It’s hard to believe that I’ve been home for a month already. My World Race self wants this to mean that it’s time to pack up and head out to a new country, a new adventure. This month that is not the case.
On the World Race we were in constant motion, constantly looking ahead to the next months, reminiscing about the past months, and soaking up the present months while we had them. This kind of living became normal. It became normal to pack up and move all our belongings at least once a month. It became normal to meet new faces each month, to take part in a new project. Even adjusting to different cultures, different languages, and different foods became normal. Change became normal. Change became routine.
Now we find ourselves stuck in the familiar. Back to a country with a language we can understand, faces that we recognize, roads that we can comfortably navigate. It’s all kind of unsettling, really. Is this it? Is this how it’s always been? Yes, but we are different. We have seen the world for what it is, diving into the depths to bring hope and life to those who need it. Our life on the World Race was exhausting but fulfilling, a pouring out and a breathing in. Now here we are wondering what just happening and wondering what to do about it.
One thing I did about it was go to Project Searchlight up in Gainesville, Georgia. The World Race taught us to have no expectations and I really did have no idea what Project Searchlight would be like. By the end of it, however, I was so glad that I went. For a few days, the racers that launched last September had the chance to come together to hear from speakers, participate in discussion groups, and just have fun. We talked a lot about where we wanted to go and how to get there. It was great to spend time with people who have been through the same thing and are asking the same questions as I am.
The second thing I want to do is thank all my supporters! As this journey (and this blog) come to a close, I am so grateful for anyone that has been supporting me financially so far. To get an idea of how many people helped make my World Race happen, I would like to thank (in no particular order):
- my family
- my grandparents
- my aunts and uncles
- the Queens
- the Hardingtons
- Sue Craig
- the Jenkins
- the Curys
- Diane Wimbrow
- Stephanie Kuhling
- the Eagles
- Deanna Cain
- the Charests
- the Brinkleys
- the Freemans
- Hollie Anderson
- the Travises
- the Schifanellas
- the Bodges
- the Shurtleffs
- the Hayeses
- the Waters
- the Wolfsens
- the Oakleys
- the Shins
- the Pritchetts
- Jamie Campbell
- the Reynolds
- the Wangs
- the Mathiases
- the Vincents
- the Magees
- the McCalls
- Andrea Rizzi
- Judith Thompson
- Hao Yang
- Lauren Chapman
- Yuan Feng
- Terrence Brooks
- Sam Thibodeaux
- Wesley Chan
- Anne Wiggins
- Ben Swanson
- Bill Snyder
- Peter Hynes
- Katie Ayanian
- Jena Foster
- Matthew Prattos
- Heidi Tobe
- Camp Neotez
- Half Moon Bar
- three people I don’t know named Samantha, Michael, and Clay
This will probably not be the last you hear from me, so keep a lookout for what crazy adventure God takes me on next!
