I stole this blog from Michelle Cook…it
gives you an amazing look at some of the weird things we’ve experienced this
year! I’ve also added some other points. Enjoy!
Hello
friends!!
The
World Race is a totally different culture from anything I’ve ever been a part
of. World Racers are a breed of their own…I have compiled a list of
super random nonesense that can only happen on The World Race! Thanks to
my teammates who have helped…either by going through one of these experiences
or helping me to remember that I experienced quite a few of these
myself!! Some of these you may not understand…some of them will sounds
completely ridiculous…just know that each and every one of these is true
without exaggeration. Much love to you all! See ya soon 🙂
You know you’re a world racer when:
1. You use your webcam as a mirror because there are none at any of the places
you stay or even the reflection from your iPod.
2. You try to piece together your broken pieces of deodorant because it’s the
last one you brought from home and you still have 3 months left.
3. A ceramic squatty looks good after a month of squatting over a
hole in the ground.
4. You’ll use pretty much any facility available to relieve
yourself…regardless of how clean (or dirty) it is.
5. iPod-alone-time is not a foreign concept…you stick your
headphones in, crank them up, and shut your eyes and you are suddenly
“alone” even though there are at least 5 other people in the
room.
6. A 9 am start time happens no earlier than 11 am.
7. You hoard napkins from places that actually have them because
you know you’ll need to use it as tp at some point.
8. You routinely need to send a text to your contact for the month
simply telling him you will be late for dinner because you’re casting out
demons.
9. You use Deet to take off your fingernail polish.
10. You try to create new clothing combos out of the same three
outfits you left home with.
11. The free table at debrief is like shopping at the mall
12. You cram 6 people into an ATM booth because it actually has
air-conditioning.
13. A 66 hour travel day is normal.
14. You get vomited on on the bus and you can’t do anything about
it for another twelve hours.
15. The bus stops for a restroom break and the men stand beside
the bus and the women simply cross the street. There’s no hiding behind bushes!
16. You use grass to clean the dirt from your teeth. Yes, that has
happened lol.
17. You have testimonies of most of your squad-mates memorized and
can even fill in the details left out because you’ve heard it over and over in
every country.
18. “Fellowship meeting” really means three people
will be preaching 45 minutes each.
19. Breast feeding in public is more normal than seeing a baby
being bottle fed.
20. You no longer care if the water you are brushing your teeth is
bottled or even boiled for safety.
21. Your only escape for privacy is your bucket shower. And even
that is sometimes not private!
22. You’re considered high maintenance because you shower daily as
well change your underwear daily.
23. The “special mat” you sit on consists of leaves
pulled off a bush.
24. You’ll use any sort of paper or object to clean under your
nails…receipt, notebook paper, plastic, tooth pick, fork, or the knife from
your leatherman, stick, laundry brush.
25. Your friends from home can’t remember the last time they had
diarrhea and you can’t remember the last you didn’t.
26. You’d prefer to sleep on the floor of the airport because
it’s more comfortable than the airport couches.
27. You walk around barefoot anytime you see carpet because you
know it’ll be months before you feel it again.
28. Staying two days in the airport is actually preferred because
it means you’ll have air conditioning, western toilets, and food other than
rice.
29. You’re not sure if the tan line on your feet is from the
sun or the African dirt you’ve been walking in for 3 months.
30. You’ve finally thrown away your malaria meds to save space.
Either you were taking them and still got malaria or never took them and never
got malaria.
31. You think the space cleared up by removing your malaria meds
will actually make your pack lighter and less crowded.
32. You finally decide to shave your legs after a week and a half
and you shave off dirt that didn’t come off from using your loofah.
33. Filling ANY size of vehicle over capacity by at least 5 people
is not out of the ordinary.
34. You’d rather stay in the same clothes for a few days because
it’s easier than digging into your pack during travel times.
35. You finally have the opportunity to take a hot shower with
water pressure…so you take 3 showers in one day.
36. You sprain your ankle, so they cast it up…because it’s safer.
37. The hospital in Uganda becomes your second home for the month.
38. You walk into a European mall after leaving Africa and have to
leave because there are 3 too many floors of beautiful clothes to see and you can’t
breathe.
39. People back home don’t worry about their mosquito or bug
bites, but my first instinct is “Oh, God! I hope they don’t have malaria or a
flesh eating disease or …”
40. You’ve weighed your options for the first restaurant you’ll go
to upon returning home for 2 months and you still haven’t made a decision.
41. You’re friends with lots of new people on Facebook…but you
can’t remember a lot of them.
42. You refer to months of the year as countries.
43. Random sounds and phrases like “mmmmm,” “Praise Him,” Walk in
that freedom,” and “Kingdom” become part of your daily vocabulary.
44. You learn how to say “I can’t speak Russian,” but the
Babushka’s just hear the Russian coming out of your mouth and continue on with
a conversation while you sit their clueless.
45. In some places, darn is a bad word. So when it comes out of
your mouth, you proceed to say every other “bad word” like “crap, ugh, shoot,
dangit, ahhhhhhhh!!”
46. You’ve lost every bikini tan line you’ve ever had and replaced
them with lines just below your knees and shoulders.
47. You turn on water from the faucet and don’t have to worry
about conserving water…yet, you still only turn it up enough to dribble out.
48. You get dehydrated because you keep forgetting that you can
drink out of the water faucet again.
49. You’ve mastered the art of going to the bathroom while
squatting on a moving train.
50. You call 34 ragamuffin nomads your
family. I love the Q!
