After leaving Serbia and traveling to Albania, the entire squad met in Tirana, the capital city for what we call debrief. Debrief happens after month one, four, seven, and eleven. In a few words, debrief gives the entire squad a chance to rest, regroup, and reflect. A chance to look back on what they learned and a chance to figure out what moving forward looks like.
If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that rest is oh so important. The concept of getting more done in six days than we can get done in seven is a hard one for all of us, especially those of us that were born and bred in America.
That work your way to the top mentality doesn’t translate, nor transition, to the rest of the world. Not in the way we are used to.
Debrief, unfortunately, wasn’t an opportunity for rest this time around. Saying a lot happened is an understatement.
Team Tolmaó (though more often known by the squad as Rosie’s Rangers) went from a team of six to a team of five.
I wish I could say it was a happy change and that the process was easy and pain-free, but then again – life rarely works that way.
One of my dearest friends, Joy, was switched to a different team. It was one of the hardest moments of the race thus far and if I’m being honest, there have been a lot of really hard moments.
But like I said in a previous blog, change is inevitable. Things on the race change more often than the average person changes their dirty underwear. Yup, that means a whole lot of change for these racers.
Change has come in so many different sizes and shapes, I think we are all learning not to hold on to anything too closely. Not our clothes, the countries on our route, nor the people with whom we are placed.
The Lord is really showing me that I can’t find my comfort or my dependence in people, my circumstances, nor the contents of my 65L pack.
Joy, if you happen to find yourself reading this, I sure do love you. You hold an incredibly huge place in my heart, no matter what teams they place us on. You have the heart of a servant and I’ve learned so much from you. There aren’t words to explain what your friendship means to me – hiking up the mountain, the hours we spent cutting up vegetables (and crying because onions), the way we always smelt like garlic but never knew, and the hours we spent without ever having to say a word because our presence spoke for itself.
Losing you as a teammate doesn’t change our friendship, but so much is still being lost. Joy isn’t just your name, but a reflection of who you are.
I lava you a whole lot and I’m so thankful I still get to spend this month with you.
Just as quickly as the news came, the entire squad was leaving debrief and heading into month two. We arrived in Lehze, Albania (pronounced Laysia) at a self sustainable camp called LightForce International, which supports itself by a farm. Y Squad had just become the new farmers.
Each day, the pigs and goats need to be fed, taken care of, and cleaned. Several truck loads of hay have been unloaded, relocated, and organized. Concrete walls have been smashed and broken down into rocks the size of a fist, then wheel barreled to a different location in order to make space for more goats. Along with gardening, painting, and so much more.
Last month, I prayed for patience. This month, I’m praying for wisdom.
Here we are, on a beach nearby the camp, enjoying an off day adventuring with two of my favorite humans.
Stay tuned for more changes, sure to come.
