Join intern Liz as she blogs about her experiences as a member of the Step On Bus Tours team.
If touring some of Detroit’s most gilded and ancestral
churches sounds like your idea of a fun day at the office, we’re on the same
page.
This is just one of the perks I get from joining the Step On
Bus Tours family a few weeks ago.
Before, my days with Step On Bus Tours were spent planning
the Historic Detroit Churches tour. Where will we eat lunch? How many pick up
destinations will we have? The tour itself felt less like a fun outing and more
like a long-standing responsibility.
But when I was walking through Christ Church in Detroit, I
was finally able to see what happens when long plans come to fruition – all the
work of planning, advertising, and patching metaphorical holes fall into place,
and I am with a group of about 25 zealous tourers, marveling at Tiffany glass
windows and magnificent altars. What we were accomplishing extended far beyond
our office. I was working to entertain and inform some of the most avid history
buffs and dedicated Michiganders the state had to offer.
It was here where my excitement for my position really
intensified. I took snapshots of everything, from the ceilings high above me to
the ornate tile below my feet. The tour group made their way through rooms normally
only open to clergy members while being led by one of the most fervent tour
guides I have come across.
Although I enjoyed portions of the tour, I was ultimately
there to work behind the scenes. Everything needed to run smoothly and
seamlessly. Halfway through the day, we had to quick-change our motor coach
after an air-conditioning malfunction. While the group explored Little Rock
Baptist Church, the Step On Bus Tours crew was outside, calling bus drivers and
fixing the problem before it even showed itself. And I loved every minute.
What most surprised me was what I was able to learn from the
tourers themselves. Their passion for history (and for Detroit) was axiomatic. Almost
every time we passed a grand building on Woodward Avenue, I was told about its
history, current use, and even the year in which it was built. Some told me
that they learned these facts on a previous tour. Others just knew; Detroit was
their lifetime home, and it showed. It proved what is said time and time again:
experience is truly priceless.
I’m looking forward to seeing what else I can learn through
the people and places I will encounter. And one day I hope to be able to spread
this knowledge to others, maybe even while driving down Woodward.
