Shout out to the lovely Kayla Zilch from Z-Squad, who inspired this post. Read her work; she’s brilliant. www.kaylazilch.theworldrace.org
1.) Toilet Paper is not a right.
2.) The reason the hamburger and rice tastes different from mom’s is because the ground beef is an iguana.
3.) The more you get to know people, the more likely it is that they will try to convince you to marry a friend/churchgoer/neighbour/crazy sibling in Chile.
4.) No one will fight for your relationship with God more than you, nor should they. Fight for it.
5.) You have issues. You may not know what they are -yet- but they will show up when you least expect them. The pain is a good thing. Lean into it.
6.) Just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, God will throw you a curveball. And then another one. Aaaaaaaand another.
7.) When you make the plan “there is no plan,” that helps some. (Not much, but some.)
8.) You will never tell your mother how fast you were going that one time in that one country on the way to that place. You will probably tell your brother about it at Christmas though.
9.) People are effort. If you don’t like to exert yourself, you will never get to see people for who they are. Make an effort; the people are worth it.
10.) The things that bring joy to your soul may terrify the person next to you. Ride the waves together.
11.) I am responsible for obedience, not results. God is in charge of results.
12.) You and your bilingual squadmates will experience a special kind of irritation in South America when hearing every in-flight announcement. Twice.
13.) International flights are an opportunity to watch 4 movies back-to-back, get no sleep, and then compare notes with everyone else about what was good and what they watched. Sleep is optional.
14.) Socks are the most important item of clothing in your wardrobe. The big fluffy wool boot socks are totally worth $15 a pair.
15.) Netflix contributed little value to my life, and I don’t miss it.
16.) Jaywalking is an art form. I practice abstract art.
17.) You will miss a washer and dryer more than anything else in your house. Toilets and their seats are tied for second with your shower.
18.) Nutella is to Europe as Peanut Butter is to the United States. God bless Europe.
19.) $3.00/month is not too much to pay for the ability to Skype anyone in North America and surprise the heck out of them. Totally worth it. Too bad you don’t have any Wifi.
20.) I am a work in progress. Just because you are used to being refined in the fire doesn’t mean you won’t get switched to a hotter kiln without notice.
