Signing up for the World Race I was really expectant in getting to travel the world. I looked at the list of the countries on my route and really believed I was going to get to experience some crazy, adventurous things. My passion for traveling truly was a main reason of signing up for The World Race, all while also being able to serve others around the world.
The freedom I thought I was going to feel is a lot different than what I have actually experienced. Ever since I was younger I have always had a sense of adventure. I have always wanted to go some where new and to experience the world. Thankfully, I have been able to carry that same passion I had for adventure as a child into my adult years.
With it now being month ten of the World Race I have had my eyes open to what true adventure looks like. I can promise you this though: it isn’t what I thought adventure would look like on this trip. While I have been able to gain ten new passport stamps, I have also been able to experience so much more these past ten months. Had I taken this trip on my own soley to travel the world I would have missed it all.
The thing that is so different about this trip in comparison to any other trip I will ever get to go on is that I am thrown right into the culture. This is how you truly build relationships with the people living in the country you are in. I have had the opportunity to see some touristy places, but I have had way more opportunity to live side by side with those who actually do live in the country I am in.
This is what true adventure is about: going to a new culture, living side by side with the locals, and immersing yourself into how they live their lives each day. It’s wearing what the locals wear, eating what the locals eat, and doing what the locals do. Once you reach this point with the locals is when relationships can be built. They see you respect their culture and they actually want to let you into their lives.
As much as I wish I could have seen the Taj Mahal or taken an african safari, I wouldn’t want to trade the time spent in Assam, India or the time spent at the boy’s home in Mozambique for the world. The moments I have been able to spend with each local while on The World Race is worth so much more than a photo in front of a popular landmark. It isn’t about what you get to see, but who you are with and the relationships you are making.
