Since I’ve committed to going on The World Race, I’ve made sure to follow people who are currently on the race and #11n11 (the official WR hashtag) on Instagram. It’s been great to see specifically what they are doing each day, and helps me to be prepared for what next year is going to look like for me. I just saw a group go biking in Nepal and they took a break to enjoy Mt. Everest’s beauty… I will be sure to do that when I am there! And it’s been great to see people from all over America, come together and do ministry… as they serve those in need.
While I will definitely make sure to share what all I will be doing when I’m at my 11 countries like the current Racers are, I want to share what I am doing now as well. And I want to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. I hope my journey can inspire others in whatever way they need to be inspired.
Right now, it might seem like preparing for my trip is all fun and exciting… but it isn’t always like that. I can get very stressed about figuring out all of the logistics. There is so much gear I need to purchase, and it doesn’t really help that I’m completely unfamiliar with backpacking. I still need to figure out what vaccinations I need and go and get them, request to defer my student loans, request to get a full year’s supply of my medications, see if I am able to fit any books and/or journals in my backpack, and see if I am truly capable of packing for a year in only 2 backpacks!
And not to mention, I also have to figure out how I am going to raise $19,000. I am happy to say I have raised more than $2,000– seriously, PRAISE THE LORD!!! I am 10 percent of the way done. But I’m still scared. What if I don’t raise enough? What if no one comes to my fundraising events? I actually had a bad dream the other night, where my clothing swap event ended up being a disaster. Trust me, I won’t actually let that happen! But I get a sick feeling to my stomach when I think about everything I need to do. I know everything will come together, and the Lord will provide, but it is still stressful.
Some other sad thoughts I think about often:
-I won’t be able to hang out with my friends and family. Also, I love to spontaneously plan something fun with my friends, and I won’t have the opportunity to do that.
-My nephews are going to grow up a ton when I’m gone… I’m afraid they won’t remember me when I return.
-I won’t be there for my dad’s big 6-0 (sorry dad, I just revealed your age!), and any of my family’s birthdays.
-The organization I work for, HVAF, has awesome upcoming plans, and I won’t be able to be involved or see it happen.
-I won’t be able to randomly pick up Savannah, our family dog, and have her at my apartment. Along with my nephews, I don’t know how she will react when I’m back.
-What will I do if someone close to me passes away?
-It feels like everyone will move on with life without me there, and I will miss out and have so much catch up to do when I return home.
-Speaking of returning home, I have no clue what I will be doing for a job when I come home. I have several ideas for programs/schools, but I can’t really do anything about that until I’m back which really scares the crap out of me to be honest.
Anyways, I could go on and on. But I want to be completely open and transparent about my journey, and want to let people know it isn’t all smiles and rainbows over here. This is an incredible time in my life, but with that comes fear and worry. I know the Lord will be with me along the way, and that I have to fully trust in Him during this time in my life. And I know God has called me to go on this trip… so while I am sacrificing a lot… I will be gaining a lot as well!
Any verses or words of encouragement along the way from you all would mean a lot as well!
Okay, I promise I’ll try to be more positive on my next blog post 🙂
