First Steps Back on American Soil

As the team stepped onto Georgian soil, I was at the place I hadn’t imagined possible while on the race, home. I’ll be honest, the whole plane ride home was consumed with thoughts of what home would be like. Was I prepared for such a sudden transition? What if this time away from my people has damaged our relationships? Is there any real way to prepare for culture shock? Will the time away from my team damage our unity? Every World Racer wonders what home will look like after the race, and I got a sneak peek into these things. Dear fellow World Racer, this one is for you.

I stepped off the plane and tried to leave these anxious questions behind, but as I made my way to the airport exit, I felt my heart beat faster and faster. Going through customs, the man asked me simple questions.. in English. My eyes widened. This stranger was speaking English to me, so was everyone around me! After explaining I wasn’t smuggling anything and I was simply taken aback by everyone speaking the same language as me, he laughed and let me through. I stepped through the exit to a sea of a million strangers with flowers, balloons, and flashing cameras.. jarring. Then the familiar face I was so nervous to see stepped up, and all of that went away. Everything that was shocking to me melted away, and I felt safe. I felt home. Culture shock is a beast, but with the right, supportive people, it’s not that bad. It can actually be pretty comedic. The amount of times we joked around about seeing so many legs for the first time in months, being cold in AC, or forgetting English is once again the primary language is immeasurable.

Besides the initial shock of seeing and hearing things you haven’t seen in months, there are larger things to take on when coming home, like the powers and principalities that rule over the United States, such as consumerism, individualism / independence, and the spirit of hurry. I didn’t come home to a closet full of clothes; those were put in a storage unit. I didn’t come home to a car; I sold it. I didn’t come home to my own space, my own closet, my own vehicle.. nothing. I was completely dependent on the Lord and the generosity of others. Lies would creep in saying that I was mooching, that I was behind on life, and that I wasn’t successful. In those moments, the Lord was so faithful to remind.

Just because our lives look different from the rest of our fellow Americans doesn’t mean we aren’t successful. We are just set apart. I may not have a college education, but I have wisdom. I may not have a car, but look how far the Lord has brought me without one. I may not have a paying job, but I am rich. I may not have the most trendy clothes, but I know what is within me. I’ve gained more, I’ve loved more, I’ve become more than I ever could have if I didn’t say yes to the race.

Anxious moments will come, lies will come, but it is nothing the Lord hasn’t already prepared you to face while in the time you’ve been on the field. Stay rooted in Him and His promises, and nothing that comes your way when you return will overturn you.