“What is it like to see the world?”
A question that is impossible to put into words. I am six months into the Race, and I have only seen a small fraction of what this world has to offer. I have a lot more to see and a lot more to learn.
As cliché as it may sound, to see the world… is life-changing.
I have stood at the peak of the most beautiful mountains, overlooking the cities below.
I have rested on the shores of beaches, and frolicked in the ocean’s waves.
I have walked through exotic markets, dodging the seafood and livestock that hangs from the ceiling.
I have trekked through jungles, cities and five story shopping malls.
I have watched water buffalo bathe in the still Cambodian rivers.
I have conquered bugs most people only see on the Discovery Channel.
I have rode on an Elephant’s back, and then coasted on a bamboo raft through Thailand’s countryside.
I have fed monkeys cookies from my boat on Lake Nicaragua.
I have explored countless temples, and have woken up to the Muslim call to prayer.
I have participated in a country-wide water fight.
Although this is just a glimpse into the life of a world-traveler, you haven’t even heard the part that really matters. You can get a pretty good idea of what the world looks like if you spend any time watching the Travel Channel or National Geographic. But what is it REALLY like to SEE the world?
I have watched twelve year old girls sell themselves to men for a quick five dollars.
I have seen the homeless get treated worse than third-world animals.
I have seen children huff glue on the streets to escape their pain.
I have seen naked babies bathing in the rain as their only source of water.
I have washed the feet of boys from the slum, while temporarily healing their pain with a band-aid and a moment of love and attention.
I have learned to make tortillas from a woman who gets beat by her husband for going to church.
I have befriended nine little boys, who are labeled “prostitutes’ sons”, “drug-dealers” and “ladyboys” by society.
I have taught a heart-broken boy who lost his father how to love again.
I have watched children retrieve sewer water for their mothers to cook dinner with.
I have seen children beg on the streets because their families couldn’t afford a school uniform.
I have seen the world’s hurt. I have seen the world’s injustice.
I have seen…therefore, I am responsible.
So, what is it like to see the world?
Amazing. Beautiful. Magnificent. Eye-opening. Life-changing. Indescribable.
Seeing the world has broken me. After this, there is no way of me leading a conventional life (sorry, grandma). I have seen a lot of pain, but I also have the key to cure the pain, God’s love. I can’t take the risk of hiding it, and keeping it all to myself. There is a world of trouble out there that needs it.
I can no longer be selfish.
I can never go back to the way I was… I have seen too much.
