Throughout the past 7 months many things have happened that make me think “only on the world race”. I know my adventure it not quite through yet, but I have compiled a list of things from this past half a year that have reminded me (like I could forget) that I’m on the world race.
You know your on the world race when:
- You forget which side of the street Americans drive on.
- Your wallet has multiple currencies and you often accidently try to pay with the wrong one.
- You have walked across a border.
- You have been the minority.
- Your hair is viewed as some mysterious foreign object.
- You have been called “Americano” Or “Mulungo” or some other term that means white person.
- You are constantly converting currencies in your head.
- You forget how you got to that continent because all travel days are starting to melt together in your mind.
- Every piece of clothing you have either has bleach spots, holes, or dirt stains on them.
- You wonder why your arms hurt only to realize its from hand washing the day before.
- Personal space is a thing of the past.
- You find yourself trying to remember which places had wifi back at home, only to realize( to your amazement) that your phone had internet no matter where you went.
- Goats and chickens roaming freely no longer alarm you.
- You start measuring time by continent and countries.
- You talk about going to “the internet”.
- You desperately try to find wifi at every gas station, restaurant, hotel, or house you enter.
- You know basic phrases in multiple languages and often respond in the wrong language.
- You have dreams about your clothing at home (sigh).
- You get overjoyed when you find American candy in a store.
- You have eaten more rice on the race than in your whole life.
- McDonalds is comforting to you.
- You’ve been tested for Malaria.
- You are no longer inconvienced by squeezing way too many people into a car.
- You look at a seatbelt as a foreign object (considering most forms of transportation don’t offer them)
- Last but not least, you improvise in everything from cooking to medicine. Hence the Turkish airlines toothbrush splint for my burn =)
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I'm sure many more moments are yet to come when I think "only on the world race" but until then I hope this gives you a little insight into this crazy wonderful thing called the world race.
