“Don’t believe everything you see on the internet.”
We’ve been told this little piece of advice ever since we were old enough to scroll through social media and see the news that pops up on MSN. So many of our fears and dissatisfactions come from comparison that takes place due to the constant exposure that we have to the lives of all the people around us. My generation in particular is daily bombarded by photos of other peoples lives, shown at the best lighting and angle, and a cute and enticing caption.
Now I don’t think that social media is a wicked thing, and I actually really like Instagram. I think photos are an incredible way to tell stories, but it’s important to bear in mind that things are not always as they seem. There is almost always a back story.
My lovely teammate and friend, Miss Kirsty Marshall, had the wonderful idea of giving the back story to different Facebook and Instagram posts that I’ve posted throughout my time on the race. Here’s a little bit more as to what was going on in each of these photos captured.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
We all appear bright eyed and bushy tailed here. And yes, I was so very excited for this new adventure, but I was also terrified and melancholy to an extreme degree. In retrospect, I look at this photo and just remember the turmoil I felt in the pit of my stomach. Also, it was right before a 60 hour travel day that was the beginning of what would become a “normal” day of travel.
Chokwe, Mozambique
This month was rough physically. We were in constant heat and our diet of carbs, carbs, and more carbs, really began to take a toll on my body. Sluggish is the epitome of what I felt that month.
Nsoko, Swaziland
Sleeping in this beehive was one of the only “adventure” things that we got to do this month. Although it was a blast, it was also so incredibly hot and stuffy and I woke up several times in the night with the feeling of having bugs crawling all over me.
Antananarivo, Madagascar
This is the view from the first place we stayed in Madagascar. It is absolutely stunning, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is what the whole city looks like. What you don’t see are the lines of traffic, the air pollution and the general chaos that tends to be taking place in the street.
Langkawi, Malaysia
My caption for this photo included this quote: “Occasionally, weep deeply over the life you hoped would be. Grieve the losses. Then wash your face. Trust God. And embrace the life you have”. At this point, I was on one of the most beautiful islands I had ever visited, yet my heart was in turmoil and I was struggling hardcore with where God had me. One thing I’ve been learning is how important it is to choose joy for yourself, because you can be on an incredible island, and still have the worst time if you don’t decide otherwise.
Bali, Indonesia
This day just really was amazing.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
This was by far one of my favorite adventure days I’ve had so far. You just can’t tell by the photo that I was actually really sick and in a whole lot of pain. I also had a really bad heat rash that covered my arms, legs, and back. Later that day, I went to the hospital to be diagnosed with hand, foot, and mouth disease. (Ew!)
So next time you’re scrolling through social media, remember you’re probably looking at a highlight reel for most peoples’ day or week. Don’t play the comparison game, it won’t do you any good.
“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
