt it might stretch the limits of trust if we accepted possibly alcoholic beverages, too). As we got closer to Buckhead (an area of Atlanta), the weather warmed up. The nicest of the three days, we soon were able to take off gloves, coats and sweatshirts.
Buckhead was not my favorite place to walk. First of all, there was a lot of traffic because of the numerous church services in the area. This delayed us because it meant a lot more waiting at crosswalks. Additionally, the sidewalks were smaller and therefore we were more cramped. Finally, the drivers and people of Buckhead couldn't have cared less about who we were and what we were doing. It's the only place I walked where I actually saw drivers yell at police officers for blocking traffic, and we received the least amount of enthusiasm in this area. Luckily, after one pit stop near a shopping complex (which did have some very nice supporters), we headed up Cardiac Hill and out of the area. The rest of the walk would go much better :)
Our next big stop was Atlantic Station, where we reconnected with our family and friends again. We opted to take a longer break here; after all, why rush to Turner Field when we would just have to wait until 5pm for the closing ceremony? Dooley's husband brought us Swedish Fish, too, so I got my sugar high for the day at that time. A good amount of fans lined Atlantic Station.
Heading out from Atlantic Station, I think we all began to feel anxious to finish. Yes, the weather was great, but we knew we were so close- 5 or so miles- and we were ready to be done. We soon learned this would be the day of college campuses, as our lunch location was Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech also hosted the best lunch of the 3Day; even though it was the usual sandwiches, they were absolutely delicious! It was very sunny at this point, and it felt nice to sit and stretch in the warm sun. From there, we headed down fraternity row and closer to Turner. Honestly, the rest of the walk wasn't very eventful; going through downtown Atlanta is truly not that exciting, unless you count the homeless man who followed us for 10 minutes and the hungover guy who thought we were messing with him when we said we were walking 60 miles.
We completed our college tour with a break at in Georgia State University (GSU) area. After stocking up on drink and food, we headed into the final home stretch. Let me tell you, 2 miles have never felt longer. It just kept going and going...we were excited to see the final mile sign, but it still felt like forever before we reached the Olympic Rings and had Turner Field in our sights. As soon as we approached the Turner Field area, we began seeing a lot more people, including groups of the crossing guard volunteers, who congratulated as we passed through our final crosswalk. It felt strange to think we wouldn't see them anymore!
The walk into Turner Field was surreal. It was absolutely incredible to see hundreds of people packed into such a small area, cheering us on to our final steps. When we approached the gates to Turner Field, they announced each team's name. At this point, we all gathered hands and strolled into the outside patio together. As we walked through the crowd, I think we were all overwhelmed with emotion. When we came upon our supporters, we had to break off for huge hugs and congratulations. Then we gathered hands again and entered Turner, where we would be placed in a holding area. As we rounded the corner into the holding area, an explosion of noise greeted us- all of the people who had finished before us were there to welcome us to the end. It was an exhilarating feeling and I don't think I can even put into words how incredible it made me feel.
After chilling in Turner Field for a while, we began preparing for the closing ceremony, which would take place in the parking lot where the Fulton County Stadium wall is located. First, the volunteers needed to leave for the ceremony. As they walked out, we decided to thank them in the way they thanked us all weekend- we lined up and began cheering them out, high-fiving them, and even giving a few hugs. I hope our shouts and applause showed them just how much we appreciated their work!
Then, they lined us up for the procession. We lined up in lines of six (which break into two threes when we reached the parking lot), linked arms, and then headed out together. Once again, we were greeted with cheers, and this walk through the supporters was the most intense of the experience. I actually recorded part of the procession and it's been fun to watch it; I am continually amazed at the fervor with which people cheered. When we reached the stage, we gathered to listen to the closing speech. After a few words of welcome, the director announced that the final group- the walkers who were also cancer survivors- would enter now. As they did so, every walker removed his/her shoe and held it up in the air as a salute to these brave people.
The ceremony ended shortly thereafter, and it was time for final hugs and goodbyes! We re-connected with our families and friends, took many more photos, and then split off. It felt strange to leave everyone behind, but we would always have the memories to keep us close. :)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Day 3- Final Thoughts
I cannot sing praises to the volunteers enough. They dedicated their whole weekend to helping us get through the walk, and I am so grateful for the energy, enthusiasm and charity they displayed throughout the 60 miles. The cheers and high-fives we gave them at the Closing Ceremony seemed like an insignificant thank you compared to the spirit they provided us. Everyone- from the EMS guys riding bikes with pink bunny ears and pink bras on to the crossing guards dressed in kilts, angel wings, and pink wigs to the police officers patiently holding traffic so 2000 walkers could cross a 4 lane road- contributed just as much to the walk as we did. It is not possible to hold the walk without them!
The extremely large crowds lining the roads also played a huge role in the success of the 3Day. It was astounding to see that many people take the time to come out and cheer us on, even along the empty back roads. They didn't come empty-handed, too. People bought and handed out tons of things to us without reservation. Over the three days, here are some of the things given to us by complete strangers: lots and lots of candy, tissues, starbucks, bloody mary(s), dunkin’ donuts, fruit from the Whole Foods staff, gatorade, water, diet coke, swedish fish, sour patch kids, Wrigley gum, stickers, Girl Scout Cookies, and beads. I doubt that more than half of them knew someone in the 3Day, which made it even more impressive. These people were so touched by cancer, and so grateful that we would take a stand, that they came out on their own initiative to thank us and tell us to keep fighting for them. The 3Day emphasizes the idea of stories as playing critical roles in the 3Day experience. I knew each walker was bringing and writing our his/her own story, but it wasn’t until I encountered hundreds of supporters along the route that I realized we were re-writing so many other people’s stories.
The extremely large crowds lining the roads also played a huge role in the success of the 3Day. It was astounding to see that many people take the time to come out and cheer us on, even along the empty back roads. They didn't come empty-handed, too. People bought and handed out tons of things to us without reservation. Over the three days, here are some of the things given to us by complete strangers: lots and lots of candy, tissues, starbucks, bloody mary(s), dunkin’ donuts, fruit from the Whole Foods staff, gatorade, water, diet coke, swedish fish, sour patch kids, Wrigley gum, stickers, Girl Scout Cookies, and beads. I doubt that more than half of them knew someone in the 3Day, which made it even more impressive. These people were so touched by cancer, and so grateful that we would take a stand, that they came out on their own initiative to thank us and tell us to keep fighting for them. The 3Day emphasizes the idea of stories as playing critical roles in the 3Day experience. I knew each walker was bringing and writing our his/her own story, but it wasn’t until I encountered hundreds of supporters along the route that I realized we were re-writing so many other people’s stories.
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