Two weeks.
I am two weeks away from leaving for the biggest trip of my life so far and maybe for a long time after, and yet, it doesn’t feel real. How am I ever supposed to feel prepared or really comprehend an adventure quite this big? Now that being said, I am as excited as could be and cannot wait to leave, but a part of me still doubts that it is really happening and that it’s not just all in my head.
The Trip
If you look under the ‘About’ tab on this blog, you can read a little bit about the basics and background of this Around-the-World (ATW) trip that I am about to embark upon, but I would like to share a little bit more about the specifics of this year’s trip. On August 3rd, I fly back out to California, and the next day I will be reunited with my team, and we’ll have a send-off service at the University. We arise early on the 5th to drive to LAX, where we have a pre-test, and then we take off for a 13-hour flight to China.
This part of the trip is graspable. Flying to China feels like an actual part of my future. When people have asked me what country I am most excited for, (it changes constantly, and I’ve given many different answers) I often say it is China, because that is the beginning, and I am just so anxious to get started. In reality, though, it might be the only country that I have truly understood to be happening.
If you only want the short version of this introduction to my trip, please read the About the Trip section which you can find at the bottom of the ‘About’ tab at the top of my blog. You can also find the country list right below in the Snapshot section. Those details should cover the basics of this adventure that I am about to embark on, but I would love for you to know more so if you keep reading you’ll find details on all of our plans for each country and some of my thoughts!
A Snapshot in Numbers
The Places
- 10 countries for 10-14 days each- China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Nepal, India, Greece, Israel, Uganda, Hungary, Costa Rica
- +1 fall break country-Malta
- +2 weekend countries- Austria and Spain
- +3 long layovers countries (that I’m hoping are long enough for me to leave the airport and explore)- South Korea, Malaysia, Turkey
- =13 to 16 countries
The People
- 31 students
- +4 Grad assistants
- +1 professor and his family
- =40 people traveling the world
- +5 visiting professors for 2 weeks in different countries
- =40 people traveling the world
The Classwork
- 3 units of Travel Writing
- +2 units of Service Practicum
- + 3 units of Post-Modern Lit
- +3 units of Epic Lit
- +4 units of Foundations of Language
- =15 units of class
- +2 units taken last semester of prep classes
- +1 unit taken the semester after as a debrief
- =15 units of class
- =18 units of classes to make 1 Global Cultural Studies minor
The Time
- 14 days ‘til we fly to China
- 136 days out of the country
- 86 hours and 45 minutes of flights
- About 36,500 miles flown (not including any driving or walking the entire trip)
The Itinerary
Even though the reality of each place has yet to set in, there are some details that are set in my mind and in my heart, and I would like to share a little bit about each place that we are going and what we are doing with you.
China
Our first stop! This is a huge country with such a rich history, and there is just so much I wish I could experience here, but I am so blessed to be able to see even just a small part of it! The organization we work with here is called Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village, which is located just a little way north of the capital city, Beijing. This organization is a special needs orphanage for children in the region and does amazing work for these kids.
Mongolia
Did you know that Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country by landmass and that their capital city contains 5 letter A’s? I am super excited to get to Mongolia to be reunited with people who are missionaries throughout all of Mongolia to the Kazakhs (from Kazakhstan, often Muslim). They are a super cool family that we had the honor of meeting last semester when they came to our campus during their furlough. We will get to help at their church with renovations and VBS, and our professor, Dr. Schultz will be out with us to teach! (Also Kazakh food is amazing. I’m really just hoping to eat more Baursak.)
Vietnam
My friends and I have a lot of silly bets we’ve made for things that will happen on ATW. I want to guess that about half of them come to fruition in Vietnam, like for example, they bet that Vietnam will finally be the country where it hits me that I am actually on a four and a half month trip out of the country. I’ll let you know in 2 months when we are there if they are correct, but with how I am feeling now, they might be right.
Nepal
Mount Everest is located on the border of Nepal so many people associate Nepal with the Himalayas, and while we aren’t climbing Mount Everest while we are there, we should have the chance to trek into parts of the Himalayas! As a Colorado girl, I’m pretty excited to see these mountains! We have two missionary contacts in Nepal who trek into the Himalayas to share the Gospel with those who have never heard it. Our professor, Dr. Mueller, will join us in this country to take over teaching classes.
India
Every past ATW trip has included time in India. Many of the past Rounders (students who have been Around-the-World) have told me that India was their breaking point or the country that impacted them the most. I don’t want to have too high of hopes for a single country, but it is going to be amazing to spend time at the Mother Theresa homes with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India. Here we will be working in one of the homes like Prem Dan or Kalighat to help children and the ill in some of the poorest slums.
Malta
I love the beach and have always wanted to see the Mediterranean, so I’m ready to go to Malta. This is our fall break country and with one week off from classes and service, we will have time to rest, catch up on sleep, and hang out at the beach. (Side note: Paul shipwrecked on the island of Malta so go check out that story in Acts 28 cause God is awesome and did some cool stuff here.)
Greece
I wanted to be an architect when I was younger, and then I realized how much science is involved in that, and that building mansions was a bit pointless, so I dropped that idea. That being said, Greece is home to some of the most amazing ancient architecture in the world, and I can’t believe I finally get to go see it! Concordia professor, Dr. Middendorf will meet us in Greece to accompany our group, teach classes for the two weeks, and lend his expertise on the New Testament and the Early Church as we explore Athens and Corinth. As for service, we will be preparing homes for refugees by partnering with a local church which is going to be amazing.
Israel
I don’t know a whole lot about what we are doing in Israel except for some outreach programs with the Lutheran Church, so I have no details, but y’all, we get to see where Jesus walked, and that’s pretty exciting! Dr. Middendorf will still be with us, and he’s an expert on basically everything we get to do here, so not only are we seeing where most the Bible took place, but we get an awesome guide to walk us through everything! Wow, am I going to be excited when it actually hits me that this stop is real!
Uganda
I wish we had more time in Africa since we are so Asia focused this year, but I am glad that we have two weeks in Uganda. We will be working and staying at a YWAM (Youth with a Mission) base in Jinja, Uganda, where we will get the opportunity to work with several schools in the area and help people affected with HIV.
Hungary
Time in Hungary will be spent helping lead VBS and English camps with a local Lutheran missionary, and Dr. Kargas is coming out with his family to teach on his specialty, which just happens to be Austria-Hungary. Our time in Hungary is bookended by weekends in Vienna, Austria and Madrid, Spain due mostly in part to flights and easiest travel plans, but also because–why not add two more countries.
Costa Rica
We round off this Around-the-World trip in the beautiful country of Costa Rica. While here, our last partnership will be through El Nino y la Bola (Boy with a Ball). They are an amazing organization that helps youth to escape poverty and drugs through schooling and mentorship in about 300 squatter settlements holding over 40,000 families. And just in case you thought we’d end this four and half month trip relaxing at the beach, I’ll correct that guess by telling you it ends with a few final exams (hopefully not in the airport).
So there it is! Wow! That’s the plan for August 5th to December 19th.
Does it feel real yet?
Maybe a little.
Writing about all of it and googling the distances from airport to airport made it seem more like a possibility, and every time I look at my closet, I see a pile of all the things I need to live for four and half months that I have to try to fit into a 70 L backpack (still don’t know how that’s going to work). I think it is slowly getting more real. Every now and then, I get hit by a feeling somewhere between panic and excitement for this upcoming adventure that makes me think, “Wow, this is finally happening.”
So ready or not, here I come world.
