It’s month 9.
Freaking out yet? Yeah, I know. I’m pretty sure I just landed in Honduras and it was day 1. I’m not sure how 8 ½ months have passed.
But they have.
And here we all sit, ecstatic to be seeing friends and family soon and also devastated to say goodbye to our 40 fellow travelers.
We are here and we are trying to keep our hard work and hands focused on the needs of Thailand, but we can’t help but think about what happens when we land back on US (or Canadian) soil.
And I think I’ve finally decided.
Here is the big reveal of my plan for when I get back to the States:
I’m going to keep loving on as many people as I can find. I’m not going to back away when things get awkward, because let’s be real, building new friendships can be awkward at first.
I’m going to do what I love, even if others think that’s weird. Maybe I’ll make mistakes. Actually, let’s be honest, that’s definitely going to happen. But I’m going to learn from them and just keep moving. Life’s goal should not be to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body.
I’m going to keep building friendships with those around me. Sure, maybe we don’t have all the same interests but that shouldn’t prevent people from appreciating each other for their unique abilities and talents and hobbies. I don’t see the point in not befriending your local barista or your bank teller or the high school kid who works at Dairy Queen.
I’m not going to let the World Race end. There’s a lot of talk about “the best days of your life” and all of that in our society and it’s often assumed that we Racers are living the best year of our lives. That, my friends, is a poor perception of life. If I’ve already lived my best days, what do I have to look forward to? Rather, I shall keep searching to live life for all it’s worth.
And that my friends, is my plan for when I return to the good ol’ US of A. The rest will figure itself out.
