333 days since leaving home.
14 countries.
68 beds.
219 hours 56 minutes spent on a bus.
69 hours 15 minutes spent on airplanes.
90 hours 32 minutes spent in chapa/kombi/vans.
23 hours 50 minutes spent in songthaews/Tuk Tuks.
23 hours 50 minutes spent in a truck (mostly in the bed).
1 hour 40 minutes spent on a boat/ferry.
7 hours 35 minutes spent on motorbikes.
46 hours 9 minutes spent in trains/subways/metros.
21 hours 24 minutes spent in cars/taxis.
This amounts to approximately 21 days of traveling. And that doesn’t include walking time!
In 24 hours I will be landing back in the United States after 11 months of constant traveling. As tiring as it has been at times I have seen more and done more in this year than I have in my whole life. It has been a privilege not everyone will get the chance to do. In the tough moments where my back and tailbone were pleading to stop I reminded myself of this privilege.
For the first six months of the Race I was half of the logistics team before stepping into another role.
(Matt and myself in Mozambique, month one, after our 80 hour travel day)
I learned a lot having to herd 48 people around.
A lot is an understatement.
Here is the advice I would pass along to anyone who finds themselves in that position…
- Gather everyone’s passport numbers and date of births and make a master list (keep it handy)
- Tune out all complaining. It is bound to happen and you are above getting sucked in. Not everything you do will make people happy but at the end of the day you have their best interest at heart even if they can’t see it.
- REMEMBER you are NOT responsible for people’s reactions.
- Be clear and concise with directions and be willing to repeat (someone inevidably won’t listen). Information in small steps usually provides good results.
- Don’t be all business with your partner, have fun together!
- Honor your finance people regularly (they do so much every month and hardly get recognized).
- Pray, even about the “silliest” of things. Start praying days in advance to travel days.
- Write down the unique ways that you see the Lord move on the squad’s behalf “behind the scenes.” Very few have the privilege of seeing His moves but you will. Celebrate them. Hold onto them. Remember them periodically.
- Expect bumps (sometimes literally) in the road, just roll with them. Eventually you will get to where you are going.
- Get familiar with hurry up and wait.
- Ask for help when needed. It’s humbling but that’s what teams are for!
- Have fun and laugh. Especially in the middle of chaos.
- Stay calm and positive.
- Find a system that works for you and your squad (we always traveled together and Matt was in the front while I stayed in the back of the pack, etc.)
- Pray. Seriously, don’t underestimate this.
For the past five months I have been a “traveler,” this is what advice I would give to those who find themselves being herded around….
- Be patient. You’ll know what you need to know when you need to.
- It’s a cliche but expect the unexpected (no one can predict a tire blowing or a gas stop 3 minutes into the trip).
- Be aware that YOUR attitude has the power to change atmospheres.
- Come equipped with: charged electronics, your toothbrush, toilet paper, motion sickness and headache medicine, a sweatshirt if you’ll be riding on a plane, lots of snacks (and face it now that they probably won’t be all that healthy), your passport (you might say duh, but just you wait), and a sense of humor.
- Get used to “sleeping” in any position (meds might need to taken).
- Strategic seating = taking the opportunity to sit next someone you wouldn’t normally sit next to so you can strike up a conversation
- Acknowledge the work of your logistics, team leaders, and squad leaders.
- Be proactive against dehydration. I realize bathrooms may be far and few so find a balance.
- Don’t take things personally. Travel days seem to be high stress and emotions.
- Wear appropriate shoes.
- Take opportunities to love and prefer others.
Travel days come in all shapes and sizes. Personal space is usually non-existent.
But occasionally you’ll luck out and you will relish your own seat.
Your new fashion statement will look something like this.
(p.s. those are not appropriate shoes)
These 11 months seemed to take forever when I was in the middle of them but now looking back it seems to have been a blink of an eye. It was a crazy, tiring, sporadic, and constantly changing year. And also wildly rewarding and life changing all at the same time.
Whoever you are, wherever you are remind yourself that even the “bad” days are days you get to live. Find the good in what you can. In a few months those embarrassing or frustrating things might end up being hilarious stories. Soak in the incredible sights. Cherish the people around you.
Tomorrow, I will spend the last day of this journey traveling with people who drove me nuts and simultaneously won over my heart during this year back to the much anticipated United States of America. I don’t know what it has in store but in the end I know I have a comfy bed, real towels, and a hot shower. All the things a girl could hope for!
