You know you're a world racer when…
Febreeze and bug spray become your 'go to' perfume
Toilet paper is GOLD
Spending more than 5 dollars on a meal is a HUGE splurge
During the month when the squad is separated into teams, sometimes you miss your squad mates more than you miss your family
When you find wifi and ninja mode breaks out amongst your entire squad
When the teams bowel movements become a normal topic of ANY conversation
When you are laying in a "hospital" and a dog and a chicken are running around your bed.
When a Friday night consists of cooking a bird, a frog, and a snake over a fire and then eating them…… and then going to bed at 830pm.
When a lizard crawls in your sleeping bag with you
When you refuse to pay more than $4 for a pair of pants
I got two words for ya…… Peanut. Butter.
When you finally have air conditioning for a month and the heavens open and the hallelujah chorus plays on cue.
Sometimes you consider bathing in the gallons of sweat that cover your body
When you are at a butterfly farm in Malaysia and you're using the bathroom….. Your teammate goes number two but soon after you find out there is no toilet paper. The only way to wipe properly is a used Kleenex from a sinus infection in another teammates bag. That's real love.
Freezing cold shower water = no shower. Wash hair and shave legs in a bucket.
At times you feel like you are sleeping on a blow up inter tube
You feel like you haven't been a plane in a long time and it's only been a month
You sleep on planes, trains, and buses more than your sleeping mat, and it becomes completely normal.
The mattress on the bed in the sleeper car train is more comfortable than your sleeping pad. You finally get a good night sleep….. on a bumpy train.
You have celebrity status EVERYWHERE you go. Heads turning, cameras snapping, fingers pointing….. the whole nine yards. Warning: You may begin to think you are cooler than you actually are.
You become a PRO at charades. Most of the time the only way to effectively communicate to even find a toilet requires a game of charades with the locals.
Your coin purse has so many different types of currencies it becomes a daily task to quickly distinguish which coin you need at the check out counter. (I should probably clean out my wallet)
You live with 9 men with massive beards that they are OBSESSED with. Beards become just as normal to talk about as bowel movements.
When you can't afford transportation so you find yourself walking 6 miles every day.
When you see a 711 on every block.
When you wear every piece of clothing that you packed to stay warm….. including your rain coat when it's sunny outside. It's ALL you have.
When you go to a fancy mall and the only thing your food budget allows you to buy is a piece of bread for lunch.
When every single article of clothing you are wearing is from a different country that you have previously visited.
When you get into the shower and notice that you forgot your towel so you use the sweaty and disgusting tshirt you just wore for the last 3 days to dry off.
When you are teaching English for an entire month and all the kids learned was the abc's and "hello" and "how are you." You also have no voice left to show for it.
Talking about Jesus becomes as natural as talking about the weather.
Makeup and hair products…. wait, what's that?
After 5 months in Asia your knees become soar from squatting a few times on the daily to do your biz. (but seriously….)
When you start talking in broken English to your teammates (this is not a joke)
But you also know you are a World Racer when….
You experience some of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows you've ever faced.
When you meet Jesus on an entire new level than you ever thought possible
When you feel God radically transforming and shaping your heart in some of the most beautiful places on earth
You pinch yourself at times because "this is your life"
You see the world differently. It's no longer about you…. but it's about the Kingdom.
