I’m not crying. You just hugged the water out of my eyes! 

I said goodbye to everything I’ve known and hopped on a plane this morning. I am now officially on the World Race. WHAT. EVEN. I’m still waiting for my head and heart to catch up to my feet… I’ll be in Atlanta for a few more days of training before flying to Australia. Maybe I’ll be all in one piece by then!

Saying goodbye to my 10yo brother was the hardest of all! He’s my weekend visiting, shotgun riding, project working, Sonic drinking, and all-around best bud. I'll miss you like crazy, my dude! 

I have been completely overwhelmed by the love of my friends and family. The notes from my youth girls, emails, words of encouragement, cards, gifts, people taking care of my animals...wow, I have been so blessed! I’m not usually an emotional person, but all the feels are spilling out everywhere. And you know, it’s okay. To all the airport personnel who were incredibly sweet and gracious with my tear-stained self, thank you. To all the people who brought those tears to my eyes, thank you for giving me a reason to cry. The tears are a physical overflowing of the love I feel for y’all. 

I can’t even begin to explain how much it means to me to know that I have an army fighting for me back home. A lot of people have been shocked by how big and crazy this trip is and amazed that I’m doing it, but I want you to know that I couldn’t do it without you. And I’m not just saying that. For real, I can’t imagine walking into this journey without each and every one of you warriors covering my back. I know without a doubt that God’s got this because He is using you to prove His faithfulness to me. 

Thank you for joining me from afar. Know that you are loved, missed, and will have a huge hug coming for you when I return at the end of the year! Emotions aside, I’m thrilled to keep taking the next step of this journey. It’s crazy and unknown and mindblowing. But, as I like to say during a competitive sports game, “LET’S GOOOOO!”