The final countdown
ONE WEEK.
Exactly one week from today I will board a plane and return to the USA.
One week and I will see people and places I haven’t seen in 9 months.
One week and I will leave everything that has become normal to me
One week and I will be pushed back into the country where insecurity surrounded me on every side
One week and I will have everything I wanted and nothing I needed
One week and I will return to a country where no one understands what I’ve seen
One week and I will eat American food!
One week and I will fall apart as I see my beautiful nephews face to face
One week till I can have a conversation with my brother without texting or wifi needed
One week till I can turn off airplane mode and make a phone call
One week till service and wifi is reliable
One week till I’m no longer going to bed when America is waking up
One week and I can squeeze my mom and laugh and cry about everything
One week and I will have my freedom
One week and I can wear my clothes.
One week and I can lay on my best friends bed with her and we can talk about every big and little thing that’s ever happened
One week and I can drive a car again (hopefully that’s easy to pick back up after living in countries where you drive on the left side of the road, YIKES!)
One week till I see old faces
One week and I leave the people I’ve lived with for 9 months
One week and I enter a country that holds my heart.
One week and I enter a country that breaks my heart.
One week and I enter a country that is close-minded, wastes, is filled with ways to distract you from life, a country that has all it needs and is never satisfied
I know it’s only been 9 months, but a lot can happen in 9 months
I have learned so much about myself
I have lived in 6 different countries and visited 9
My normal has become living in a tiny room with 6 people and all our belongings
All of my belongings have fit in 2 backpacks and I’ve felt like I’ve had plenty
I’ve eaten rice and noodles for every meal for the past 5 months
I’ve made sweet friends with people I get to travel the world with
I’ve fallen in love with children from around the world
I’ve become apart of another family in Chile
I’ve left part of my heart in a small village in Ukraine and the people who live there
I’ve seen the Lord in my life in new ways
I’ve found confidence in the name of Jesus
I’ve found worth in his blood
I’ve found love in his presence
I’ve found satisfaction in his words and promises
I’ve found hope in his strength
I am so freaking excited to return home. I am ready. I want to see my family!! And have freedom again! But I have been away for so long. My new normal looks nothing like my old normal in America.
A few weeks ago I facetimed my mom and she showed me my closet and I started crying and asked her to leave my closet, because I’ve lived with the same few clothes for 9 months and I’ve lived with people who only have a few pairs of clothes.
I know that I am coming home, but I’m seeing my home country with new eyes.
I’ll never see America with the same eyes.
In one week, this big adventure I looked forward to for so long is over.
In one week I jump into my next big adventure!
America, I will see you soon!
