It’s been over a year now since Cori and I finished the World Race and we’ve both transitioned into a totally new season of our lives. Cori is now in Seattle, attending Bible college and seeking out further training in a classroom environment. With her hometown being in Arizona and her parents now living in Colorado, the move to Seattle is just a slight transition. Despite facing a huge move, she knew that was the next stop on her world travel list and furthering her education and deepening her knowledge was a high priority. So she made the move.
With her first year coming to a close in a couple of weeks, Cori has a summer break facing her that she doesn’t want to waste. We’ve been trading e-mails back and forth about getting her out of the country again for a while now, but we were finally able to get our phone conversation today. Last March when our team was in the Philippines, Cori was one of the other people that grew really attached not only to the culture, but to the specific kids as well. Ever since then, she has begged me for pictures and videos every chance she could. Since I never really had a camera, my response was always to tell her that it would be much easier for her to just come back out there. My reasoning was flawless.
Now, nearing a year and a half removed, Cori may have the opportunity to return. It wouldn’t be long term, but as we’ve talked I’ve seen that getting her back out there for a day would be worth it. When it gets down to it, Cori can’t be overseas at this point in her life because of her commitment to school, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t take advantage of her breaks. While we both know that making the transition from a full year of overseas ministry to short term is a big jump, I know that a trip like this could be just what Cori needs. So I’m doing whatever I can to make sure the trip happens.
During our entire year on the Race, Cori and I were never able to work together on the same team, but we both spent the majority of the year on the leadership team together. It was really a cool way to get to know someone because while everyone else expected us to be the strong leaders, we were all in the same boat and could lean on each other for support. There were times when we just sat there, not knowing at all what to say with a huge, stressful situation facing us. There were other times where we just laughed for hours, not really knowing what we were laughing at. Our leadership team was definitely a place of sanity and kept us somewhat balanced as the year progressed.
Now, after the Race, the circles have gotten a little smaller and we’re no longer together as a complete squad. There are some people that I haven’t talked to or seen since our plane landed last April. There are others that I hear from weekly and have already seen several times. We grow through so many seasons in our lives (some more than others), and we develop so many friendships as the scenery changes. I do value all the friendships I develop and I’ve learned a ton from people that were just around for a few months, weeks, or shorter, but it’s a great blessing when friendships can survive the season change. While Cori and I couldn’t be farther apart and still both be in the continental US, she’s a friend I want to keep around. I guess after all the craziness of the World Race, you want to keep everyone around that kept you sane…
