This was the final day of driving! We originally estimated it would take 14 hours to drive from Alberqerque to Austin, so we decided to leave at 5am. I woke up at 4:45am and was out by the cars by 4:55am. We actually left at 5:15am and I drove 4.5 hours to about 50 miles outside Lubbock. The drive was pretty difficult, especially until the sunrise. I put both ear buds in and listened to Above & Beyond and Tritonal to keep myself awake and focused as everyone else in the car slept. It was a lot easier to stay awake once the sun rose.
We stopped for an early lunch at Freebirds in Lubbock. It was pretty good. Emily kept driving after lunch, and it began to rain. We drove through the middle of a wind farm, and although the blades were barely spinning it looked really neat due to the fog.
I began driving again at 2pm because Emily was tired. I drove for exactly two hours until we took a gas stop in Early, TX and Emily drove the final 2 hours. It was pretty difficult and tiring driving in the rain.
Once we got back to the Outdoor Center at UT, we unloaded everything, hung the tents and sleeping bags, and unpacked the coolers. We said goodbye to all the participants, and then left without looking at the post-trip evaluations. I walked over to GDC and waited for JT to come pick me up.
Emily sent an email a few days later saying that overall the trip evaluations were great. I do think the trip went really well, especially considering that this trip was re-planned at the last minute. However, I do think we could have done a much better job communicating both among ourselves and with the group. The group seemed confused about what we were doing at multiple points, and I think a short guide meeting each night and group meeting each morning would have gone a long way towards everyone being on the same page.
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