How on earth do you prepare for the World Race?! For reals…is there even actually a way to "be prepared"? Or is it just going to be like a lot of other stages of life (you know, like college, or parenting, or something) where you can read a million how-to books, ask for all the advice in the world, and convince yourself that you've got everything under control only to realize that it is nothing like you expected.
I'm kind of leaning toward this idea that no matter how hard I try, I'm never going to be ready. I can and will try to be prepared, while knowing that I won't be. And that this "not being ready" is going to be okay.
Here's a few of the ways I am attempting to prepare myself….
1. If you know me well enough to have ever eaten a meal with me then you know that I hate it when my food touches each other. So often, I will intentionally go grab a separate bowl for my salad or fruit, or grab a napkin to put my bread on. The thought of getting the spaghetti sauce on my garlic bread or my salad dressing on my chicken just grosses me out. Recently I had the realization that on the Race I won't have the luxury of running to the cupboard to grab another clean bowl to keep my food separate. So, I've been working on it. I've spent a lot of meals letting my food mix together at that center spot on my plate where everything seems to run together. I've sucked it up and eaten it anyway. Seriously, this is such a big accomplishment, you don't even understand.
2. I've been slowly collecting gear that I'll need for the trip. This ranges from a tent (my new home), a sleeping bad (my comfy bed), an itty-bitty "shower" that folds up to the size of a deck of cards (seriously, this thing is legit!!), and headphone splitters so my WR fam and I can watch movies and listen to music together. Figuring out exactly what I need and then finding it on amazon or ebay or whatever at a decent deal can be crazy overwhelming at times, but I've been slowly chipping away at the list.
3. Shottttts. UGH, HAVE I MENTIONED THAT I HATE SHOTS! I've got a pretty extensive list of vaccines that I have to have before I peace out for a year. Some are just the usual sorts of shots but then some of them are like typhoid and yellow fever and the fact that I have to get shots for these crazy diseases is first off, scary (because they're shots!) and second off, scarier (because I might come in contact with these diseases!). Things to add to my list of things to do before I go: pray pray pray for health!
4. I've been eating everything and anything that looks delicious. I won't be able to eat this a year from now is more often my excuse than not. It may not be healthy, but it sure tastes good 🙂
5. Emotionally, I'm attempting to prepare myself for being away from the people and places I love for 11 months. This is kind of weird for me because I'm a leaver. I've spent a lot of time in the last handful of years being in one place only to leave a short while later. I often attempt to maintain the friendships I've made, but I'm almost always the one who is walking away, choosing to leave behind the life I've made for myself. I don't enjoy it, but it's become a part of who I am. I'm a leaver. And I'm good at it. But for once, the thought of leaving is so. much. harder. There's a lot that happens in a year. Friends get new boyfriends or girlfriends, get engaged, get married. Siblings grow up, accomplish more in school, learn to drive. Hometowns get a new restaurant, the main road gets widened, your favorite coffee shop closes its doors. All these people and places will still be here on November 30, 2014 when I return, but they will have changed. And I'll have changed, too. I guess it's not so much the leaving part that scares me, but the coming back to a life that doesn't look the same. But that's also one of the best parts about going on the World Race. Change is necessary. Change is good. Change is required by God. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…." Romans 12:2
Even as trivial as some of these things are, they are my attempt at preparing myself for this crazy upcoming adventure called the World Race. And even though I know that there is no cookie-cutter way to be completely and totally ready to go on January 1st, I trust that God will give me the strength and endurance to fulfill His call on my life.
P.S. If you have the perfect answer (or even a good one!) of how to prepare, PLEASE INFORM ME! I'd seriously love to hear!!
