Tuesday was our last day of work. At Walmart, we began our last day by taking group photos in front of the building. The store management surprised us with sweets in the break room as a thank-you/good-bye. We will miss our coworkers and the familiarity of the routine, but it will also be nice to have a change of pace.
Wednesday was the designated “free day.” It was actually my first free day in two months, so it felt pretty strange! The majority of people went to visit Charleston, which is about an hour and a half drive away from Garden City. Charleston is a charming city full of history, shops, old houses and beautiful gardens. It was good prep for going home in that it was an encounter with the “real,” non-STP world.
Today was filled with talks and Project evaluations. Titled ‘Return Training,” today’s talks focused on the transition from Project to our regular lives. Matt Reagan spoke about “The Impossible Task of Loving Family and Friends,” Jon Saunders talked about “Growing Up,” and Luke Christie-Perkins spoke on “Walking With God in August.” The messages were helpful and thought-provoking, and we were able to write down questions that were then answered by the staff in a question and answer time.
Right now, people are rushing to finish games of Mafia before curfew, then it’s off to bed in preparation for “cleaning day” tomorrow. Only a little over a day left on Project – crazy!