Dear Future Racers,
My name is Weston Belkot and I recently completed the World Race. My hope is that the following blog will enlighten and prepare you for what you may encounter while on the World Race. This blog has been broken up into four sections. A. Qualities of a Good Racer. B. The Race By Numbers. C. Habits You’ll Pick Up. D. Habits You’ll Stop/Reduce. Let us begin the informational training session now.
1. Qualities of a Good Racer
– Photogenic: Lots of pictures are going to be taken of you, so you need to look good in front of a lens.
– Flexible: Even if they tell you something will be a certain way, don’t count on it.
– Not repulsed by rice or noodles.
– Can speak English (and, in turn, teach it too.)
– Knowledgeable of a nearly endless supply of games.
– Rockstar Appeal: You’ll be famous.
– Sense of Smell: Need to be able to tell Too Dirty from Wearable.
– Two Legs: You’re going to walk, a lot.
– Ability to answer, “What country are we in?” in under five seconds.
– Reflective: Need to analyze, not just experience events.
– Will partake in one of the following: Growing hair out, cutting hair uniquely, or dying hair unnaturally.
B. The Race By Numbers
19 countries visited. (Airports don’t count.)
10 countries I played soccer in.
22 churches attended. (This does not include services with the squad or multiple services at the same church.)
79 “beds.” (This includes trains, planes, and buses only when it was overnight.)
4.5 average number of days spent in one “bed” before moving to new one.
15 books read
71 blogs since the start of the Race. (Thanks for reading them all mom.)
0 times operating a four wheeled vehicle
58 different wireless networks saved on my laptop
1 time around the world, literally. (I will have traveled West out of Miami and fly into Pittsburgh from the East
350+ hours spent on long distance travel. (This only includes when I was physically traveling on the plane, train, or bus, so including travel to and waiting at stations the number is probably close to double.)
3. Habits You’ll Pick Up (Maybe)
– Taking shoes off at the door.
– Bringing Bible to church. (To have something to read during the sermon.)
– Motioning the “come here” signal with your palm down.
– Eating individualized, novelty ice creams.
– Drinking tea or coffee daily.
– Drinking Coke and/or Fanta way more than you should.
– Preferring cool showers over hot.
– When entering a bathroom go through the steps: 1. Check if there’s a toilet seat. 2. Check if it’s worth sitting on. 3. Check if there’s toilet paper.
– Carrying toilet paper with you to any public restroom.
– Responding in the wrong language. (gracias, khap pun khrap, speciba, multemesc, etc.)
– Sitting around the table to eat as a family, and continuing to sit after the meal has been consumed.
– Letting out a small moan when AC hits your skin.
– Eating Nutella
– Conversations about worms aren’t about the earth crawling kind.
– Checking blog for comments.
D. Habits You’ll Stop/Reduce
– Reaching for your phone when you hear a ring.
– Carrying a wallet.
– Reading a printed newspaper.
– Working out.
– Knowing or caring what the date is.
– Expecting: to be served quality foods, to be picked up on time, or having own space.
– Caring what you wear.
– Coming and going as you please.
– Taking two showers a day.
– Watching TV. (What’s the NFL?)
– Considering travel under ten hours “a lot.”
– Thinking you don’t need to ask for help.
– Oblivious to the American music being played in public spaces. (It’s everywhere.)
– Being loud…not!
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