It’s no secret that there’s a little bug going around right now, and I know that’s not something to joke about either. The corona virus is a serious global wide problem right now, and I think we can all agree that this pandemic is causing each member of humankind to suffer in some way shape or form. For me, the outbreak and unhealthy spread of the virus meant leaving my race two months early. Adventures in missions so generously put an immense amount of time into doing their research and finally making the hard call to bring all their teams that were on the field home to the states due to the rapid changes being made in every country and the quick pace spread of the virus.
So if you didn’t know, I am home! I am happy and I am healthy! And I am coming to you live from Maryland again! As most can imagine, my experience being on the race came to an abrupt and sudden end and I don’t think I’ve fully comprehended it yet. Being home, for lack of a better word is weird on so many levels. For one it’s weird coming back to an America that is drastically different than how I left it, because of all the initiatives being taken to contain the spread and quarantining business. I’ve been unable to see half of my people that I’ve missed everyday for the last seven months and go to half the places I’ve been craving. But it goes beyond those current and temporary inconveniences. It’s weird to be living a life of ease and freedom again. Like I can drink water from the tap here, and flush my toilet paper! I can talk to people without a translator and do the dishes with hot water! My phone doesn’t have to be on airplane mode every second! It functions being off wifi and speaking of that, the wifi is on like the highest speed here! It’s not instant coffee anymore, it’s freshly brewed like from a real pot! I have a refrigerator full of good food options and a closet with what seems like way too many clothes to pick from! I have to wear my seat belt in the car and shoes on my feet if I leave the house! I have my own room again and have spent more time alone in the past seven days than I had in the whole seven months I was gone. It’s a blessing and a curse these things. The dramatic change in lifestyles is weird for sure but at the same time, it’s not. Being home it kind of feels like I was gone forever yet no time at all. Like if I didn’t fight to remember the last seven months, it could certainly feel like they never happened. That is the weirdest feeling of them all. Feeling like the race was not real, but a mere dream. This is a really dumb example but some of you may or may not know, myself and my two best friends went without shaving our legs the entirety of our race. Basically it was a bet and we went all in cause when else in your life are you going to get seven months to live sold out for Jesus so it doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like, like why not, that was our theory at least. But three days into being back home I shaved them, and now it’s weird to look down and not see my hairy legs. I got so comfortable looking down, seeing my man legs and having them be a reminder of how blessed I was to be on the race in whatever country I was in. Now I look down and I look like an American girl doll, living large and comfortable again and I can’t tell if I like it. I already miss race life so deeply! I guess I could say it’s bittersweet being here, being home.
Undeniably so, this is just a weird season in my life, and in history, too. But for such a time as this, this could be the exact moment in which you or I was created for, in which case I am going to celebrate this past season of the race zealously, but at the same time step into joy with the next season of being home earlier than expected wholeheartedly. I am sure so many of you have questions, and please ask them all! Don’t be shy, but I’d like to politely ask for grace as I continue to string together what just went down in the seven months I was gone to answer them. It may take me a minute to remember and respond but trust me when I say I’d be thrilled by anyone asking me about my race!
That’s about all I got for now! Love you people!
Julia
