I couldn’t help but look back on this past year of my life. This time last year I was finishing up my first year teaching. Just weeks prior I had found out I had been accepted to the World Race, and was getting excited to prepare for the adventure ahead of me. I celebrated my birthday by going out to breakfast with a few of my closest friends and then later, attended a wedding with some of my best childhood friends. I went to Montana for a family reunion and got to see lots of family I hadn’t seen in years. We did our best at trying to win the Wivholm family softball tournament, but suffered a hard loss. We did end up with awesome team t-shirts though! 🙂 Spent a lot of time last summer on the World Race site reading blogs and trying to figure out what this year would look like, and more importantly, deciding what items would be most important to pack. Spent a few days in front of my pack wondering how in the world I was supposed to put a year’s worth of supplies into this little bag. (Future Racers, trust me, it’ll work.) I spent an fun weekend with my dad, grandpa and cousin, visiting my brother at Washington State and going to a football game. I had some wonderful best friends fly out to spend time with me before I left. We explored Grass Valley, Napa, Chico, Truckee and Tahoe. It was such a fun time to catch up and laugh! This isn’t to show off, but rather to show how richly God will bless your life when you choose to say “yes” to His plans for you. I never in my life expected to be the girl traveling around the world, but here I am in Kenya, loving every minute of this life he has given me. To my friends in the States and that I’ve met along the way, you are such a blessing and am so thankful to have met you! To my family, thank you so much for your support and love. I sit in awe at this past year. Thank you all for being a part of it. I love you, and hope you can experience the same awe on your next birthday!
Hmmm, 2 dozen? The hours in a day? Actually, it is my age! Today I turn 24… wow, I am old. I laid in bed last night unable to fall asleep. Many things ran through my head: missing friends and family back home, remembering what I did last year on my birthday, wondering what I will have accomplished by my 25th birthday.
And then this year. It is hard to wrap up this year into a summary. I have been so blessed to experience even more than I probably realize. We have met wonderful, generous, loving people all over the world. Have had to say many sad good-byes, but knowing they will always be a part of my life, if only in memories and lessons learned. I rode an elephant, rode in the back of many trucks, hiked a volcano, preached in churches, taught at schools, held a newborn baby, held a pet monkey, washed laundry and showered in a river, took a wooden canoe up a river to sleep in the jungle. I’ve become friends with bar girls, and 10 year-old boys who struggled with addictions to paint thinner. I have become family with 60 strangers. I have 11 different types of currency in my purse (we’ve already gotten a few “bonus” countries), 11 country stamps in my passport, and endless memories.
