I've always been a bit of a perfectionist. I remember in 5th grade when I received my first B, my parents practically threw a party; they wanted me to know that it's okay to not be perfect. Despite knowing that my parents wouldn't judge me for not always being the best, I couldn't say the same for myself. This mindset has led me to be extremely competitive; whether it's academics or card games, being the best has always been the goal.
This brings me to my first week in Houston. As part of local orientation, both Houston houses were divided into teams to participate in what Mission Year calls the "Metro Marathon." It's essentially a giant scavenger hunt for places around the city, and its purpose is to help us learn how to navigate public transportation. We were given our partners the night before, and told we should decide if we should pack our lunches or stop and get something along the way. My partner and I decided that if we wanted to win the marathon, we would have to pack our lunches. "So are we in this to win, or do we want to just take it easy?" I asked my partner. To which she responded that she wasn't that competitive, and was fine with taking it easy and stopping for lunch. This was a new idea to me, but I decided it would be best if I considered the marathon more like a leisurely trip to the city, than an episode of the Amazing Race. Besides, if there's one thing I love more than winning (and Jesus), it's food.
Once we got our clues the next day, we mapped out a plan and headed off. We ran into a few other teams along the way, but never really worried about getting ahead of them. We walked, took the bus, and took the train to different parts of the city, and had a great time snapping pics at each of the locations. We wandered through parks, looked at art in different buildings and outdoor spaces, stopped to chat with some people, and sat down for paninis at an amazing cafe in the Third Ward. Without the pressure of winning, we had an awesome day getting to know each other and the city.
However, when we reached our final stop, we arrived to a huge surprise: while we weren't the first team to show up at the final destination, we were the first team to show up who had successfully completed each of the stops. We had won the race!!
Looking back on the experience, the gift card I took home wasn't my only reward. I also gained a very valuable lesson: it's not always about being the first to a destination, sometimes it's about embracing the journey along the way. My strive to win and be the best has often led me to try to rush through things, and that's even included rushing through learning and growing. Striving for perfection throughout my educational career meant I was great at catering to people's expectations, but not great at truly learning and growing personally. This year, my goal is to slow down a bit. Living in intentional community for the year will undoubtedly show me areas in my life that I need to work on. Instead of trying to move past them quickly, I hope to use them as an opportunity to learn and grow. I always thought that being a perfectionist meant being a winner, and that only the most competitive get the prize. Sometimes, however, the prize goes to those willing to embrace the journey, rather than rushing to the final stop.