Hello to you, my friends, family, and supporters. All of you played an equally vital role in my gap year. I first want to express my gratitude. Just the thought of fundraising $15,000 is daunting, and something I did not want to have to do. But, to do mission work, to travel, to live, this requires money. Even though that is a lot of money, I did it, we did it, you did it. You helped me to be able to carry out a dream of my heart, a call on my life. Thank you so much!!
I have been home for a week and a half now. The first night I slept for twelve hours, I was exhausted from numerous travel days. After resting, I spent the week with my family. My grandparents, aunt, and cousins came up to visit for my sister’s high school graduation and my homecoming. This week filled my heart! We were so busy, so I did not have much time to sit and think about my past nine months. But now I have had some more time to think.
I was prepped for an emotional rollercoaster upon returning home. I can tell you that I do get weepy, I miss my friends and my family from the past nine months, but I am very hopeful for my future. Every now and then a memory flashes in my mind, a moment I wish I could relive one more time. The moments that are the most difficult are the mundane, when I am brushing my teeth or walking out the door. I used to have a team of five others, and then four others, that I always accounted for. These girls were always around, and I was used to them. I am thankful for those friendships and the community I was given.
There are other things that are hard for me being home, and things that are exciting as well. For example, when I was doing the dishes the other night I was hand washing them and I forgot dish washers were a thing- they aren’t a thing where I have lived recently. My dad came over and asked what I was doing, and I realized we have a dish washer. I got kind of excited and put the dishes in there. I am also thrilled every time I see a public water fountain!!!
I could write a novel about all I have experienced being home. But I am going to say this was an end. A good end. The end of a chapter and I am now beginning a new one. I want to talk a little but about when I began dreaming and preparing for the Race. I am currently reading a book called Start by Jon Acuff and he talks about the voices in your head and how they can kill your ability to be awesome. These voices target three areas with three questions/statements. From talking about this, I hope to inspire you to go after your $15,000 nine-month world race dream. I encourage you to chase the impossible. Here are the three questions/statements:
- Who are you to do that?
- You’re too late.
- It has to be perfect.
These three statements burdened me not only pre-race but also during the race. I can’t tell you how many times I thought while fundraising, who am I to do this? Why am I worth it? Why would someone give me $3,000? This one question has a domino affect that attacks your heart and your self-worth. Yes, who am I that the Lord placed a path before me and I stepped through the door. Who am I that I humbled myself before this journey and said all the glory to the Lord. His will, not mine. I am someone who knows the Lord wants to bless me if my heart is soft and looking to fulfill His will. If I had let this question win, I would not have gone on my race. Kick this question aside and keep moving. You are chosen for this dream in your heart. You are worth it.
You’re too late. This statement is a liar. I am not a trained backpacker, I had zero experience. I still don’t know what I am doing most days of my life, but I show up and I give my heart. I may not have skill, years of experience, but I have heart. You are not too late. That dream you want to chase doesn’t have an expiration date. I took a gap year in my education instead of finishing my sophomore year of college this past year. I am going back to college this fall, but I set aside a year to chase a dream. You are not too late, you are right on time. Don’t let it pass you by again, get started today.
The last statement, it has to be perfect. In the world race community there is a pressure to post cool pictures of your journey. People want to be featured on the World Race Instagram. You want to write a blog that will get tons of hits. You want to be fully funded by the time you leave. The fact is, life is not perfect. The race is not perfect, the same way your life at home is not perfect. I didn’t have a picture-perfect journey, and nothing ended up as I planned. But, it was one of the best years of my life. Preparing, leaving, experiencing. No dream worth chasing can be executed perfectly. It is worth chasing because it is bigger than yourself, which means you will fall. But you will get back up again and grow from your failures. That is why a dream is a journey and not a slot machine prize.
As I have turned the page to a new chapter I am reminded of the strength and determination it took to start the last one. I can look back and I say I saw the Lord there, I saw Him carry me as I wanted to give up and not work for it. This was a dream that honored the people in my life, it was selfish but I could give up a year because I don’t have any long term commitments. I looked at my dream, gave it to the Lord, prayed, and acted. It happened, and I am here to share the joy that comes from beginning and ending a dream well. This ending will only push me into greater things in life, as I have grown in so many ways.
Thank you for reading my blogs and keeping me in your prayers. I am so grateful and so humbled.
Go for your dreams.
Maggie
