Narnia Time

I honestly cannot believe my time on the Global Mercy has come to an end.

When talking with others about how quickly this month seemed to fly by, they would say, “Don’t you know the GLM is on Narnia Time?” And the more I think about it, the more I realize just how true that is.

You put your life on hold at home, travel halfway around the world, and step into another world for a little while. “Real” life is paused back home, yet somehow, so much life is happening here.

I have met people I never would have crossed paths with otherwise. There are faces and conversations I know I will carry with me long after I leave the ship. There are moments I wish I could bottle up and take home. There are friendships that somehow became important in such a short amount of time. I have laughed, learned, been challenged, been exhausted, been encouraged, and probably grown in ways I don’t even fully realize yet.

And perhaps the strangest part is realizing that these people and this place, which were complete strangers to me not so long ago, have now become part of my story.

Honestly, I was very close to leaving during that first week. I wasn’t sure this was where I was supposed to be, and I certainly couldn’t have imagined then how much I would come to enjoy my time here.

But somewhere along the way, things changed.

The unfamiliar became familiar. Strangers became friends. And this GLM world that initially felt so foreign has become a place I’m now finding surprisingly difficult to say goodbye to.

The Global Mercy has given me a month I will never be able to fully explain to someone who hasn’t been on the ship.

Living on the GLM is a lot like being back in college and living in a dorm — there are plenty of rules to follow, and on Monday mornings, the captain always seems to have something to admonish us about! The big difference is that, instead of heading to classes after breakfast, we all go off to our various jobs around the ship. And rather than being surrounded by college students, we’re surrounded by much more mature people with fascinating stories, experiences, and perspectives. And thankfully, there are also no raging dorm parties!

But how do you explain the rest of it?

How do you explain how quickly strangers can become friends, how ordinary moments can become treasured memories, or how one month can somehow hold so much?

Maybe that’s what Narnia Time is really about.

You step through the door into another world. You live a whole story there. And then, far too soon, you step back through the door and return home.

Except now, you carry a little piece of Narnia with you.

My time on the Global Mercy may be over, but I know the impact of this month isn’t. Some experiences end when you leave. Others come home with you.

Until next time, GLM!