Something you find out very early on during the World Race is the amount of time you spend traveling, whether by airplane, bus, tuk tuk or songtaow…some kind of vehicle has to get you everywhere. And usually it takes a lot longer to get there than planned!
Another thing you learn early on is that you will never appreciate your bed at home as much as you do now.
The other lesson I have learned based off of this point on my Race (entering month 4) is to be okay with these things.
Back home usually there is an alternative to a crappy situation or poor sleeping arrangements or a choice in what route you will take to get somewhere. Usually it will be whatever is more comfortable. On the Race you don’t have that luxury. And that is okay. It’s okay when you’ve been on a bus for 33 hours and broken down twice trying to cross into Cambodia; It’s okay when you sleep on the side of a busy highway while waiting on said broken down bus to get repaired; It’s okay when your pack (that you thought you placed into the capable hands of the bus employees when loading it) gets 6 big holes in the bottom compartment from being burned by the engine of the bus that overheated. (This is a really stressful situation though, it is one of your very few possessions for the 11 months you are on the Race… it is also okay to cry a little bit. I did.) All of these things are going to be okay. They will actually be better than okay! It is all apart of the amazing journey that is the World Race! And you know 5 years from now, all of these things will make great stories and you’ll laugh (and maybe cry a little, too…that’s still okay!)
So to sum up this blog post here are some tallies I have been keeping since day one of the Race! Enjoy!
WR TALLIES
Flights:
PHX –> ATL (3 hrs)
ATL –> LA (3 hrs)
LA –> CHINA (15 hrs)
CHINA –> MANILA (3.5 hrs)
MANILA –> CDO (1.5 hrs)
CDO –> MANILA (1.5 hrs)
MANILA –> BANGKOK (3 hrs)
Total 30.5 hrs
Bus rides:
MANILA (1.5 hrs)
CDO –> MALAY BALAY (3 hrs)
MALAY BALAY –> CDO (3 hrs)
MANILA (1.5 hrs)
BANGKOK –> CHIANG MAI (12 hrs)
CHIANG MAI –> CAMBODIA (33 hrs)
Total 54 hrs
Tuk tuk rides:
3 in Thailand
9 in Cambodia
Beds:
Launch
Manila
Malay Balay
Soho in Thailand
Zion in Thailand
Lighthouse in Thailand
Hostel in Cambodia
Agape in Cambodia
Hostel in Cambodia
Strange/Rare foods:
Balut (fertilized duck egg) in The Philippines
Durian (stinky and nasty tasting fruit) in The Philippines
Rotee (an interesting pastry sold by street vendors, topped with banana, condensed milk and honey) in Thailand
Fried crickets in Thailand
Grass jelly (a jello type dessert that tastes like grass…so gross) in Cambodia
Dragon fruit in Cambodia
Tarantula, scorpion, water bugs, silkworms and flying ants in Cambodia
stay tuned for another blog about the ministry that took place this month in Cambodia and also for a really important update on next month!
thanks for reading my blogs, praying for my team and supporting this journey! If you would like to donate and help me reach my final deadline click the ‘support me’ tab on the left side of this page! Love you guys!
