It’s been a crazy past eight months filled with hilarious memories, embarrassing moments, challenging times, and is-this-actually-my-life experiences. This is an accumulation of real life moments from the past eight months. I hope it gives you insight into this crazy, beautifully difficult roller coaster called the World Race!
You know you’re on the World Race when….
…you’ve worn the same socks four days in a row.
…it’s two pm and you’re fixing your toilet… for the second time that day.
…you’re just about to get into the shower and your apartment completely runs out of water.
…you started eating the cores of your apples because you don’t know when you’ll get fruit next.
…using a western toilet even without a toilet seat is a luxury.
…you’re asked by an Indian woman to take her baby with you because she can’t provide for him.
…you become ecstatic when you stumble upon fellow foreigners.
…you’re so cold you wear every single piece of clothing you own. And yes, that’s possible
…you have fourteen roommates in one room.
…you’re delighted to find only one cockroach in your bed.
…you have a chicken as a roommate.
…everyone knows who is an introvert or extrovert and who is an external processor or internal processor.
…you are officially an expert lice checker.
…you measure your time and different stages of life by months.
…you finally get your own room for a night after months of being with people, but all you want to do is stay in your teammate’s room.
…your shower for two weeks is a river in-between two countries.
…you do a happy dance when there is toilet paper in the bathroom stall.
…you’ve never been so in love with God and so sure about who you are.
…ants find a way to get into your closed jar of peanut butter.
…travel days to the next country are the best because airports have coffee, and sometimes Taco Bell.
…a two dollar meal seems expensive.
…it’s more natural for you to throw your used TP in the trash instead of the toilet.
…100 degrees seems cool.
…church is at six am and at the last second you’re asked to preach.
…you can’t remember what side of the street America drives on.
…checking in, giving constructive feedback, and providing encouragement to your teammates is a daily event.
…you unconsciously check in, given constructive feedback, and provide encouragement to friends back home on skype.
…one person on the squad buys something, everyone else buys the same thing, but in different colors.
…you can’t even recall the last time you were completely alone.
…using your friends’ toiletries, clothes, and food is an everyday ordeal.
…praying becomes less of talking at God and more of a conversation.
…being served boneless chicken makes you want to cry from happiness.
…you’ve literally eaten every part of the chicken… And then some.
…actually, you can’t guarantee what you have and haven’t eaten in general.
…you have alone-together time with your teammates because, I mean, how else are you going to be alone?
…you are told by Malaysian children you have grey eyes, blue skin, and yellow hair.
…you spend your afternoon picking out bottle caps from a garbage pile for ministry.
…you literally can’t even imagine leaving the Race lifestyle and going back to America.
Three months left of this adventure and I’m so excited to see what will happen next!
