Finishing the Tournaments and Coming Back Home
During my trip down south, I learned a lot from completing the tournaments and taking a chance to try something new. Throughout the journey, I dealt with my fears and doubts, including some sadness about past mistakes and challenges I've endured. But I realized that it's best to do what you can to overcome those setbacks, even if that means going out of your comfort zone and heading to a new place. Once I let the emotions out, I picked myself back up and decided I would do my best, no matter what happened in my past. My sister gave me some wise advice about how my past mistakes are just a part of what makes me who I am today, so I shouldn't punish myself about them. That comforted me and helped me feel a lot better.
I also realized that even if I didn't win the tennis matches I played, I still gained valuable experience by traveling to another place and getting a break from the city. Down south, I was able to relax, and even reunite with my heritage through learning about some of the African-American appreciation sites. In the parts of the south where I stayed, there was a strong emphasis on understanding, honoring, and respecting African-American contributions throughout history. They reminded me of how powerful my ancestors were, and that gave me a lot of encouragement.
We traveled back up north the same way we came, through driving across the states. Some areas we traveled through were less welcoming than others (I did see a Confederate flag in North Carolina, unfortunately!), but overall, we were able to get back home safely. By the time we reached our state of New Jersey, we were just in time for the Halloween celebration. People were walking around in costumes and it was quite a sight!
Once I got back home, I felt a sense of comfort being in my familiar surroundings again, but I was also a little sad about the trip ending. I hoped we could go down south again (and it looks like we might be able to try Hilton Head next year!), but I knew that even if was never able to go on this trip again, I'd always remember it.
Thanks for reading about my journey down south for the tournaments! I hope you had fun learning about my adventures. When I get to more tennis stuff in the future, I'll write about it here when I'm ready.