Y’all, this blog means SO much to me!! Here’s why: I found out about the world race a year ago because I randomly read a blog from a world racer who wrote a 100 in 100 blog. God used her words to get my attention and now here I am 100 days into my race! Thank you, Lord and thank you, Elizabeth Snyder. I dedicate this blog to you, sweet lady.
1. Central America is hot
2. You stop wondering where the dirt ends and the tan lines begin
3. Sometime if you pray for peanut butter to appear, it will
4. Wearing socks with your chaco’s is still necessary
5. If you have a soccer ball, you will make lots of new friends
6. Electricity isn’t always consistent
7. Movies are better with a headphone splitter
8. The world is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined
9. Team time is good
10. Team time is hard.
11. Tiramisu is in all the cafe’s
12. Cockroaches will make an appearance
13. I get to meet and serve alongside the COOLEST people
14. You will start to collect bracelets
15. Just because you have a toilet and shower doesn’t mean they will work all the time
16. Mice may leave poop on your bed
17. Tarantulas don’t care if they hang out in your bedroom or bathroom
18. Check for holes in your puke bag before throwing up in it
19. Finding new coffee shops and cafe’s is still a favorite pastime.
20. Spiders bigger than your hand may find their way into your tennis shoes
21. Bug spray is everyday perfume
22. You can never apply too much deodorant
23. Showering is important but sometimes sleep is more
24. Your teammate may need Neosporin rubbed on their armpits
25. Toilet paper goes in the garbage…always
26. Macaws mate for life
27. If you want to remember things, keep a journal
28. A lot of the time it’s best to just put down the camera
29. Always do the adventurous thing
30. Rae is the travel day queen
31. Karly’s burps can be heard from space
32. Jennifer always has a story to tell
33. Michelle packed everything but the kitchen sink
34. Sarah walks faster than all of us
35. On travel days take advantage of the “free samples” if an airport has a perfume store
36. Chile is chilly
37. International flights have the best food and drinks. It may cause uncontrollable smiling
38. Make sure you only take red taxi’s in Costa Rica
39. When in doubt ask the locals
40. Defensive driving is done well everywhere else but the U.S.
41. Go above and beyond for your host
42. Talk to your squad leaders, they know things
43. Talk to your squad mentor, they know things
44. Your needs cannot be met unless you speak them
45. Unless you want your hair to be tangled to no end, wear it up when riding in the back of a truck
46. Bring your Bible, you never know when you’ll need it
47. If you have the choice between watching a movie alone or going on a walk with the team, choose the walk
48. Your desire for Snickers will only increase
49. God will provide for your needs and more (see #3)
50. You will want to buy clothes in other countries
51. Sometimes you go all the way up just to come right back down
52. Surfing is as fun as it looks (Thanks Lisa & Katie!)
53. Breaking waves may cause bloody noses
54. You should always drink more water. What color is your pee?
55. Dreadlocks are even more enticing
56. Hanabi cannot be played in less than 30 minutes
57. Feedback should be given during more than just team time
58. I still don’t enjoy showering
59. jajajaja is hahahah in spanish
60. In Central America time is relative
61. It’s hard when squad mates and teammates go home
62. Chilean fall feels like Oregon fall
63. You will become more self aware than you ever thought possible
64. Wearing glasses on the race is annoying
65. Sometimes it’s a good thing to stay in a city where drug dealers live
66. Wear a watch
67. Plan adventure days in advance
68. The bus schedule probably isn’t online- just show up and jump on one
69. Dramamine is my new best friend
70. Bring a fleece and a rain jacket
71. You will get tired of the taste of water
72. You may eat beans and rice during every meal for a month
73. It’s easier to talk about the hard stuff than to ignore it
74. Kevin makes the best stove top popcorn
75. Molly-Fae is my stank face inspiration
76. Larisa knows everything there is to know about the Enneagram (9’s unite!)
77. Kate is a baby tiger
78. Trits are the best ice cream sandwich I’ve ever had
79. I am a wildflower not a rose
80. Being a gringa is sometimes more of a distraction than a help
81. Your definition of vulnerability will change
82. The best iced chai latte is at the Garden Cafe in Granada, Nicaragua
83. Kids need to be heard
84. Being uncomfortable starts to feel normal
85. There is a difference between being needy and being in need
86. So as not to offend anyone, always be specific and say that you are from North America or the United States
87. I wear my hair up just as much as I did at home (errryday)
88. In Chile, people eat sopapillas whenever it rains
89. Not knowing spanish well is cause for daily frustration
90. The sniff test on laundry is a weekly ritual
91. All the cool kids wear neon reflective sashes when biking at night in Jaco, Costa Rica
92. I am even more selfish than I thought
93. All squad months are AMAZING
94. Nicaragua’s Kiss Me ice cream is equivalent to Oregon’s Salt & Straw ice cream
95. Other countries do hipster way better than the U.S. (also the 90’s is real in Chile)
96. God’s Word will take on a whole new meaning
97. If you think you’re tired, ask your host how they feel
98. Bring your colored pens
99. You will want to wear that t-shirt that reminds you of home
100. If you don’t have grace for yourself, than giving grace to others is next to impossible
