As a chronically anxious person and worrywart, being on a need-to-know basis has been the hardest cultural difference to manage, although it might just be the nature of this program.  I’m always craving to know every single detail of everything that’s supposed to take place in the next few days just because I want to know what I should expect.  However, I’ve come to realize one of the main learning methods used on this trip has been throwing us into situations and seeing if we sink or swim.  A big part of the culture is taking advantage of down time to explore and enjoy the nature around us.  Learning through the environment is an important part of the culture.  I enjoy my free time just as much as the next person, but I also like to know when this free time starts and what’s expected of me before and after that free time.  Honestly, I don’t think I’m even close to overcoming this difference, but I’ve been doing whatever I can to manage it.  I know everyone else is in the same boat which has given me some solace, but it doesn’t completely pacify the fear of the unknown that I’ve become accustomed to on this trip.

I believe every good leader also follows others.  In the same way that you are a conglomeration of every leadership influence you’ve ever had, good or bad.  Following others is just a different form of leadership.  Leaders do not have to lead from the front.  They delegate tasks, and they trust their team to carry them out to the best of their ability.  They also keep an open mind and can recognize when someone else might have the answer or be more qualified to handle the task at hand.  In this way, leaders follow their own followers by valuing their contributions to the team.  They also encourage others to take initiative and pursue their own interests and projects.  At the core of this is active listening which is the easiest and most important part of leading others.  Without active listening, a leader can’t adequately care for their team and tend to their needs and wants.

Honestly, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens when I don’t shower for ten days.  As a self-proclaimed germaphobe, this thought actually doesn’t seem to scare me.  In the least cheesy way, I’m also excited to learn more about myself and spend more time with these people that I’ve spent way too much time with already (But really, we do have fun together).  My biggest anxiety about this trek is that I just simply can’t do it.  What if I can’t lift my own backpack?  What if I’m the only one struggling to make it up an incline?  I’m sure some of my fellow hikers also feel the same, but it’s hard to not feel alone in your worries.  I think the only way to address this is to just do it.  I made it to the other side of the shakedown (beatdown) relatively unscathed, so this should be a piece of cake.  Right?