Day 1: "Now 'Listen', This is ASB 2017"

A crisp, overcast Knoxville morning kicked off our 2017 ASB Trip as we blared "Rocky Top" from our van's speakers while we waited in the Andy Holt parking lot. Matt, sporting some sick Bermuda shorts, and Sam, making that previous fact clear, got us pumped and ready to go for the long drive to Raleigh. Devan, displaying a clear affection towards a McDonald's breakfast, insisted we meet her at the Sevierville exit rather than on campus (this certainly wasn't because she overslept 😉). Following our breakfast and fellowship at Exit 407, we embarked on the arduous journey that laid ahead. Through thick fog, substantial snow coverage, and minor car trouble, we fueled ourselves with throwback jams and powered through to reach our destination. Pastor Charlie from Highland United Methodist greeted us upon our arrival and gave us an amazing tour and introduction to his beautiful and welcoming church and community. After unpacking, our group split into two with one group venturing to Walmart for groceries and 'forgotten' items while the other stayed back to play cards and run around the neighborhood. At our unification, we went into the parking lot at HUMC to throw around an "Original Frisbee" disc. It took us a while, but we finally got the hang of the old, wonky contraption; some of our struggles are shown below. While outside, our dinner arrived from Randy's Pizza, a gracious gift from Leslie Needham of the Raleigh-Cary Jewish Community Center. Gathered around a large dining table, we indulged in our pizza while I started sharing some riddles for our group to ponder. Many have yet to solve them, and I am sure the riddles will continue to nag everyone throughout the week. After dinner, we had our first reflection where we set expectations and goals for the week. We are truly a diverse group of individuals with a unique range of interests, and I look forward to getting to know each and every person on our trip. We have much to learn about Food Security and Justice, but by the end of our trip, we will be armed with the tools necessary to be active citizens and stewards of social change within our respective communities. To finish the evening, we played hide-and-seek as we explored our wonderful housing site. As we turn in for the night, we are anxious and nervous, yet excited for what tomorrow and the rest of the week will bring. Until then, good night and Go Vols!

-Chase Toth