So, we made it through training camp in Georgia for The World Race last week. For those of you who haven’t heard anything about it, you must realize that this was quite an accomplishment! I finished the week with this synopsis, “if, at the end of the 11 countries/11 months, we compiled a bunch of our worst travel days, sleeping arrangements, and otherwise uncomfortable, stressful, and chaotic conditions, along with physical and mental exhaustion and challenging team dynamics, and boiled it all down to fit into a single week, we’d probably have something similar to training camp”. Enough said? Yes, there were cold showers, bug bites, too many people in too small of spaces, sleepless nights, physical strength and endurance tried, heat, and sheer exhaustion. If you want to hear specifics, I’ll be glad to share more. However, it was really a good time of building new friendships, getting to know our team, learning to work together, seeing people’s true colors, and growing together. But it was tough. Like it was something you can only fully appreciate when it’s over.
From Georgia we went to Florida to spend time with my extended family. We stayed with Aunt Clara and had a lot of fun with her and the rest of the gang. I even continued my “lessons” from last year’s visit on “cooking southern style”. That’s one of my favorite things, working in the kitchen with Aunt Clara, so we really had a great time. And Jason was introduced to his first fish fry, complete with hush puppies and okra. Several of my cousins from Alabama also joined us, and I was so grateful for the time I was able to spend with them as well as with the aunts, uncles, and cousins who live locally. We even went out on the lake a few times and I got to try skiing for the first time ever! This extension of our Georgia trip was just a really refreshing time of catching up with family, though it didn’t feel quite long enough.
This morning we said our farewells to these fine folks and headed north. The weeks ahead look a bit daunting. Plans are for us to leave for the race in early September, and responsibilities between now and then are sometimes overwhelming. In some ways, August feels like a bit of a relief from the packed schedule of July, but there is still much to accomplish and wrap up before our departure. Please pray for us for wisdom, grace, and good times with friends and family in the coming weeks. We want to finish and/or hand things off well. Thank you for your continued support: for being interested, involved, and for partnering with us. We appreciate it immensely!
