Hello all! Sorry for the lack of blogging. I’ve been back in the states for a little over 2 months now. It was a couple months of time in CA and WA to visit with friends and family. I felt like a professional couch surfer, as I stayed at 8 different places. THANK YOU to those who have welcomed me and let me live life with you for a night or a week! I have been blessed by your hospitality. And now I am in GA staying with my sister and brother-in-law until further notice. They are also pregnant with their first, so I get to be an Auntie!
I recently got back from a last-minute trip to Dublin, Ireland for the Awakening conference. (The travel DAYS of getting there could be a whole other blog!) It’s a World Race conference for all racers who are currently on the field plus alumni….so about 500 people! You can watch some of the videos by clicking HERE. It was a very nostalgic time because it was exactly where we launched our race last August. And because my team worked in Dublin, I got to meet up with our ministry contact Rocheanne and our friend Nigel. I love that I am able to keep in touch with the amazing people I’ve met around the world. They will not be forgotten.
“Have you adjusted to life back in the States?” That’s a question I often get these days. Sitting in a cozy coffee shop I sometimes feel out of place or just think “I don’t belong here.” And then there’s the feeling of social awkwardness that arises in certain situations that I just haven’t been in for a year. But at the same time, I also embrace my God-given gift of adaptability and just go with the flow sometimes.
I can’t believe I’m saying this but life actually seemed easier on the Race. The simple life. Food and shelter. Everything I “needed” fit in my backpack. We had our community handed to us (even though it was messy and challenging) and our focus or structure of ministry to do. Our finances were already taken care of from support raising. We didn’t have the pressures of the world saying “Be normal. Settle down. Get a stable job. Live life like the rest of us.” Everything inside of me right now is saying “No thanks.” I wouldn’t have gone on the Race in the first place if I wanted any of these so-called norms.
All that to say I am wrestling right now with how to incorporate the lifestyle and things God taught me this past year into life in the States. But I know that it’s a healthy battle and I am not the only one doing it. And it will probably be a lifetime of it.
On our way to Dublin via Manchester!
My friend Craig brought us here in Manchester.
Dublin friends Nigel and Rocheanne.
We had our J & K squads representing at the Awakening.
Thank you for your support during this transitional time of life!
