Today I got up about the same time I normally do, but instead of heading to work, I got in my car and drove 7+ hours to West Virginia. A little over a year ago I decided that since the World Scout Jamboree was going to be so close, this would be my best opportunity to go.
I participated in scouting for a few years as a child, but due to international moves I was not involved past the age of 13. A participant at WSJ has to be between 14 and 18 years old, so I never got to go.
This year, WSJ is being held at Summit Bechtel Reserve, a property owned by Boy Scouts of America. The WSJ was last on the North American continent in 1983 in Canada, and last in the USA In 1967. As the International Service Team must pay for their on transportation to Jamboree, this would be the cheapest I would be able to go.
In the scouting world folks are fond of saying that employees get paid to work, volunteers work for free, and scouters pay to work. The price tag for me to come work for two weeks, sleep in a tent, out of a duffel, is $1,800. But on the flip side, the participants don’t have to pay a higher price to subsidize my food and other amenities while I’m here.
My drive took me through parts of Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The further into the mountains I got, the more gorgeous the drive was. Along the way I saw two houses and a swimming pool making their way to their new locations. I also saw several very purple cars, which delighted me.
I made stops at each of the visitor centers, though only quick ones. Now I get to stand in line waiting to check in, along with a few hundred of my closest new friends. 
Xennial Wanderer 