“The racers that launched before you are now going home. You are now the oldest racers on the Field,” our squad mentor informed us from a balcony in Kathmandu, Nepal. The whole of B-squad sitting together with our mentor, squad coaches, two of our three Alumni squad leaders joined together for a couple of days to regroup and process the craziness that is our life.
Sometimes it hits me yet again. I’m in India. I’m in a different hemisphere. I live in a constant sate of Samwise Gamgee (in the movie, not the book), “If I take one more step, I’ll be the farthest from home I’ve ever been.”
This is my life. My normal is very abnormal. My consistencies are extremely inconsistent and in this post I’d like to invite you into the some of the norms of my life as a world racer. My race is unique to me and every racer has a different experience depending on whom they are, where they are going, the culture of their squad, and who they allow God to be on their race. Hopefully though, this will help you in understanding a little window of my daily life.
Commonly used vocabulary
Sometimes, talking to a racer is like speaking a different language. Here’s some terms for those of you who don’t speak World Race:
- Racer-someone on the world race, usually still on the field (those who have finished their race are typically called world race alums)
- Squad- group of people traveling with you to the same countries (for the most part)
- Team- the small group, usually six to eight people, you do life with daily
- Route- the 11(ish) countries you live in over 11 months… subject to change
- Community- the act of sharing, doing ministry, spending time, receiving feedback, and generally doing life with your team
- Feedback- the process of speaking life into your teammates, can be encouraging or constructive but both usually are related to a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)
- Team time- a special time set aside to spend time with your team doing whatever the leader of team time wants to do, usually there is a time for feedback occurring directing before or after team time
- Ministry- the church or organization you are working with that month. It can range from aiding in an orphanage to manual labour
- Off day/Adventure day- Two days a week set aside for rest and exploring the place you are
- Packs- Two backpacks, big and little, to carry all things you own for the year
- Team changes- a time where the leadership team of your squad mentor/coaches/squad leaders change the people on your team, can happen at any time. For some unknown reason, this is a big subject on the parent Facebook page
- Quiet Time- Time set aside for you and Jesus. Some people do this quietly listening to music, while other do a variety of activities. Quiet time is for you and Jesus so really you can do anything
- Está Bien, faleminderit, and YOU KNOW…- Three phrases on my squad that just haven’t gone away. In order they mean: it’s good/okay, thank you, and a general pointing out of something that may or may not be obvious to the person it’s getting shouted at
Frequently used items
For any world racer there is an arsenal of things that we keep around us to ensure our success in daily life. The following are common things you’ll find with a world racer:
- Chaco- a brand of sandals that are the SUV of the sandal world. Most racers have some sort of version of the Chaco (Keens, Tevas, PG’s [polar grips]) which are the most popular
- Nalgene- brand of water bottle made for long-term use. The term Nalgene is short hand for any water bottle
- Bible- We’re missionaries… so…
- Journals- From personal quiet time to sermons, keeping track of what’s going on in our lives is important when things are always changing
- Cipro and Doxy- The first is a medication used for traveler’s diarrhea. I don’t think this needs more explanation. The second is for malaria prevention.
- Oils- for some reason, on my squad essential oils are a really big thing. Peppermint for carsickness, headaches, and upset stomachs. Lavender for cramps and burns. They really do work and I have succumbed to the fandom. (My teammate, Melissa uses Vicks in the same way.)
- Secret stash of Peanut butter-whether its been hidden in your bag since launch or you found it (for way too much of your food budget) in the big supermarket, many racers, myself and my teammate Maggie included, have this somewhere in their big pack wherever in the world we go
Commonly Asked Questions
Personality Questions- When learning about the people on your team there are lots of questions that get asked. Some (but not all) of these questions include: What’s your love language, are you an introvert or an extrovert, what’s your Myers-Briggs, how do you receive love?. Every person is unique and every set of answers helps to know and love your team better.
Where ya at Questions- Where you are at in your walk with God plays a huge role in how you behave with your team and how your month goes. These questions seek to understand where you’ve been, where you stand now, and where you’re going. They include questions like are you in the river, what did you do this month, and what is God teaching you.
“Can you check my head for lice?” and other important health questions- Occupational hazards like lice and bug bites are just part of living while on the race. That being said, it’s important to try and not spread the love when it comes to lice and rashes if possible.
Common Conversation Topics
Food- Food is something that we talk about a whole lot. We talk which part of the chicken the curry came from in that village, that really hot pepper so and so ate, and among the southerners of our group- chick-fil-a. The first meal we will eat when we get home, how good we ate the month our team had an oven, and the technicalities of eating with your right hand when you’re left handed in India are also topics that go around and around and around.
Poop- Not unrelated to the topic above, I can say with complete confidence that I know far too much about the bowel movements of most people on our squad. This is a common conversation topic especially when this activity is occurring too much or not enough. There’s always the ever-important funny story that happened to that one person and “how was the bathroom?” question before leaving every paying establishment. I can also say for sure that my understanding of what is normally in a bathroom has also dramatically changed on the race… and you thought that a door, toilet paper, a toilet seat, water, and a toilet were necessary parts of the bathroom…
The Universal Closet Theory- My squad has 28 girls and 5 guys, not including alumni squad leaders, and we all share each other’s clothes. “I love what you’re wearing!” says person A. “Thanks, its Rachael’s!” responds person B. This happens every single time we get together. Between general sharing between team members and the free table, you always have more options than just the clothes in your backpack. You have 33 backpacks to choose from and gender does not play a role in choosing.
Random accents that have nothing to do with what’s going on- This isn’t so much a conversation topic but rather a speech pattern that infiltrates conversations regardless of topic. Sometimes it’s a southern accent given during instructions. Other times it’s a semi-creepy yet hilarious narrator voice that repeats your friend’s blog metaphors. At the end of day, its all fantastically fun.
The world race is truly a unique culture unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It has its own language, its own custom, and its own heartbeat. Although the things I’ve described are light-hearted, I truly know that God is in each part of the race.
