So here I am, back in the United States like “whoa was that all a crazy dream?” But the changes in me and the lifelong friends I’ve made the past 11 months reassure me that the world race indeed happened. And it rocked. So on hindsight, here are some pro tips for you upcoming racers.
One size fits all (or at least most) becomes more real than ever before. I have been in shirts sizes small all the way through 3X on the world race, I ain’t even playin. For one thing, the race has a way of stretching fabric (hand washing, no dryers, packing and repacking). So try on clothes from the free pile if you really like it cause you never know. In the words of my teammate Saraya, “If you don’t think it will fit, it will. You just need to try harder.” But don’t get crazy, remember modest is hottest 😉
Really that phrase applies to a lot of things on the race: more stuff in your pack, putting people in a vehicle, more rice in your belly.
Your squad (hopefully) will develop weird vocabulary. Going rogue, comin in hot, going ham, getting tanked, drinkin outta cups. These are all phrases I never said before the race and they are now part of my everyday vocabulary. Along with English phrases, you may pick up random words from the language is some countries you visit. Yebo. Embrace the culture of your squad. Every squad is different and enjoys one another differently. G squad started doing open mic nights in month 2, and we ended up doing one almost every debrief. They were a blast. So whatever it is that brings your squad together, jump in and participate. It takes a specific kind of crazy to do the world race and this is probably the only time you’re gonna be around this many people who have that same kind of crazy as you. So get to know them and enjoy them. Enjoy the quirks.
Respect the authority put before you. I had 3 different team leaders on my race. They all had very different leadership styles and they all did a fantastic job. Your squad leaders are listening to the Holy Spirit when they make decisions so trust that your leaders (and raised up SQLs) are chosen in His will. And respect them, trust them to do their job. It can be pretty hard to lead your peers so give them grace and give them feedback.
And feedback! I love feedback! Most of the time anyway haha. I really was so excited about it when the race started and I was surprised at how many of my squadmates were dreading it. One of my first teammates, Lindsay W said this in month one, “Imagine you’re going to the doctor. You want to get healed so you’re going to be really open about all your symptoms. You won’t hide anything. It should be the same with feedback. We want to be more like Christ so we shouldn’t fear receiving constructive feedback since it can only make us better.” Holla. Giving and receiving feedback can be tricky at first but if you practice it you’ll get more and more comfortable with it. There were things called out in me (both positive and negative) that no one in my life had ever called out. Taking these things before God really helped me understand myself more, and live more like Jesus.
Here’s a practical tip, wash your clothes in the shower. This is what I did in Nicaragua when I didn’t feel like hand washing a whole load of laundry. Just take a couple items with you when you go to wash your self and scrub scrub. Perhaps while you condition. Gotta keep those locks luscious!
And speaking of hair, bring some tea tree oil. For real. I’m pretty sure I talked about it in a previous blog but seriously, bring it. At one point half our squad had lice but I never got it and I swore by the tea tree. There’s a few different ways to apply it, but I liked mixing mine in with my shampoo. Tea tree oil is good for other stuff too, like acne and rashes. Be prepared for those, skin gets weird on the race sometimes.
I AM ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT PERIODS, GENTLEMAN BE WARNED. Honestly, periods should not be as big of a deal as we make them because they’re just a part of normal life. So I am team OB all the way! If you can wear a tampon you can wear an OB. It just takes some practice. They’re better for the environment (no plastic!) and they take up half the room in your pack as normal tampons. We had access to pads, liners, and OBs in every country I was in. Some countries had tampons but sometimes they only had the kind with cardboard applicators. Periods are hard enough sometimes in normal life so they can be really difficult on the race at times but you’re a strong, beautiful woman and you can handle it!
Here are some things I’m really glad I brought on the race:
Sea to summit airporter – this is the one that doubles as a rain cover. From what I saw, it seems like the easiest one to get packs in and out of as well.
A nice pillow – I love pillows so I brought a large thermarest and loved it. It rolled down to about 1/4 it’s size and I usually clipped it on the outside of my pack. I could’ve honestly done with a medium but the large is nice. Thermarest pillows can get really firm over time but if you move the foam around and fluff it regularly it will stay pretty cushy. And bring a small pillow case, good gosh or your pillow will get nasty. This is something you might think you don’t need but will want I promise.
Head lamp – when you have to visit the squatty potty outhouse in the middle of the night you will be thankful for your headlamp. I used mine a whole whole lot. A lot of people had the black diamond brand and they seem nice but I brought an energizer brand one that I bought like 4 years ago at Walmart. It was cheaper and sometimes actually brighter than the fancy ones, so check your local Walmart before you drop like $40 on a headlamp.
Quick dry towel – not the terry cloth ish ones, those get stanky, but the ones that feel kinda weird, almost like suede. They dry you pretty well and they dry themselves really fast which is nice.
Journal – yes yes yes bring a journal! Before the race I mostly journaled prayers but on the race I started writing down random stuff I wanted to remember. Funny things people said, wise things people said. Food I ate and things that I saw. Sometimes I taped in flowers or notes. It’s also a really good and safe place to process stuff. And nice pens! Pens you will actually want to write with. Stibilos are awesome and I had a set of InkJoy flairs and I loved them.
A positive attitude. Really, you are going on an amazing adventure. Sometimes it’s really difficult. Jesus ain’t all about giving us rainbows and butterflies, he’s about giving us what we need and what will transform us more and more into his likeness. So choose joy and celebrate what there is to be celebrated.
