The end of one journey, the beginning of another

Costa Rica.

Month 11.

I come home in less 15 days.

This 11 month journey is coming to an end.

Did this adventure even happen?

It all feels like a dream.

But it really did happen.  I have travelled to so many different countries and have experienced so many different cultures.  My body is probably completely wrecked from all the random foods I have eaten and all the sugar and carbs that I have ingested.  But I’m okay with that. Because this has been a journey of a lifetime and I have learned so much from each and every person I have encountered on this race.

I have learned what it means to be confident in who I am in Christ.

I have learned what it looks like to live in healthy community.

I have learned that I don’t always have to have it all together.  I can be a mess.

I have learned that I have to trust God with the day to day.

I have learned that it is okay to be stuck in a rut.

I have learned that I have to trust that God is going to help me out of that rut.

I have learned that my World Race looks significantly different than everyone else’s World Race.

I have learned that I absolutely LOVE travelling and this won’t be the end of my travels.

I have learned that God is present even in the little things, like butterflies.

I have learned that you can be satisfied and content with very little.

I have learned that I am capable of anything that I put my mind to.

These are just a few lessons that I have learned on the race and I’m excited to bring them home and apply them to the “real” world.  The world race may have been a journey of a lifetime but it isn’t the only journey I am taking in my lifetime.  This is just the beginning. 

So with that being said, here is the answer to the infamous future question: what will you be doing when you get home??

Well, when I arrive home on July 25^th, the first thing I will do is take a long, hot shower and then go to bed and wake up whenever my body decides it’s time to.

After that day, I plan on taking the rest of July and then the month of August off.  I will be spending that time catching up with friends and family, standing as the maid of honor in my friend’s wedding, going to family reunions, and who knows what else.  It will be a month to readjust to American life and figure out how to incorporate what I learned on the race into everyday life.

Then on August 31^st, I will begin my JOB! I will be working back at Walnut Creek Foods in the Accounting department.  I don’t really know what my job description is yet but I guess I will find out.  As hard as this decision was to go back to work full time, it seems to be the right and most responsible one. 

I know this transition won’t be easy, but I am ready for the challenge.  Please bear with me in these first couple of months.  I may only be able to talk about the race and I may not know how to answer your questions right away.  But pleasedon’t be afraid to ask questions.  I want to share my journey with you and tell you all about my experiences around the world so please ask questions. 

So anyways, that is the plan as of now.  Who knows what else God has up his sleeve.

So if you want to hang out, get coffee, dinner, whatever, let me know and I would love to sit down with each and every one of you and hear about your life in the last year and tell you about mine.

I can’t wait to see you all very soon!