WJI Blog 2022, June 1 AM - These Boots Weren't Made For Walking

This morning was different from the previous mornings that started strictly at 9 a.m. with a long, LONG day of classes ahead. Today across the program, students went out to report. Some went to a farm to play in manure for the sake of good TV (see Michaela and Alex for that), or to Orange City to be rejected by the police (see Anna M.), or on a ride-along with the Iowa Department of Transportation (energy-drink fueled Aiden), or any of the countless other places around what I used to think was a small area of rural Iowa. The news team got a delivery to campus of a newspaper containing their bylines from stories they wrote on Memorial Day celebrations.

For my own morning adventure, I walked over a mile to the Guiding Star Siouxland Pregnancy and Women's Health Center. After my interview with the director of that center, I walked outside to figure out if someone could drive me back to campus in time for our sacrosanct 11 a.m. Pitt's Ps session.

Well. I was on my own. So I started the 25 minute walk back to campus through what felt to me to be an idyllic slice of suburban heaven. Although a pleasant walk in the sunshine, I was going to be exceptionally late to basically the only required event of the day. As I called my mom to tell her about my struggles (as one does) a large red pick-up truck pulled up next to me on the side of the road.

I avoid eye-contact and tense as I keep walking, as is my custom when large trucks slow down next to me on the side of the road. Then I hear a gruff voice call out "Hey! Are you with WJI?!" I slowly turned my head, and was relieved to see Mr. Ron who I met at church on Sunday. He asked if I needed a ride and I said, "Actually, yes, I was supposed to be at Dordt 5 minutes ago." I quickly hung up with my mom so she wouldn't hear me getting into the car with someone she would perceive to be a perfect stranger. I shuffled into the Pitt's P session only 10 minutes late.

Mine is just one single story of the crazy fun things that can happen when 28 young journalists descend upon northwest Iowa. Seriously, pick ANYONE and they have done something or talked to someone cool.

Getting sad it's almost over.

-Hannah Bolick