Tuesday, September 10, 2013. 1:25pm EST.
That was the exact minute our plane lost contact with American ground.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014. 1:25pm EST.
That was the exact minute I scooped a handful of almonds out of the bag as I leisurely watched my 9-month-old niece play with her toys.
It’s almost unbelievable to think that a whole year has passed since I left the country on what would be the craziest, hardest, and most life-changing adventure I could know.
In the past year:
I have seen my passions come to life.
I have witnessed brokenness and depravity in more real ways than I thought possible.
I have shared the gospel of Christ to people of multiple nationalities.
I have eaten strange and exotic foods.
I have cried myself to sleep more times than I had in the 22 years prior to this trip (probably).
I lost my 16-year-old cat, two great-aunts, and a half-uncle.
I became an aunt!
I have cuddled physically orphaned babies, and loved spiritually orphaned people.
I have had my heart captured by a little Thai girl, a little Romanian girl, and a few South Africans (to name a few).
I have learned how to be a better friend.
I have come face-to-face with the ugly areas of my life.
I learned how to use my voice.
I took steps of faith in areas of my life that terrified me.
I have learned how to be content in any situation.
I have learned how to be patient in the unknown.
I have had a complete renovation of my foundation in Christ.
I have moved out of the only house I knew to live in Virginia with my sister.
I have started taking EMT classes and looking for jobs.
Looking at my life now, it might not look as exciting as I expected a year ago, especially when you compare it to the previous 11 months. I look at my squadmates who are already back on the field as alumni squad leaders, or going to CGA or G42, and it’s hard not to be a tad jealous (…OK, a lot jealous). But if I’ve learned anything from my crazy year abroad, it’s that life isn’t always exciting. Even when you’re doing something epic like the World Race, you have days, weeks, or even months that are mundane and ordinary. So while my current situation may not get my heart pumping or my nerves excited, I know I am exactly where God has me for this season. I still have a pretty epic adventure in store for my future, and I cannot let the mundane of the ‘today’ distract me from the amazing picture God is painting of my life. One brush stroke at a time.
