Leaps of Faith - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

I’m about a week into my tenth month. It feels surreal almost like I am stuck in slow motion. Caught up in between wanting to go home and trying to make the most of the few weeks I have left on the race. When I decided to join the World Race it was taking a leap of faith. Jumping off the deep end so to say. Never have I ever left my family for more than two weeks; even when I was living and working at Camp Geneva I would still go home almost every other weekend.. Never had I ever left the United States. Yes, I went to Puerto Rico my senior year of high school, but it’s a U.S territory and you don’t need a passport to go there or to get back into the states. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into on the race. I knew I was jumping off the deep end, but I thought I was a good swimmer. Little did I know that I had only ever swam around in the deep end with my floaties (comforts from home) on and jumping off this time I didn’t have them. Sure I could swim and tread water by myself, but I could only do that for so long before I started sinking and panic began to overwhelm me. I had to trust God to help keep me afloat. I’ve had my shares of ups and downs on the race and found myself wandering and lost, but God always knew where I was. I’ve learned a lot and I’ve learned to take more leaps of faith.

However, one leap of faith was a little bit more difficult to take.

This one….

It required more courage and more trust in things that were beyond my control.

I jumped 145 feet head first into the Nile River with nothing but a big “rubber band” fastened to a strap tied around a towel that was wrapped around my ankles. You maybe saying hold on a minute what does bungee jumping have to do with taking a leap of faith? I’ll tell you.

My bungee jumping experience was and still is a lot like my world race experience. I was stoked to do it. Watching people jump was like reading people’s blogs before I left on the race. Training camp was like climbing the stairs to the tower. Both exciting and exhausting. The time between camp and launching on the race was like waiting for my turn to jump. So many emotions running through you during both of those times. Countless pep talks, many prayers, excitement, nervousness, you name it. Being tied into the safety equipment and the bungee equipment is comparable to making your way to the airport. You are so excited to leave, trusting in the Lord and the equipment, but to nervous to say your goodbyes. Shuffle hopping to the edge of the tower all strapped in is like after you have boarded the plane. It’s practically to late to turn back and go home to where it’s safe. You could, but you probably won’t. The moment you begin to fall is like that plane taking off. Now it is too late and you are terrified. The next few seconds of the fall, the ones where you think it’s not so bad because you body is waiting for the ground or something else to catch you, is exhilarating. That’s like meeting your squad at the airport you are all to fly out from together. The few seconds of the fall after your brain realizes that there is no ground to catch you and you are absolutely terrified is comparable to your launch. You realize this is it, you can’t turn back, you have made your choice, and you pray to God you made the right one. The second your head and upper body hits the water is pure elation and it’s wicked sweet. You can’t believe you’re alive and you are stoked to see what happens next. In fact you want to do it again. This is the part after launch when you are stoked to get to your first month.

Now comes the time for the bungee cord to snap you back sending you flying upwards. You are excited, you let go of all the tension in your body, and you let out a scream mixed with fear and elation. Something in you releases. Welcome to month one my friends. It’s a shock both terrifying and exciting. Now the months in between that moment and the moment you hit month 10 is most like the next few ups and downs on the bungee. It’s fun, a little scary still, and by this time you are kind of ready to be done bouncing all over the place. In world race terms this means constantly packing up and traveling every 3 weeks or so.

From here on out I can only guess what things might be comparable to on the bungee cord. I think month 10 will be like hanging upside down waiting for the raft to get to you. Your head is starting to hurt and things seem to be taking forever. Month 11 might be like finally seeing the raft and the people in it sticking up the paddles telling you to grab on. Final debrief will probably be like the moment you grab onto the paddle and begin to be pulled into the raft. When you finally are lying down in the raft you don’t know what way is up or down and for a few seconds you are so disoriented because the blood that was all in your head is spreading out. That will probably be like landing back in the U.S.A. Making your way to the stairs to climb out of the boat and attempting to walk and climb up stair to get back to the main land will most likely be the plane ride to get back home. It seems to last forever. At the top of the stairs you have to sit down for a moment and catch your breath. You realize that the adrenaline rush you just experienced followed by the workout has completely wiped you out physically and emotionally. That’s how I imagine my first few hours home. Now comes the part when you get to walk back to see everyone who was filming and taking pictures. They shout for joy both excited to see you alive and ready to relive it all. This must be like the first few days and maybe even weeks home, but the headache that sets in a little later must be like the realization that you don’t know what normal is even more.

I guess I can let you know if this is what its really like. Or if you have done the race you can let me know if this sounds about right. For now I guess I’ll just leave you with a few more pictures of my bungee jumping experience. I survived it alright. It will have to do until I get home to tell you how my leap of faith into the World Race actually turns out.

unlike Angie I did not look down
Also shout out to Camp Geneva! if you look close enough I am wearing my summer staff shirt!