Today we’re very fortunate to have a guest blog from our very own Rachel Storey. Her tale is one many of us are familiar with- the sort of “come to Jesus” moment that accompanies November Project. That crystallization that yes, you belong, not just at workouts but in this Tribe and in this community. We’re here, and we want everyone, regardless of who they are, to know that. Without further ado, here’s Rachel’s story (I COULD’T RESIST!!)
How Not Showing Up Changed My Life: Rachel Storey
In the past few weeks when people at November Project have asked me how long I’ve been part of the DC tribe, I’ve found it a little tough to answer. Not because I don’t know when I showed up to my first workout or because I’m too out of breath (which actually tbh might be part of the reason), but because until recently I have only been a fringe participant in this awesome community—the first eight months of my “membership” were marked by, well, never showing up.
After a few big, tough life changes (we’ll be overly dramatic and call it a quarter-life crisis) in early 2015, I thought I would “start over” by taking a job that sent me across and around the world. And when I wasn’t traveling for work I was using all of my leave to go and to be anywhere but DC—or America, for that matter. It was great—I was able to get away from the DC grind and everything that I thought had been dragging me down, and I felt truly happy and empowered for the first time in years. I loved my job, was doing work I was passionate about, and was constantly being inspired by incredible people. In two years I had opportunities to see more places and do more things than any one person would be lucky to do in an entire lifetime. In short, I couldn’t complain. I thought I had it all.
Cue my first November Project workout: May 11, 2016, 5:30AM. This was four days after arriving home from a six-month stint in Uganda and four hours after my margarita pitcher-heavy welcome home party (#thx4thememories, El Centro). Luckily, my dear friend Emma (some may know her as Lil Cheezey) coerced me into a promise to come to NP the next morning, and because I will do nearly anything to avoid breaking a promise, I showed up. There were so many people. Everyone was yelling and hugging and laughing and engaging in all kinds of other behaviors that were (back then) completely unacceptable for that hour of the day. (In my defense, I had always been very much a morning person, but only if it involved no one talking to me for the first… two hours.) I didn’t know anyone except for Emma/Cheezey and I honestly didn’t know how to socialize in a group like this. The craziness was unexpected and I was overwhelmed, but I gave some hugs, ran up some stairs, and went to my office sore and strangely happy. I told Emma I’d be back.
And I did go back. The next Wednesday. And maybe even the following Wednesday—I don’t remember. I was drawn to this group of people and wanted to be one of them. But soon enough I felt the need to take on the world again, and I told myself that I just couldn’t have my NP cake and eat it too. (Though a better metaphor would be about donuts because let’s be real; donuts are way better than cake. Also, side note, this is literally the worst metaphor ever because why would one even possess a cake or a donut and not be able to eat it? Makes zero sense.) Anyway, no NP cake for me because I chose the avoid-DC-at-all-costs cake instead. And because of that, I can count on one hand the number of times I came to NP after that first workout.
With each of the few workouts I did manage to attend, I noticed that despite November Project being the best part of my day, I somehow managed to leave each workout feeling a little sad. Normally, I am weirdly/psychotically positive and happy about pretty much everything, but for some reason every workout instead amplified a feeling of missing out that I couldn’t shake. Everyone seemed to know each of the 100+ other people at the workouts. They were all each other’s best friends at 5:30 in the morning, at happy hours, on weekends, through races. I, conversely, really only knew two or three people, and it sucked feeling like I would never be fully engaged in the NP community. (Necessary clarification: This is NOT a statement on the tribe’s character—they’re the most wonderful and inclusive and beautiful and BEST people in the world!)
Between my trips away from home and my extremely infrequent visits to Lincoln, I spent more and more time thinking about the NPDC tribe. But why did something that 1- was so obviously awesome and fun and happy, and that 2- I never really went to anyway, stir up so many emotions in me? After some reflection, I realized it was actually a feeling of remorse about some of the tradeoffs I’d inherently agreed to by choosing the job and lifestyle that I did. In two years I’d probably hung out with most of my friends only 2-3 times each (and this is not including the many, many friends I fell completely out of touch with). I missed every single one of my niece’s and nephew’s birthdays. From afar I helped one of my best friends get a job in a new city, but wasn’t here to say goodbye. I missed both big stuff and the boring day-to-day stuff that really bonds you with people and places. Being a fiercely independent I-don’t-need-anyone-but-me vagabond made me happy. Traveling and adventure and a constant sense of not-knowing-what’s-next also made me happy. But not going to November Project made me aspire to something beyond “being happy”: I wanted to be part of something. I wanted to belong to a community and share my happiness with anyone and everyone that would have it, and November Project fit that bill perfectly.
So now we’re gonna talk about cake again: After all this introspection, I hatched a spectacular life plan that would let me have my NP cake (but of the Denver variety) and eat it too (not that special kind of Denver cake, though). The only important details of this plan involved quitting my actual job, and instead showing up to November Project like it was my job. Spoiler alert: I didn’t move to Denver. Sometimes crazy things happen like being offered your dream job out of nowhere, so you change your whack life plans a little bit. The only real difference was now I wouldn’t have to move across the country in order to have my cake and eat it too. Knowing how awesome NPDC was/is made it an easy choice to abandon my alternate life plan, and after arriving home from a six-week trip to Afghanistan, leaving my job, moving to DC, and starting a new job, I somewhat nervously returned to Lincoln on February 1.
Fast forward to March 20, 2017: After showing up to more workouts in the first half of March than I did in eight months combined, I had my best-ever November Project workout. And I don’t mean “best” as in I became queen of a Strava segment, or crushed 500 (or even 5) burpees in under a minute or, to be honest, achieved any real athletic feat at all. It was the best because it hit me that I really am finally part of this crazy, inspiring community. As I wrapped up my last hill of the day, Maria enthusiastically cheered for me, by name, even though I was about 105% sure she didn’t know who I was. And then, as I ran through that sweet, sweet tunnel of love to finish the workout, people also seemed to know my name… Like, lots of people. It seems silly, but I just can’t describe how it felt when I realized that more than two people knew my name that morning… Let’s just say I’m glad my face was ostensibly red and sweaty from the workout.
All of my solo experiences have of course helped make me into the rad person (rad people use the word “rad”) that I am, but all those November Project workouts I never went to helped me realize that the best experiences are those that you share with people you love. Despite first showing up at Lincoln almost a year ago, I still feel pretty new to this community, but I love every part of it. Thanks, NPDC, for being the awesome people you are and for inspiring me to change my life and be part of something bigger than myself.
No Rachel, THANK YOU for being a part of this community, we are so, so, INSANELY glad that you’re here.
And you, reader, we’re glad you’re here too, specifically, here at the bottom of this post. Feeling inspired by Rachel’s AWESOME stor(e)y? Want to share your own? You’re in luck. NPDC is hosting Show and Tell at The North Face Georgetown NEXT FRIDAY (3/31). If selected, you have 5 minutes to give a mini TED talk on ANYTHING (legit anything) you want. NP or not-NP related– looking forward to what you Yahoos come up with. You have until THIS SUNDAY (3/26) at midnight to enter a submission for Show and Tell. SUBMIT ALL ENTRIES HERE: bit.ly/showtell_submit
TOMORROW: Howard University, Drop a #VERBAL http://bit.ly/3-24-friday
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Thanks for sharing! Love from San Diego!!!