for the idea of this blog, but this is my version of such a topic – enjoy!)
Around
this time last year, I arrived at training camp in Nowheresville, Tennessee to
meet over 50 of my soon-to-be squad mates. I had no idea what to expect, but I
knew that these people had to share some of my insanity in order to take part
in such a journey as The World Race. Upon meeting everyone, I quickly realized that
I was right. I found myself in the center of hundreds of passionate,
adventure-seeking, crazy men and women of God.
the past eleven months, I’ve grown to love these 50 people as my own family. We
know each other probably better than we know ourselves at this point, and it
has been a blessing and honor to serve with them this year. However, I am not
naive to the fact that our transition home may not be the most appealing
representation of ourselves. The Race has changed us in many great ways, but
living in 11 different cultures in 11 months with a small community can also
bring about some interesting changes. So, just to give you a heads up, here are
a few reasons why you might want to think twice before asking one of us lovely
ladies or gentleman on a date…
10. Odds
are, you will instantly feel smothered due to our separation anxiety and
inability to be alone for more than an hour at a time. Remember, we are ALWAYS
surrounded by at least 5 other people!
9. We
will most likely get tongue-tied on the first date, not because we are awestruck
by how incredible you are, just because we have 11+ languages floating around
in our brains and can’t even remember how to say hello in English.
8. If
you ask us out on a date and pull up in a pick-up truck, we’ll probably get
excited and immediately jump in the back. We might even expect twenty other
people to pile in! Did you really expect us to go out with just two people?
7. At
the end of every day, we will tell you what you did wrong or right that day,
whether you want to hear it or not. It’s called “feedback” people.
6. We
will probably get bored at the end of the month and need a change of scenery.
Just sayin’…
5.
Looking for some good quiet time with us? Sorry, we are quite the
attention-drawing type. Wherever we go, we tend to bring on the entertainment
with our crazy dance moves, unbelievable stories, or loud and off-key tunes. At
least we keep things exciting, right?
4. We
will have no problem telling you about our personal hygiene or bathroom
issues…even if it’s mealtime.
3. We
probably won’t answer your phone calls. We also won’t call you back. Don’t take
it personal, we’re just used to ignoring everyone else’s phones. You can be
sure to catch us on skype though!
2. Our
hygiene will consist of approximately 3 showers per week and rotating the same
five outfits. Also, we wash our clothes by hand. That’s cool with you, right?
1. Don’t
be surprised if you accidentally walk in on us going to the bathroom and find
us in a compromising position… using a regular toilet as a squatty potty. These things do happen.
Eh,
who am I kidding? World Racers might be ridiculous, but they are ridiculously
awesome! We might tell you challenging things, but we will speak truth and life
into your life like you’ve never heard before! We’ve learned how to live and
walk by faith and the Spirit, so we may look a little crazy, but we are merely
motivated by the love of our Heavenly Father. Our hearts are bigger than you
can imagine and our love knows no bounds.
So
lets be honest, we might be a little crazy, smell kinda funny, act a little
different, or look a bit strange, but you can’t deny the fact that we will keep
things exciting. We live by the truth of the One that matters most, so when it
comes down to it, who wouldn’t want to date a World Racer!?
