You finally realize that ‘no news really is good news.’

You gave up on trying to schedule a convenient time to make calls and now wake up at all hours or drop everything when the phone rings.

You see the smile on your racer’s face getting bigger each month.

You are no longer worried about lice.

You still watch every video for a glimpse of your racer.

You are used to unexplained tears popping up at the most unexpected times.

Your tears only last a few minutes now instead of days.

You realize that fundraising isn’t your responsibility…but God’s.

You have scratched out and erased numerous countries off your list as the routes change…often.

You have gotten out maps to find out where your racer is going now.

You have kicked yourself when you missed a call from your racer because your phone was on silent.

You have realized that the WR really does put safety first.

You know if your child gets sick he/she will not be alone in a foreign hospital.

You have lived through the holidays, and birthdays without your racer and are surprised to find that you are still alive to tell about it.

You read blogs daily…still.

You have figured out that your racer might not have been crazy to sign up for this after all.

You see God using your racer’s travels in their lives but in yours as well.

You now tell anyone who asks about the World Race as if you are an expert.

You are more aware of the significant and specific needs in countries all over the world.

You are amazed at your racer more and more each month.

You have prayed for typhoons, intense elections, buses stuck in the mud, border crossings, visas, planes, and route changes as if it was the most regular prayer list in the world…because it is.

You have become friends with other moms/dads, getting to know them better than you thought possible on facebook.

You have found that community and encouragement of one another apart from your racer is vital to your new found peace of mind.

You realize that your child did not join a cult.

You are becoming a world geography expert.

You have become well aware of the inconsistencies and inadequacies of the internet on every continent.

You still live from phone call to phone call, but you do not fret or worry between them as much anymore.

You have found that your racer has followers who have been as influenced and inspired as you have about their journey.

You see your racer blossoming even though they are eating strange food, sleeping in strange places, and do not always know where they are going next.

You are wondering if there is something to that.

You still want them home, but you want them to be where they are even more.

You SEE God in a new and powerful way.

Your heart beats for the world more than it did before.

You are happy that your racer is happy.

You laugh when people say they could never let their kids do the race.

You are proud that you did ‘let’ your racer go even though it was painful to do so.

You still want to be in a WR video.

You have found that God did know what he was doing when he called your child to the WR.

You realize that letting God have your racer is more freeing than you thought.

You find yourself cheering for each squad to make their destinations on travel days.

You are glad other parents post updates when they hear from their racer because it helps you to know that somebody somewhere is getting  a phone call or a message that makes them happy.

You know that some days it will be you that will be the happy one.

You are grateful that the fear has lessened and the faith has grown.

You cannot wait to see what the second half of this journey brings!