It was bittersweet as we ended our last day of the Pack It Up Anti-Tobacco Road Trip. I can't believe that it was less than 24 hours ago that I was driving back to the state of Minnesota!
Our day started very early to make sure that we made good time on the way home. It was a long stretch through South Dakota, and North Dakota. Road construction was at times an issue, but we worked through it well! Nothing as big as road construction seemed to really phase us at all by the end of the week. Our crew and cast were very tired so a lot of us rested and took some cat naps on the long hall home. The ride home is a bit of a blur for me! I was so excited to get home to see my family and friends. It has been quite a while since I had really gotten the opportunity to speak with many of them.
We stoped in Dickninson to have some lunch at Applebee's and share our last lunch as the PIU cast and crew. We had some great times just reflecting about the trip and having some great laughs! It was bittersweet as it really hit us that the trip was coming to an end. However, the one thing I was trying to remember the entire day yesterday was that the trip was ending, but that our impact would go beyond our last day. I am confident that even today that impact is still being felt around the midwest.
All of us arrived at the ND State Capitol around 5 o'clock. We took one last picture together and sad our goodbyes! Some tears were shed, but we were all comforted by hugs and the see ya laters! I had such a great week, with such a great group of people!
I then made the treck from Bismark to Perham with one of the crew members from the trip. I was very anxious to get home, but especially because the Miss Perham and Miss Heart of the Lakes pageant was taking place on my way home. I was very jittery and really wanted to be there! I rolled into Perham around 9:15 PM in perfect timing to hug the new Miss Perham, Brittany Bachumann and Miss HOTL Kalli Randal. Not only did I get to congratulate them, but I also got to see the new Miss Frazee, Emily Kallis, and catch up with Bethany and the rest of my friens who were at Perham High Auditorium! It was such a great reunion. I know that a week doesn't seem very long, but when your on a road trip time is a bit different. I was so excited to see everyone! It was a pefect way to come home.
The Pack It Up Anti-Tobacco Road Trip was such an incredible experience for myself and the entire group. I was so humbled to be a part of such a big project whose idea was born over a year ago! I never expected to have such an incredible time and feel as blessed as I did along the way. It was a challenge, a new experience, and very rewarding! I made new friends this week, met a ton of new people, and got to witness the stunning world around me made by my creator! I am so thankful for the trip and could not have asked for anything better! I took a lot of my passions this week and ran with them. I'm still burning with a desire to make a difference in the lives of others!
I have to give a huge congrats to my PIU friends! We did it guys. And of course to the new ladies that were crowned while I was away! I'm so excited to watch all of you thrive this year! I give you my best wishes! Thanks so much to all of you were there to welcome me home! I love you guys!
God bless!
Love,
Paige
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