Amazing Race - Season 2

yes, i know the amazing race on cbs just finished their 7th season (yay, uchenna and joyce won!) what i'm talking about is basic's 2nd season of the amazing race. it was even better than last year!

this year, i didn't get to help plan it since last year there was a lot of talk about it being unfair that i knew everything and was also a participant (yes, my team did win last year). so this year, i was kept in the dark and really experienced the race the way it's supposed to be experienced....and i'll admit, it was tougher than i expected but a lot more fun too!

my team came in 5th (out of 10) and i was pretty happy with that considering how many mistakes i made as a driver. it's ironic how i watch the show so much and can comment on the mistakes of the players, and then i found myself making those same mistakes today.

here are a list of things i learned about myself and things i need to remember if i make it on to the "real" amazing race:
- never ever pick the task that has to do with "counting" things. it is always more time consuming and difficult than the other task! i'm horrible with numbers to begin with and counting with pressure and other people around makes it ten times worse! as i was counting tiles i was picturing that ikea scene from last season where people would count "...86, 87, 89, 90, 93, 94..."
- always take the extra time to read the directions and understand what you need to do instead of rushing off. it's better to do it right the first time than to go quickly and have to do it several times. every time i started driving before knowing where i had to go i always ended up going in the wrong direction.
- i thought reading maps was one of my strengths, but i found under pressure i would stare blankly at a map like it was written in chinese or something. once i finally focused and wasn't trying to rush, then it magically started to make sense.
- following another team is really risky b/c as i followed another team (w/ a speedy driver) i realized that if i lost them i would really be lost...plus there's also no guarentee they know where they are going either!
- i also found out it is very frustrating when you're the team member that has to wait for another member to complete a task. i can see why people are always yelling at their partners on the amazing race...i really had to bite my tongue to keep from trying to yell advice or to hurry.

in the end, the night was definitely a night to remember, and i heard a lot of students and friends say how fun it was! and though it was tougher than i thought...i still think it would be a dream adventure to make it on the show. applications are out right now and i really want to apply! i need to find me a partner!