The Trip to South Carolina and the Southern Tournaments - Part 1
Because the journey was a long and eventful one, I'm going to write about this experience in parts and tell you how I felt. I'll be honest about my observations, emotions, and what I've learned through it all.
At first, I must admit I was nervous about heading down south to play in the ITF tournaments. I didn't know what could happen, and I knew it would be difficult for me to adjust to the sudden change in location and environment. I started panicking the night before I left, and I even talked with my parents about perhaps calling the trip off or not going down south to tournaments this year. But since everything was set up and planned for the journey already, it would have been difficult to call everything off.
Finally, I got an encouraging message from Elena (from Tennis Rematch!). She said no matter how scared I felt, I should give the ITF tournaments a try. That helped me gain the bravery to head down south anyway, and I do not regret it, because the experience has helped me to grow in so many ways.
My Dad also encouraged me to give the trip a try. He said he hoped I could enjoy it as a vacation!
So I threw together my bags as quickly as I could, and I headed out the door with my parents and sister. It took a lot of courage to go on the trip, because I deal with health issues that can sometimes lead to episodes of mania or mental breakdowns, and I could feel my anxiety levels rising. But through sheer will, I decided I would stay calm and do what I could to prevent any breakdowns.
During the trip, I felt a longing to get closer to God again. My grandma was a very devoted Christian, and in a way, I felt as if her spirit were guiding me along the journey. So I tried to read every Bible I found at the hotel, and that comforted me a lot. It helped me calm my nerves. I knew no matter what happened with the tennis aspect of things, I would be on a good path if I trusted in God and knew that I had guidance from above.
As we got closer to the south, I started to feel calmer. Everything moves much more slowly and peacefully down south, and we were heading to a beautiful place in South Carolina.
One of the kind people we met on the road was a musician, who came from the Woodstock area of New York. She was so sweet and friendly, and she showed me a video of the whirligigs at Wilson, North Carolina. We had a great time talking with each other, and she said she liked my name Destiny, because it reminded her of how we can create our own destinies in life! That really made me smile.
Experiences like those showed me I was right where I was meant to be. I had a very strong feeling that everything would be okay.
During the journey, I also listened to a playlist of old music I used to listen to when I was growing up. It was full of peaceful classic songs that I still enjoy today. That helped me feel better, too.
Once I arrived in South Carolina, I felt truly peaceful! At the Hilton Head Island, everyone was so kind, and the environment was relaxing and serene. I felt completely safe there. I knew no one would hurt me and that kindness was everywhere.
This is the end of Part 1 of the trip! When I'm ready, I'll write about part 2!