Seoul Sisters... and Brothers: Day 2

My memories are fading so I guess that means one thing: I must dedicate myself to blogging about Korea. I bet you can't guess what I'll be doing for the next... forever?!? In the mean time. Here is day 2:

Each day on the tour started bright and early. Breakfast was served every morning between 8-9. It was buffet style, which was nice because then we got to eat what we wanted rather that only what was served. Generally there was a fruit bar, cereal bar (which was very popular), eggs, sausage (this looked more like a swollen finger than anything else), unsalted french fries, yogurt shots (which were delicious!) and an assortment of very nontraditional breakfast foods: fish, duck, kimchi, dumplings, etc.

Shortly after 9 everyone loaded up onto the buses again and we headed out the to the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Peace Camp for Youth. Everyone was dressed up in their nice clothes (originally we were told we'd only need one pair of dress cloths, then SURPRISE! You need 3 days worth. Some of us improvised, but lots of people had to wear the same thing for those three days! Bless their hearts...) and excited about for the camp to really begin.

When we got to the War Memorial (the museum where the Ceremonies were held) everyone was overcome by the hundreds of names that were on huge memorials as we walked passed. I think this is when I started to really understand that war is real. I always knew it, but I didn't know how real it was until I was in a foreign country, representing my Grandfather and those who risked their lives to defend freedom.

Our guides walked us into the Hall where the Ceremonies would be and we did a run through of Opening Ceremonies. As we were waiting for the ceremonies to start I took the change to look at the beauty of the building. The photo to the left is the ceiling. It was beautiful! Just like all of the buildings we went to.

Opening Ceremonies consisted of several parts including a video, welcoming speech, declaration of the participants dedication to peace, delivery of the camp flag (which my cousin did!!), beating a drum to symbolize a beginning of the Camp, and a photo opt with an important Korean Government Official.

Shortly after the photo opt the American participants were swept away to quickly tour the museum because an Madam Secretary Hillary Clinton was in Korea and we'd be having a photo opt with her later.
The tour of the museum began with this map. Our museum guide provided us with a play-by-play of the War. From that alone I learned so much about the logistics and rationale behind a lot of what happened... well, from the allies' side anyway.

There were so many cool artifacts an statues there (an I got photos of the ones that really spoke to me. Check out my Picasa account or facebook to see them all!) In this post are just a few of my favorites, with commentary. Keep in mind that without the help of the Allies, the Republic of Korea (aka South Korea) would be under Communist rule. The attitudes of the people there is so warm towards those how participated in the efforts, particularly those from the United States. I don't know that I've ever been more proud of my heritage as an American Citizen.

The plaque in front of the flag says, "Taegukki, the National Flag of Korea, with which student soldiers, living in Japan hardened their determination to protect their homeland before departing for the battlefront. They strengthened their fortitude by writing on the flag such words as 'patriotic spirit', 'love for the motherland', 'mother country's warriors', 'loyalty', 'Knock down the Red Army', and 'Congratulations! Departing for the front'."
As we continued our walk through the museum I realized that all of the displays were taking us through the progression of the war. I learned more about the bravery and courageousness of soldiers in general, and specific to this war than I'd ever really been able to comprehend. Several of the Peace Camp participants shared stories about places that their Grandfather's had served. I was touched to have it strike such a close to home chord.
We finally arrived at the place that symbolically and physically brought me peace. The 38th Parallel. We'd seen all the battle displays exhibiting the bravery shown by both sides, but up until this point (during the tour) it was anybody's guess as to who would be victorious. (Of course I knew that the allies would win, because well... the war was 60 years ago.) As we crossed the 38th Parallel I had this peace, that I mentioned before, overcome me. I knew that the freedom of the people in the Republic of Korea was no longer being threatened because of this symbolic line.The 38th parallel is the dividing line between North and South Korea. You see, the Korean War isn't over. An armistice was signed here, not a peace treaty. This line is a representation symbolically and very literally of the line between freedom and communism. The real line isn't spray painted in asphalt, but rather it is a twelve inch cement pad that runs from the Yellow Sea (on the west side of the countries) to the East Sea (which is on the east side... genius!, I know). This line, also known as the DMZ (which I'll talk about in another post) is about 2.5 miles wide (1.25 miles on either side of the line) and is the most heavily armed border in the world. Tourists can make arrangements to enter into a building and actually cross into North Korea. I'll post more about this on the day we went there.
I don't know that I can adequately express my gratitude for those both from the US and abroad who sacrificed so much in the name of freedom. I'll never look at someone in uniform the same. I hope I never forget to stand tall during our National Anthem and think about the beautiful words in the Pledge of Allegiance. To say the least I was emotionally drained. Luckily we didn't have anything too taxing planned immediately afterward, just lunch.
Those of us in my group (all American's) met up with the other group of Americans (apparently there were too many of us to all go around in one group so we split into two) and had lunch in the museum's restaurant. It was very nice and buffet style! Buffets became my favorite way to eat because if something did or didn't look good you could take as much as you wanted or avoid it. PERFECT!
After lunch we went out into the court yard of the museum where Secretary Hillary Clinton and Secretary Robert Gates would be coming. Turns out that the two of them were in So. Korea for an Annual Asian Security Summit. Of course with important Government figures comes a whole slew of pomp and circumstance so we (the American's in the Camp) waited for nearly an hour on bleachers watching the So. Korean and US personnel practice.

I think my favorite parts were to see the US and South Korean flags fly side by side along with other members of the UN. I also couldn't help by stand tall and sing with the military bands as they played my homeland's National Anthem. There is something special about hearing that song in a foreign country. The words, "land of the free and home of the brave" struck a chord (no pun intended) that they've not ever for me prior.
Part of the ceremony was to have our group take a photo with Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates. After the two of the paraded down the steps of the courtyard and around a red carpet triangle in the courtyard twice they stopped at us, asked us if we were having a good time and stepped into the photo. Regardless of my political views, it was cool to be in a photo with two such prominent people from the US government. Needless to say, it was a chance of a lifetime. Since the copyrights to the photos aren't mine, here is one of the websites where it can be found. (I'm in the 6th photo right behind Mrs. Clinton.)
The ceremony was short and very powerful (at least to me). Afterward our group was given a little bit of time to take photos in the courtyard. Here are some of my favorites:

The American Girls

"Mormon Family from Utah". Yes, I am related to all those people - minus the guy, Jeremy, in front, but he was adopted into the family on the trip.

Shaun and I... looking very couplish.

By the time we finished up here at the museum it was time to board back onto the buses and head back to the hotel for dinner, which was delicious! We had rice, bulgogi, kimchi, watermelon, grapes, other pickled... things.... and Dunkin' Donuts for dessert! (Hello American!) It was nice to eat something periodically that my taste buds recognized as something from home. Don't get me wrong, Korean food is good, but it was nice to taste home since I wasn't seeing it around me.

After dinner we got together in another hall and our kick off ceremonies, which were hilarious! We sat with our teams, played get-to-know you games. Typically I'm not on board for such activities, but with no choice and crazy low expectations I quietly challenged those who'd planned them to prove me wrong and change my attitude. The games were gut wrenching! I laughed so hard and made friends with other people on my team. Maybe sometime I'll try to post part or all of the video we received at the end of our trip. In this it has footage from these games.

This night ended very similar to the one prior, I was exhausted and desperate for sleep! When the games were over, it didn't take much coaxing to convince me to go to bed. Needless to say, Jessica and I didn't have evening debriefing sessions. :)

Seoul Sisters... and Brothers: Precurosr and Day 1

Okay, so photos never really came for Mexico... maybe someday though. Right now it's too intimidating to face that monstrous post again. However I'm going to redeem myself and post photos of Korea as I blog!! Genius I know! Bah!

Where to even begin with my experiences in South Korea? It's hard to try to put into words the life changing experiences that fall into my path, however because I like you I'll make the attempt:

I guess it all started in May. Grandpa and Grandma Christian were heading off to South Korea, for what I thought was another one of their grand adventures. (I hope someday I can have adventures as grand as theirs!) I found out after they'd returned that the reason for their gallivanting off to that part of the world was because of the bravery that Grandpa had showed decades prior.

My Grandpa was a member of the United States Military in the 1950's and served his country during the Korean War. I actually didn't know my family had I had military members in my family until I was probably twelve or thirteen. It wasn't something our family talked about, and it certainly wasn't something that Grandpa brought up; I now know why. Grandpa didn't see front line or any combat, but I'm sure he knew people who did. His unit was on it's way to Korea when they got news that the war had ended (I later learned that the war still isn't over, but rather an armistice was signed and a ceasefire was temporarily agreed upon.).

The reason Grandpa and Grandma were heading back to the country Grandpa had served in over 60 years ago was because the South Korean government created a Peace Camp to bring back the service men and women who'd dedicated their lives to protecting the lives of others.

People from all over the world were invited to spend a week in Seoul, South Korea (this is the capital city) and see the sites and progress that has been made since it was a war torn country all for approximately half the price of their airfare! (The government provided 100% of their accommodations. This included a five star hotel, food, transportation for the week, and costs of museums and historical sites.) Grandpa and Grandma thoroughly enjoyed their time there and when they returned the way they described the generosity of the South Korean people and government was that they were treated like royalty. (This still brings tears to my eyes and a warm sense of pride to my soul.)

This adventure all happened probably two weeks or so prior to my leaving for my humanitarian trip to Mexico. When Grandpa and Grandma returned they were informed that several groups of grandchildren of the K.W. (Korean War) college/university aged adults were also being taken over and hosted in a similar way. My Grandparents thought this would be such a great experience for their grandchildren so they passed the message on to my aunts and uncles. My younger brother and I (who are both university students) and a few cousins decided that it would be a fun trip to take together. About week before I was heading off to Mexico we got word that not all of us would be able to go. Since my brother will be leaving to serve a mission for our church this winter I wanted him to go before I would, as I would still be eligible for the trip next summer. So I left for Mexico.

After we'd been in the country (Mexico) about three or four days I called home to wish my Mom a Happy Birthday... a day early, oops! and my Dad a Happy Father's Day. They told me that several people from the east coast had dropped the Korea program and my name had been at the top of the waiting list. I was told that I would have about an $860 expense for airfare and if I wanted to go I needed to decide ASAP. So I did what any poor college student does, and said "YES!" I gave my passport info to my parents wrapped up the phone call and forgot all about the trip I'd be taking to another part of the world in a little less than a month.

Shortly after I got back (really before I could be excited to be leaving again) I found myself packing my suitcase and heading to the Delta terminal at the Salt Lake International Airport. It actually wasn't that I wasn't excited to be going, I just didn't have time to be AS excited as I'd previously been. Security in SLC was a breeze - minus the search that my brother had on his second carry on... we still don't know what the issue was. Probably my new favorite game, Bananagrams... Ha ha!

My brother and I met up with three of the nine of cousins that would also be on our trip, at our gate and waited. We played cards and chatted until some other (second) cousins came and I went and chatted with them and some of the other Peace Camp members. An hour or so later the boarding process began. The nice man taking out tickets at the gate mistook me an my brother for a newly married couple. Ha ha! It was super funny. This was to be the first of a few such occurrences throughout the trip.When we landed in LA we only had a few (four...) hours to get to our baggage to the correct ticket gate and get to our international terminal. I'd never flown into LAX so I was a little nervous as it's a HUGE airport (compared to SLC), luckily there was a guy who flew out of Utah who wasn't afraid to ask for directions. (I know, a guy asking for directions! It's unheard of! Way to go Jeremy!!)

We finally met up with Sunny (the woman who'd arranged for everyone on the west cost... as possibly more of the participants), it was at that point that I knew this trip was really happening and that everything would be okay. We waited in what felt like a zillion lines and I used my classic line for waiting in lines "I love waiting in lines". This made one of my cousins a little perturbed, so I did what came natural and continued to do so throughout the rest of the trip. It only came back to bit me once. Ha ha!

With a good two hours to spare the large group of us arrived at our gate (at this point there were probably 35 or so of us) and settled in for a bit. Many of us called home, Shaun, Jessica, Scott, Ryan and I munched on Gardettos that were purchased in Salt Lake, we met some new friends and cousins I'd never remembered meeting.

Overall it was a successful layover.

The boarding process began and I was still indifferent about going, but that was slowly changing. We got on that plane found our seats and coach felt like it was first class!! No, it was better than first class on ANY plane I'd ever ridden on up until that point! Not only did we have personal screens for the viewing of LOADS of free movies, but it could also play music, games and show the course of the plane during flight. I've got one word for you: awesome!!

It was about midnight by the time we finally took off. Our seating arrangements were great. We were in the middle section of a 474, in the back... well, like 4 rows from the back - but still. That wasn't the great part though. My brother was on the isle, then one of my cousins (the girl in the photo to the left... in the blue. I'm in the yellow.) then another girl who was on the trip and from California. What more could I have asked for?

On this plane ride... this very LONG plane ride (13 hours to be precise) that I learned that airplane food is just what it's cracked up to be: not very good. Although the horror stories made it sound like it was going to be like the green goop that you'd imagine coming from some creepy public school cafeteria. It was edible, until I put sesame seed oil on some rice-veggie-hot sauce paste-stuff dish. (Note to self: don't ask for the native dish on planes. The stuff you think you'll be familiar with is weird enough, it's okay to not be brave. There will be time for that when you reach your destination. I wish I would have thought long enough to take a photo of this. The seaweed soup was worth seeing in and of itself.)

After 13 hours of sleeping, movies, meeting new friends, eating yummy ;) airplane food and loads of anticipation we finally landed in Inch 'on. It was nice to finally be on the ground again. When we all kind of staggered off of the plane it was around 4:00 am, South Korea time. Sunny guided us all to customs and one by one we all made it through without too many problems. (I noticed that the South Korean government wanted way more information than the Mexican government did. Things like, addresses of where we were staying, etc...) When we got to the baggage claim I think it started to hit everyone that our bodies weren't adjusted to the time difference and sleepiness started to hit.

Bags were all finally claimed and the money exchange process began. The South Korean Won is equivalent to about .000995 American Dollars. It was a little strange to walk around the streets and buy something for $10,000 KRW (Korean Won) or about $10 USD. After we all got our native currency we did the official check in (yes, we were still at the airport and let me tell you a huge group of tired American's stand out like sore thumb). They gave us booklets of information about Korea and the program, including the group breakouts (we were all assigned to groups that we'd be traveling with), daily schedules. We were also provided with lovely name tags which replaced the wonderful "Hello My Name Is..." stickers we were supposed to wear up until this point (I was very glad to be rid of mine, it was looking yucky), and then climbed unto the bus.

When we climbed onto the bus I was anticipating getting out things to the hotel and maybe catching a nap for a few hours until everyone else from the group arrived. (The group from the west coast was one of the first group there.) WRONG! Our tour guide for the day, Angela told us that we couldn't check into the hotel until noon. (If you're doing the math I'll spare you, that is an EIGHT hour time span that needed to be filled!!) So... what did we do? Sight seeing.

Sunny and Angela decided that we would go to a beach that was near the airport in Inch 'on. The first beach we couldn't get to, the second one (which had armed military personnel at, and made me a little nervous mind you) wasn't much of a beach, but more of a pier. Finally we were taken to another pier that you could walk down to the water and get in it. I don't think many (if any) people swim there, but it was fun to say I've stood in a Korean ocean. (The photos to the right and below are all of this area.)

At the pier it was very clear that this bay was primarily for fishing. There were loads of fishing boats, and even though I don't like fish I found myself in heaven just being able to admire the old boats... thus I took a zillion photos. (For those of your on facebook, you already know.) On this trip I also learned that I have a fascination with the water. So there will be photos (here and there) that clearly demonstrate my new passion.

More photos are going to be available from our first "beach" experience on facebook and in Picasa. Feel free to check them out. (Posting them here has become quite the headache.)

The pier was amazing! I think part of it may have been because it was still so early in the morning, but I think part of it was that it was just cool. After we'd look at pretty much all there was to see at the pier a boat started to dock on the ramp think in the picture above. So, we loaded up onto the bus again drove onto the ferry. It was super cool!

As we were on the ferry, I took advantage of climbing to the top deck to finding some alone time to enjoy the scenery. Inch 'on was already beginning to awaken but being out on the water somehow was still able to bring back the serenity of early morning. I couldn't help but bask in the peace I momentary found there. As I was marveling in the picturesque-ness of the view we were told to come down to a lower deck. When we got there everyone was tossing these Cheeto looking snacks to the seagulls. Below are a few videos of one of our boat past-times: (By the way, those Cheeto things are edible, but I don't recommend them. They smell and taste awful!)

As we approached the other side of the bay we all climbed back onto the bus and started towards Seoul. It seemed that everywhere we went took at least an hour because of crazy traffic. However this wasn't always a bad things since most of us were sleep deprived anyway. While we were on the bus you could count at least 5 people sleeping, this day it was substantially more. I'd post my proof, but out of fear of those who have yucky photos of me I'll refrain.

As we were driving around Seoul (at this point we'd left Inch 'on and gotten into Seoul) and Angela and Sunny decided that we needed something to eat since it was like 2:00 AM when breakfast was served on the plane. So, we stopped at the most American joint in all of Seoul: McDonalds. Normally I'm not much of a Mcee-Dees fan, but under the circumstances I couldn't have been happier! After eating the uhh... delicious (?) airplane food an Egg McMuffin sounded like heaven. Not everyone felt the same way I did and they found a nearby bakery/restaurant and had a more traditional breakfast which of course consisted of rice, fish and I'd assume seaweed soup. Mmmm...

Not long after breakfast we were back on the bus and continued our drive through Seoul. I think that Angela was trying to burn time before we got to our hotel. We drove past lots of historical sites from the bus, and I confess I wasn't terribly interested at the time. I was on a very important mission to find every possible hole on the inside of my eyelids. AKA: I was wiped out and was way more concerned with sleeping that seeing a building that some important dead guy lived in.

I think it is safe to say that after our 13 hour plane ride from LA (so for us Utans it was 14.5 hours - longer for others! Eek!) that by the time we saw our hotel it was a little like King Arthur seeing the Holy Grail in Monty Python. It was nicer than anything I'd ever stayed in, but in all honesty I was so exhausted it could have been 10x worse that where I showered while in Mexico and I'd still have been excited! (Okay... so that may have been a slight exaggeration but you get the point.)

The group was more than ready to unload from the bus, drop off our bags and have a day to relax before the Peace Camp really began. As we lugged (or wheeled) everything into the lobby another sweetheart-piece-of-information was waiting for us... "SURPRISE! You're rooms aren't ready yet!" Oh boy, I didn't know that I could handle much more thrills of this nature. We did all we could to make the best of the situation (and I tried hard to not be grumpy) by dropping out luggage in the lobby, changing into clean clothes and cleaning up a bit, and went to the hotel restaurant to have lunch with the rest of the group.

Luckily lunch there was a zillion times better than the airplane food; well at least what I ordered was. There were two options for us on the menu: spaghetti (which ended up being spaghetti noodles with a cream sauce and shrimp - YUCK!) and bulgogi (which is pretty much my favorite Korean dish! It's grilled meat with garlic and other seasonings served with rice. Mmmm!!) This photo isn't what was served to us, but it was absolutely delicious!

After lunch was over Sunny and Angela loaded everyone onto buses (Oh! Prior to us getting there we'd been put into traveling groups. There were 5 buses with two groups per bus. Now with nine family members on the trip you'd think that at least one of them would be on my bus... WRONG! Luckily I made two good friends and we became bus buddies. For the remainder of the trip I typically sat by them.) and we headed out to a traditional village. This was a pretty touristy place but it was very interesting to got and learn about the culture and traditions of the Korean people. I was talking to my Grandfather after I got home and he said that when we got there the people lived in the same homes that were in the village. They were very primitive for the time, mainly providing shelter from the elements.

Overall the village was super cool. (By cool I mean awesome, not cool in describing the temperature. I think it was one of the hottest and most humid days while we were there. I felt gross for having not showered since the day before (which was really two days! Eew!) and then we threw on heat and humidity. Luckily by the time the trip ended I'd gotten to a point that I enjoyed the humidity and actually missed it when I got back to the States.) There were homes that showcased the living, eating and sleeping quarters; typical jobs (spinning silk - which was awesome), cooking, basket weaving, and farming; and even an old school prison complete with torture chambers and methods.

We also saw several shows. One was a traditional dance, performed of course to traditional music (which a neighbor of mine who'd served his LDS mission to Korea, described the sound as banging of pots and pans together with no rhythm... he was right. BUT the dancing was amazing!). The other show was a man who did tightrope walking. He was very talented as well as entertaining. My tiredness and grumpiness kept me from taking as many photos as I now wish I would have. Ahh the regrets...

It was probably close to 5:00 pm (which would have been 2:00 AM in Utah... I think) by the time we finished walking around the village and saw a few shows. Prior to getting back onto the bus we had the chance to do a little shopping at some of the cute little gift shops. I was still a little unsure as to what is a "good deal" was since I wasn't sure what things ran for in South Korea, so despite my falling in love with a beautiful silver ring I left empty handed. *Sigh...* (Not to worry though, I came back with lots of special treasures!)

Everyone climbed onto the bus (that would feel a little like our second homes) and we headed back to the hotel. HURRAH! We had a few minutes to move our luggage up to our rooms (that surprise! still weren't all the way ready) and were to meet in one of the dining halls for dinner.

Dinner was a million-zillion times better that what was served on the plane, if I remember correctly it was bulgogi (again) with kimchi, rice and some veggies and donuts for dessert. (I know, I didn't expect it either.) It was funny when we got to our tables (which were set up banquet style - super long and skinny) each place was set with a cup, plate, napkin, spoon and ... chopsticks. I struggled with them for about three bites then when they brought forks around I snagged one. I was determined to figure out how to eat effectively with these suckers... it just wouldn't be that first night.

The rest of the evening was ours, so Jessica and I (my cousins and roommate) invited Shaun and Ryan (our brothers) over to play games with us. By the time they got there we were all so exhausted that we fell asleep to the news (one of the few things that was in English). I woke up at about 8 PM and told them they had to leave. I changed, brushed my teeth and hit the sack. At about 11:30 PM or so Jess woke up and got ready for bed. That was probably one of the best night sleeps I had gotten in weeks!

I guess in short, that's the end of day one. If you're not sick of the play-by-play then feel free to stay posted for days 2-7 if not... well I'll never know. :)

Seoul, South Korea

A day-by-day entry is to come, but until then... here is a teaser of my adventures:


I can't even begin to describe the feelings that are in my heart from the experiences I had during the 2010 Peace Camp for Youth in South Korea.

The people of Korea are absolutely beautiful! The places are exquisite and knowing that they were able to lift themselves from the terror of communism and war, to the world power they now are is incredible. I feel confident in saying that those of us who were able to participate in the program shared experiences of solemnity at museums and memorials, had a small taste of the heartbreak families who lost fathers, sons, brothers or other loved ones had to endure, see the joy and hope freedom brings to a war torn people and build friendships with students across the globe.

I feel as though I landed in Inch 'on very uneducated regarding my knowledge of South Korea and the Korean War, and left with volumes of valuable information that I regularly pass on to others. Going to the places my Grandfather served in and around during his time as a soldier in the War has created a bond to him that I never thought possible. The memories and feelings I made and brought back from the museums, memorials, lectures and interactions with the participants and citizens of South Korea are experiences that I'll always look back on with the up most gratitude. No longer will I think of South Korea as simply a place between China and Japan, but rather as an incredibly strong country that will forever have a very special place in my heart.

This is a photo of those with whom I shared this wonderful experience with!

I love, Love, LOVE Mexico, but A.M.E.R.I.C.A. is my home!

The last two weeks have been nothing short of amazing! To really see a third world country is something (I feel) everyone should have an opportunity to see. As I reflect back on the events that transpired I find myself missing a people, culture, and yes to some extent even those nasty nasty showers we used regularly. Some of the highlights from our trip will be shared below. Some of the days will be from a more current perspective than others, please bare with me and if it drives you nuts... well, stop reading.

The events of the two weeks probably won't be in 100% chronological order, however for the sake of myself wanting to remember this 50 years down the road I'll try to put them in the best sequencing as I can. Also, photos will be coming so stay tuned:


TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2010
As we all met on Tuesday, June 15th at the Salt Lake International Airport the nervousness in my stomach had finally subsided. I was ready to take off to a country I'd never been to and meet the people I'd spent months preparing for. (I assume this is a little what a missionary feels like as they prepare to embark for their duration of service. Speaking of missionaries there was a HUGE group of them waiting to get their boarding passes and such so they could leave. I think they were headed to Switzerland or Sweden, but I'm not sure.) The whole lot of us kind of fumbled through the check-in process and awkwardly checked our bags. For quite a few of us this was our first international experience, so everything was very new. It was my first time checking a bag too, so that added another layer of awkward to everything... at least for me.

Finally everything was a go and it was time to board the plane. I found my seat and made friends with the girls on my row (we were all part of YouthLinc, so it wasn't too scary). I had a window seat, which I loved! Before I knew it we were getting ready for take off and up into the air. It was such a weird feeling knowing that for the next two weeks my home would be in another country. Everything was feeling so surreal. I tried to stay awake, but quickly learned that my body was exhausted from the excitement that had been building up for months.

I woke up when we were somewhere in Mexico (I assume), but still a good two hours or so before we'd reach Mexico City. I then plugged into my MP3 player and started looking out the window. The thought dawned on me that from that far up the ground looks that same, and in reality the people are all the same. Sure our personalities are all different, we have different skin colors and enjoy different things, but when it all boils down we all want the same things (more or less) and belong to the same Heavenly Family. It was there, thousands of feet above ground that I realized we all live under the same clouds. That the world isn't as big as we think it is and that we should all be able to get along. With those tender mercies rolling around in my head it was incredibly natural to immediately have a great love for the people of Mexico, and in particular the community of Bautista Grande.

The layover in Mexico City is one big blur in my minds eye. Actually, the walls of the airport are decorated with small round windows everywhere. It looks awesome! I wish I'd taken photos. Maybe I can find some from someone in the group to post. By the time we reached Tuxtla (the capital city of Chiapas - our final destination by air) everyone felt gross from traveling and I finally experienced real humidity. The air was so thick and wet there you could almost drink it in. Aside of being tired from the traveling I really enjoyed it.

The Tuxtla airport was significantly smaller than Mexico City or Salt Lake International. I think there are 4 terminals and one luggage carousal. Nothing about the structure was super cool other than there was three levels to it.

When we went to pick up our luggage we found that not all of our luggage had made it onto the plane from Mexico City, but that it was on a plane about an hour behind us. The YouthLinc staff that was with us wasn't thrilled, but what can ya do? We opted to wait it out. As the decision was made we met up with the local rotary club we'd partnered with. They were super nice and despite the late hour they had a good since of humor and teased most of us about our lack of Spanish.

After a warm bottle of water (from a restaurant mind you) and an hour, everyone had their bags and we loaded everything (approximately 114 pieces of luggage and 38 tired American's) onto the bus and headed to our new home called La Albarata, affectionately called the "Compound". At about one o'clock AM Mexico time (which was midnight Utah time) we pulled into the "Compound", grabbed our bags and staggered to our rooms. I think that was the night everyone fell asleep the quickest. From what I remember we all claimed an open bed (in the boys or girls dorms - determined on your gender), found pj's, brushed teeth and hit the sack. I would guess it took about 20 minutes tops.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 2010
This morning we were up by about 7:30 AM, had breakfast and headed up to meet the village. The hour bus ride up the mountain was a good time to sleep and after the long day prior many of us did. As we pulled into the village center (the school) the locals saw us coming and the children all ran to the bus. It was heartwarming to see how excited they were for us to be there. I also remember the thought of "there are a TON of kids here" running through my head. (This was later confirmed when we were told that our of the community of about 800 people approximately 600 of them were between the ages of 4-12ish!!) The sight made my eyes get a little teary and my subconscious knew that after these two weeks, I'd never be the same.

The village had planned an Open Ceremony like we'd never anticipated. They had all the kids like up around the basketball court; by grade and then by gender. I think just about each grade had something planned for us, whether is was a song, dance or poem. Our mire sharing of hopes was a meager offering to what they shared with us. (Luckily we made up for it during Closing Ceremonies at the end of the trip!) After opening ceremonies we started right into our projects: digging, teaching, and evaluating. Our lunches were always provided by the Compound and everyday we ate on the bus. (One of the major problems in Bautista Grande is malnutrition. We found that in order to crave those hunger pains the people eat lots of sugar [suckers, popsicle, and sodas]. While none of them are overweight, they don't get the vitamins and minerals they need from a well balanced diet. THUS we ate on the bus so we didn't have to flaunt our lunches [sometimes good and sometimes yucky] in front of them].

I think it was Wednesday that I ended up going into town (San Cristobal, the city we were staying in - although we lived on the outskirts) with Smitty, the YouthLinc International Coordinator. He needed someone who was over 18 to come witness the money exchange with him (no Spanish skills were needed on my behalf) and I had some personal business (an appointment with a bano) I needed to attend to. When Smitty and I got into San Cristobal (two Mexican government ladies came with us) we made a quick stop at what we thought was a car rental place and then headed over to the main square to exchange the money YouthLinc had send down to be used for projects.

After going to two or three different banks (and running through inches of rain in the streets - my pants were soaked, and I found out later that so was my rain jacket, glad that worked as well as I thought it would...) Smitty and the two government ladies starting getting into a heated discussion. My broken Spanish didn't help me out enough to understand even the gist of the conversation, so in the back of the furniture store where the money exchange was Smitty and the women discussed the financial issues and I watched the World Cup game on a big screen TV.

After about an hour or so of my bouncing back and forth between the game and the conversation we all got up to leave. Smitty explained that there was a payment issue and now our logging was going to cost more that we'd previously agreed to. (The value of the peso had dropped, so they wanted more.) It turns out that the women from the government were on our side, so the Compound was in the wrong.

Post our adventures in the center of town we arrived back at the Compound. Everyone had exciting stories to tell about how cute the kids were and the adventures that they had witnessed that day in the village. We had dinner... I can't remember what it was, but I'd be willing to bet it had a tomatoey red sauce on it, involved potatoes, rice and tortillas. The food was good, but by the end of two weeks it all began to taste the same. We found out that night that our curfew was 10 o'clock and lights were to be out by 10:30. The first few nights this was a problem but after we'd been there for a few days and really started working in the village, not many people had a hard time observing this.

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2010
It rained more today. This postponed construction, so we had about a zillion people in the classroom with us. It was fun to have so many American's there, but I think the kids (on the YouthLinc team) got bored. Slowly they started trickling out and playing with the kids who weren't in classes. (Apparently attendance in school isn't strictly observed, so there was usually kids playing on the grassy area in front of their classrooms.) The lessons that were taught today went well. It was fun to watch the teachers from my team take pride in the lessons they'd worked so hard on. It appears that all of the stress, frustration and irritation payed off. The children in the village LOVED having the American's teach - even when they would laugh at us because some of our Spanish wasn't very good, or when we'd sing songs like Old MacDonald (apparently this is a very American song).

The cultural team also started work on their closing ceremonies project and mural. They'll be organizing and teaching the YLers (YouthLinc-ers) as well as the 4th, 5th and 6th graders a flash mob. Up until the day of the performance I'd never seen one of these done in real life, only on youtube. The dance starts with part of the sixth grade and gradually incorporates all of the sixth, fifth and fourth grades. I was never assigned to work here but I can tell that lots of hard work has gone into it. The mural is going to be a pictorial representation of the community. They farm, have families, and tend animals. The sixth graders are going to be asked to draw pictures of their community. Two of the guys on the cultural committee will then compiled the drawings into a sketch for the mural to be based on. I'm excited to see how it all comes together. We've got a lot of work ahead of us.

When we got back to the Compound today I was pooped! It's funny how just being in a classroom with energetic children will drain everything you have in you out. Despite my exhaustion, I really do love being there with them. I love watching the village children and their excitement to learn. It's also a joy to watch the YouthLinc volunteers be excited to teach and help them. Ahh! I'm definitely in the right profession!

Today I called home to wish Mom a Happy Birthday and Dad a Happy Father's day and was reassured that Mom's b-day is indeed tomorrow. Oops! Oh well, it turned out to be a blessing because I found out that I'm going to be able to go to Korea with a small portion of my family. Making the initial decision to let my brother go instead of me was a hard one, but I'm glad he would have had the first opportunity to go. However I'm super excited to go with him!

The health fair that was supposed to be on Monday was bumped! Eek! Apparently it's going to be tomorrow! Tonight after our team meeting we broke into groups and worked on posters and presenting various parts of each station. I'm in the Cuts and Bruises group. The health fair is directed more towards the women in the community, but there will be children there too so it's important to have things that will be able to engage both age groups. During the health fair we'll also pass out the hygiene kits: they consist of wash cloths, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo/condition, etc. Most of them were compiled by the LDS church, and then purchased for the trip.

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010
Happy belated birthday Mom!

Many of our activities have been pretty similar to yesterday. We've worked on construction (the rain has stopped! Knock on wood!), taught in the classrooms, worked on Cultural things and microenterprise has started working with some of the women in the community to develop new ideas for making an income. (They are hoping the women will come up with ideas of new things [mostly crafts] they can make.) The men aren't thrilled about the idea just yet. It appears they are very controlling, so the women don't open up much to us.

The health fair was today! Despite the short notice everything went great! The presenters were totally on the ball. This took up a good part of the morning so during the afternoon we had a few lessons taught by members of the education team, construction on the bathrooms for the kindergarten and cultural worked on flash mob and mural stuff.

After school was our we started playing new games with the local children. We taught them Ring Around the Rosies, Duck Duck Goose, and the Hokie Pokie. They loved them. Initially the kids were a little unsure, but after trying it once with us they were all sold. I think their favorite is Ring Around the Rosies. Apparently some things don't change across the world. Kids still love an excuse to "all fall down". I can already tell I'm going to have a hard time leaving these little ones. I already love them so much.

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2010
Today was a free day. We got to go into San Cristobal and shop. We spent hours walking through the open air market. I learned how to barter and think it's fun. I wish that concept of shopping worked in the U.S. I also wish there were more outdoor markets in the states. It's a great time to enjoy the outdoors for hours upon hours and also do all or most of your souvenir shopping. :) During our shopping excursion we found the BEST little restaurant. They have pork tacos that are a little bit like biting into heaven! Mmm! There is something about pineapple, pork, pico de gallo, and salsa verde all on a tortilla that is heavenly! LOVE IT! I have a feeling I'll be coming back here.

A group of us opted to stay in San Cristobal later than everyone else today so with Smitty's help and company Melissa, Jenny, Nancy, Merrit and I all caught the bus back to the Compound. On our ride there was a family who got on shortly after us (the husband was obviously not Latino) and he said something to us in English. It was a little shocking but kind of refreshing to hear someone outside of our group of Gringos speaking our language. He's from Canada but moved there and fell in love with a woman there. They now have a little baby boy.

We found the death of me tonight. There is a pandaria down the street from our lodging. (A pandaria is a bakery.) They sell yummy pastries and breads for super cheap. This could become a problem if it's not controlled.

SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2010
Today is day two of our break from work. In the morning a group of us (those who wanted) had the opportunity to attend a local LDS ward. It was a great experience for me. (More about this is written in a previous entry.)

After Church we went back into San Cristobal (I'll probably refer to it as The City later, just an FYI) and had a few hours to kill. Some people shopped but I enjoyed walking around and taking in the scenery.

We walked up to a Church that was up on a hill. There was about a zillion stairs leading up to it, but the view of the City from the top was beautiful. In Mexico the buildings are very colorful and vibrant. This adds a new dimension of beauty to to the area.

As we wandered through the City we stumbled onto a chocolate shop! Everyone has been craving chocolate pretty much since we got here, so it was like finding an oasis in the desert. The downside is that chocolate is made dark here, so I wasn't crazy about it. Good news is I found my trail mix that night, which has good ole American chocolate chips in it! Hurrah! Thus my chocolate craving was also satisfied.

After hours of wandering and some crankiness starting to surface (I think we were tired of shopping/bartering and hungry) the time finally came for us to meet back at the bus to head back to the Compound for dinner. I don't think I've ever been so happy to see our tour bus and driver!

The rest of the evening was pretty typical. Dinner (probably chicken with some sort of red sauce, potatoes, rice and tortillas), team meeting, some good ole Bananagrams and few rounds of Egyptian Rat Screw then hitting the sack.

MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2010
Our two days off were nice, but everyone seems to be having a bit of a hard time getting back into the swing of working again. Fortunately by the end of the day we were making some positive progress.

I feel a little dorky saying that today was pretty typical of all of our work days here. So much progress has been made on the construction projects though! The trenches for the foundation are just about done (shout out to those who dug on that project!!) and the contracted workers for the well have made tons of headway! (YouthLinc was going to provide the manpower until the well got about 4 feet deep. We left one night - can't remember which one - and it hadn't been started then when we came back the next day all the digging we were going to do was finished! Those workers rock my socks!) It would be awesome to see the building of the bathrooms start to go up before we leave, likewise it would be heartwarming to see water struck... not going to count my chickens though.

The wall for the mural was primed with blue. This will be our base color (mainly for the sky). After the paint dried Mats and Mike sketched on the mural with chalk that we brought. This was all that was done today. For fear of the rain and wind blowing off the chalk we jimmy-rigged up a tarp to help protect the wall.

Microenterprise has made some serious progress with the women in the community. They've decided who the loan will be given to, and are closely working with them to develop business plans. I hope that the loan proves to be a positive thing in their community. The inter workings of the loan would ensure that by the time the women pay back the $150 pesos in three months that 5% of each payment would go into a savings account. This money would then be used for further operations. The brains behind this project was (in my opinion) inspired! I think it has the potential to lift this community and bless their lives.

TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2010
Since the mural was primed and sketched yesterday onto the wall, it's time to begin painting! It almost feels like everyone wants to get their hands dirty on this project. My feel is that as I contribute that it's leaving a little of me and my flair there. I hope I get the chance. I don't want to be picky, so wherever Merrit assigns me to work is great. (I'm mostly in the schools, so I'm game. :) Hee hee.) The children in the community are particularly excited for the mural. Some of them are even helping us with the painting. The women tend to stand back and watch, I wish they'd open up a little more to us. I feel as though there is so much we have to learn from them. I guess it's similar to how people are here though; something (or someone) new is kind of scary - not because they are creepy but rather because it is new and unknown. In that light, it makes sense.

Other than some major headway on the mural, the other teams were pretty typical in their work. Oh! We found out tonight that the community will be gone Thursday and Friday of this week. Oh joy... This means that not everyone in the education committee will be able to teach all their lessons. I hope that everyone is okay with that, they seem to be.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2010
Our micro enterprise team is truly amazing! They are making so much headway within the community. It's proving to be beneficial for medical, cultural, and of course their own purposes. As they've continued to meet with the women they've found out so much about the way they live and what life is really like for them here in Bautista Grande. The women within a family (traditionally a grandmother, mother(s), daughters, and sometimes granddaughters) all work together to produce something; typically clothing, bags or other goods. Each person takes on a specific responsibility in the process and becomes very good at what she does.

Work continued in the other auxiliaries today. We had our last lessons taught in the school. Even though we'll be there on Saturday, school isn't in session so we won't be teaching.

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2010

Hardly anyone was in the village today. It felt a little dead without so many of our favorite kids running around. I can hardly imagine what it will feel like after we leave and we really won't be seeing them. *Sniffle*

Without so many distractions (which we all love!) we were able to get a lot of work done today! A handful of guys worked really hard on the bathrooms. Because most of the work these last few days has consisted of mixing cement the girls haven't been much help, other than working on getting the trenches dug for the sewage pipe. It's hard, labor intensive work and I'm grateful that Merrit didn't assign me there much. I'm good to work with the kids all day long, but digging and sifting sand are not among my strengths.

Today we also painted four of the six classrooms on the main "hallway" painted. The teachers choose the color (melon) for the interior. Initially I thought the brightness of the color would give me a headache, but it turns out it looks better after it dried. Along with painting the walls, we also cleaned the rooms. (Dust, brooms, mops, washed down desks... the whole sha-bang!) They looked great! I'm so proud of everyone who helped with this project. It was a huge undertaking and really another chance for everyone to work together and get to know each other.

The final touches and detail was put on the mural today! It looks so good. There is so much talent on our team! It can hardly believe it. It's been fun to see everyone getting a chance to work on it. I feel like that is one of the many ways we'll be able to leave part of us in the village. I hope they enjoy it. It's beautiful!

After a long day of work, we headed back to the Compound with a huge dent having been put in our task list. We still had a good chunk of tomorrow to keep us busy, but there was a lot accomplished.

Tonight at the compound was pretty low key; we had our regular team meeting (where we evaluated the day and made plans for the following day), and shot the breeze.

Today has been very successful. I'm so excited to finish the classrooms tomorrow, wrap up the mural and work on construction.

FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2010
With all of the hard work that went into yesterday there was only a few hours of work available to us today. The mural was sealed with a waterproof protective coat, the trench was finished being dug, more help was offered and accepted by the contractors that have been doing so much on the bathrooms, and the last two classrooms were painted and cleaned. It was so awesome to see everything come together so quickly this last day.
After all the working in the village we joined everyone from the area in Chamula for their annual religious celebration. The main square of Chamula is down off a hill. When we'd previously wandered through here there were little shops to poke your head into and look around in, this time the streets were lined with vendors and down in the square there was a stage set up and street vendors just about everywhere. The hustle and bustle was exciting, but we were told that many of the men get very drunk and instructed to be careful.

A group of four girls (myself included) decided we'd stick together and eventually make our way to San Cristobal for dinner then back to the compound for the night. After spending about 10-15 minutes in Chamula we decided it was time to leave. None of us were very comfortable there and I felt as though I was keeping a more constant look out for our little group of four. Sooo we headed back up the hill to where the bus dropped us off to find a taxi and were told that we'd already passed them on our way up. Lovely... The small pack of us again headed down the hill, looking for the least sketchy taxi we could find. (At this point I had a rough idea how long it was from Chamula to San Cristobal [about 20ish minutes by car], and was trying to figure out how long it would take us to walk back. Long story short: too long.) A nice, non-drunk man helped us find a bus - which was really a 15 passenger van, to take us back to the city.

The man who owned the van instructed the four of us to climb into the backseat of his van (which was built for three people, not four) and proceeded to heard others in after us. I think total there was 20ish people crammed into the van. Talk about a clown car! It was fun though, and all part of the experience. After one of the girls (who was luckily sitting by the window) got some air her car sickness started to subside. The rest of us were great friends and teased her the whole way back to San Cristobal. There was lots of laughing, freaking out, and talking in English. (Ha ha! That came in handy when we really didn't want others to understand us.)

After several stops of letting more people on and others off, we finally made it to San Cristobal! Hallelujah! The problem was the final stop was somewhere in the city that we'd never been. In fact, we pulled into what also looked like a compound in an area of town we weren't sure about any girls safety, let alone the safety of four American girls who are all under the age of 23. As we all piled out we payed our driver and asked how to get to the city center. Instructions were given (and understood, thanks to Nancy) and we headed off.

Instructions are funny things, in order to get to where you want to be the person giving instructions needs to really KNOW where the final destination is. Turns out this man wasn't sure as to what we were talking about, and sent us to a different square. (Strike one: we left icky about staying in Chamula so climbed into a cab with a zillion other people who thought we were crazy. Strike two: the man who said he knew where the square we were looking for really didn't. One more to go until... well, I don't really know what would happen but whatever it was I knew I had to keep my cool! For the sake of the other girls of course...) So we did exactly what you aren't supposed to do, and kept walking. About six blocks later we asked another man (he looked nice so we all felt okay about it, even though Nancy was doing all the talking) who seemed to also know what we were talking about. We headed in that direction, and then a few blocks later asked a couple of women (who seemed very confused as to why we were asking directions) and they confirmed what the man had said.

We reached the destination our Mexican friends had sent us to, and surprise!... wrong church. :( At this point we were lost, tired, and h.u.n.g.r.y.! As we looked around the church one of the girls recalled another team member talking about a church beyond the outdoor market we often shopped at. So we did the only thing we could and began walking around the perimeter of the church to look for signs of familiarity. We found some white people (with hopes that they weren't lost and spoke English), but were saddened when their faces looked all confused as they studied a map (side note: we didn't think of even looking at it. Oops!) and spoke something the sounded like Swedish, and after hours of being squished in a taxi/van, wandering around the parts of San Cristobal that I'm glad my mother never knew about until now, and running away from a gas truck (yes, a creepy man in a gas truck was following us... well not really but he kept going the same places we did and looked at us with those eyes. Creeper!) we found.... drum roll please!... THE MARKET!! In order to run away from the creepy gas man we quickly walked into the inner part of the market. (Ha ha! Sucka!)

It's funny how a place that you've only been a handful of times can be so homey. Ahh... After finding the exit to the market (which can be tricky) we made our way back to our favorite pedestrian street, inhaled the BEST tacos from our favorite taco shop, and indulged in strawberry pops (best thing ever!) and yummy yummy churros. Despite all the yucky from the day, the caloric intake at the end seemed to make everything better. Oh! And we found a toilet with a seat. Can I just say I love Dominoes Pizza?

After an hour or so of being back in our comfort the four of us decided to pile into a taxi (a real one this time) and head back to the compound. I've never been so grateful to see that place. While we waited for everyone to get back from Chamula we ate way more Chips A-Hoy dipped in peanut butter and nutella (best thing ever, by the way) than we should have and laughed harder than I have in a long time. When everyone else finally arrived back at the compound we thought we'd had the craziest experience, but it turns out that they'd had an "adventure" of their own.

Needless to say after all of our adventures everyone slept really good tonight.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 2010
This morning when I woke up I showered, got ready, had breakfast, brushed my teeth and headed to the bus for our last trip up to San Cristobal. I can't believe we're leaving tomorrow. It's been such a blessing to be here with these people. They've taught me so much about happiness and the things that truly matter.

Today was also our closing ceremonies. As we mingled for an hour or so before the ceremonies started I was overjoyed to be amongst the people (particularly the children) that I've come to love so much. I even started to get what Nancy calls "cry baby eyes." Somehow I was able to hold back the full on waterworks, even as we sung John Denver's, "Leaving On a Jet Plane." On a lighter note, seeing the older kids (the fourth, fifth and sixth graders) dance with us was something to be noted. Withing the coming days/weeks I hope to be able to link to the video of that. I'll never hear the Black Eyed Peas' song, "I've got a Feeling" without thinking of Bautista Grande.

When all was said and done I couldn't handle lingering in the village knowing that our good bye was being drug out, so Nancy and I headed to the bus to wait for the others. Before everyone started to slowly trickled on a few of the village girls brought Nancy some flowers. It was incredibly touching. There was no doubt in my mind that these children didn't only have a life changing impact on only my life, because there were lots of tears shed as we said our good byes.

One of the girls in our group had another commitment on Monday so she also left today, along with one of the mentors. We'd meet up again with the mentor tomorrow after she along with the Rotarian's got the student to the airport and saw her off.

I think today we went back into San Cristobal. Most of us needed to get pesos for Sunday as we'd be responsible for our own dinner that night. We had a few hours to kill and the group I was with opted to do a little shopping, but mostly indulge in those heaven sent strawberry bars and churros! I really can't describe the goodness that is packed into those suckers. When the time arrived our little band was more than happy to see the bus again. No one had the emotional strength to handle another adventure in the City.

Tonight felt like the day of reckoning. Meaning that is was time to face the music that we were only guests here and it was time to pack up and head home to America. In the morning we'd be leaving San Cristobal and heading to Tuxtla for the night (for some of us it would be for the last time we'd see each other in mortality, as well as the last time we'd see the part of Mexico we'd come to love). It was a reality check for me that this time of my life was coming to an end. I've learned and grown so much from the people here and the team I've been working with. It's funny how something you think will end up being a "good experience" will become something that is life altering. Talk about tender mercies.

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010
This morning came earlier than most of us wanted. Although if I'm remembering correctly it was sleeping in compared to some of the days prior. After getting ready, finishing the packing and having breakfast it was time to say another good bye. This time it was to those who'd graciously taken care of us during our two week stay. Hasta luego La Albarata (aka the Compound) and staff.

Our awesome bus driver Casimero miraculously wiggled all of our luggage back under the bus and we headed off to Tuxtla. The drive to Tuxtla is approximately an hour to an hour and a half. During the ride we decided that due to the rain we wouldn't go on the boat ride as was written into our itinerary. This meant that we did some rockin' money exchanges amongst each other as Smitty payed everyone their 120ish pesos as a refund. When we arrived in Tuxtla we met up with our missing mentor and some women from the Mexican government that we'd been working with.

We were given an hour to kill at the center of town and we walked around the square and perused the shops. (It was surprising to me that even here, in Tuxtla the women all make the same things!) We all met up, soggy but warm and headed to our hotel (that's right, after two weeks of summer camp style sleeping we had beds. Full size beds, with multiple soft - not lumpy pillows!!). We quickly dropped off everything and changed out of our wet clothes and zipped out the door to meet the Rotarians for a late lunch.

The food at the restaurant we ate at was so good. We had barbacoa, these taquito things, and drinks. I got a horchata. Oh how I love a good horchata. Mmmm! During dinner the Argentina vs Mexico game was on so of course we had to watch it. I might point out that Argentina won! Woot woot! It was kind of fun to be cheering for the opposing team in Mexico, in a safe environment.

After dinner (since the rain had let up) everyone, minus a few, decided that we indeed did want to venture the canyon boat trip. We didn't have time to run back to the hotel to change, so everyone wear what we wore to lunch. Our favorite Casimero took us to the boat dock where we paid for our trip, life-vested up and climbed onto our little boat. Our driver was very nice, but didn't speak a lick of English. Thus our English tour guide (Smitty) climbed up to the controls to give us the the translated version of the tour.

The canyon was breathtaking, but even that doesn't really do justice. (Just as these photos don't.) As we progressed up the canyon we saw waterfalls can came out of the middle of the rocks and 300 foot cliffs on either side. One of the little cave-like things that eroded away has the Mexican country colors seeping out of the rocks, along with a shrine dedicated to a Saint. At the end of the tour there is a park with several things to do; rock climbing, zip-lining, kayaking, holding a toucan or other animals and other activities. The park was closed (because of the rain) by the time we got there, but I was okay with that.

As it was raining in the canyon I was amazed to feel the water (which has crocodiles in it) and note how it was warm. Almost too warm to swim in, but not quite that of a hot tub. Good thing no one brought their suits. ;)

On the way out of the canyon, back to the dock, we were flying! The water would pelt your face and it hurt like... rocks. Most of us had turned backwards for the whole ride back, which wasn't a total waste because the view backwards is cool too.

After we got back to the dock we took a group photo and quickly climbed back onto the bus. Smitty asked Casimero to not turn on the air conditioner, so all the windows were super foggy the whole way back to the hotel. On our many bus rides we came up with fun games like; bus surfing (which is where you have to balance in the isle without touching anything or anyone on bumps and turns) or E-True Hollywood Stars (which is where you choose a movie and a character from it and describe part of the plot from that characters point of view. - Very popular, mostly because large groups can play). This trip back to the hotel was no different.

Before we were even close to the hotel everyone was 'dubs'ing the shower first. I told Nancy (my roommate for the night) she could have the shower first if I could change out of my wet clothes. Soon after she vacated the bathroom I zipped in and jumped into the shower (without shoes on mind you! Oh lovely!!), turned on the water and waited for the heat. Alas... it didn't come. You got it, a luke warm shower... again. Oh well, at least it wasn't cold.

An hour or so after our showers Nancy and I ventured out to find Merrit and Kelly. We were up for 1) FOOD and 2) a good time. Just our luck! We were able to find both in the hotel's restaurant. I think nearly everyone ordered a hamburger (yeah I know... a hamburger in Mexico, get off my back) with fries and a water. I wish I would have gotten the club sandwich though, it looked and smelt better. Slowly our group went from about 10 to nearly 15ish. It was about 10 o'clock, someones time, and I decided I'd had about all the excitement I could handle and headed to bed. That was the best nights sleep I'd had in nearly two weeks!

MONDAY, JUNE 28, 2010
Today came incredibly early. Then at approximately 5:45 AM (15 minutes before we were to be at the bus) Smitty hit us with a wake up call. Luckily Nancy and I were both already awake and nearly ready. Shortly after we met up with the rest of the group who was congregating in just outside the hotel, by the bus. Casimero worked those magic hands and again squished everything underneath his bus - which was nothing short of a miracle.

We made it it the airport in great time and security was a breeze! Everyone started buying over priced coffee and pastries, and I was also tempted to. Then I remember I'd purchased my food storage earlier the prior week: Crackets, the equivalent to Ritz crackers. Mmm! I inhaled an entire sleeve of them, with the help of a few others and indulged in one of my remaining granola bars! Mmm! (Thanks Mom!!)

The flight to Mexico City wasn't too exciting, which is good... I guess and we made it with loads of time to spare. (That 5 hour layover didn't have anything to do with it though...) After we'd checked our luggage in Mexico City everyone scattered to the food courts. (It was noon-ish at the time.) A group of girls and I found a pizza joint and welcomed back the flavors of America; sausage, pepperoni, cheese, crust, and tomato sauce. Yum-o!

In order to kill that much time in the airport we played several rounds of Bananagrams. After the last round, and just before we said 'hasta luego' to Nancy and Merrit for two additional weeks I bent down to pick up a bottle of hand sanitizer that had fallen during our intense game and smacked my face on the table. Can you say ouch? I hit the edge of the table (which luckily wasn't sharp or anything) right on the outside of my right eye bone. As everyone was saying good bye I was holding my face and trying to fight back the tears. It was my turn to hug good bye and my eyes couldn't hold back the pain. Nancy told me not to have cry baby eyes (she thought I was really shaken up about our separation) and I informed her it was because of my new injury. Well... I'm disappointed to report that after a week, I got no bruise, not really even a mark. What a let down.

The flight from Mexico City to Atlanta was good, long but good. Likewise was the flight from Atlanta to SLC. With only an hour and a half to get through customs and back through security we weren't sure we'd make it, luckily we did. It was fun to call my family from the Atlanta airport where I didn't have to dial a country code and it was just long distance, not an international call. Not going to lie, I may have gotten cry baby eyes as I read my first text back home, "Call when you get to the United States. We are excited to see you again. We love you." from my family. :)

I'm finally home! It's kind of a strange concept to thing about even after this short of a time. Hearing the Spanish language everywhere (even though I don't understand 80% of it) seems so... natural. My heart breaks a little every time I think of the community, particularly the children we were able to interact with and influence. Oh how I miss them, the good news is I'll never forget them. They've left a heart print that will effect me everyday for I hope the rest of my life.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010
I've now been home for just over a week and it's been interesting looking back on my experiences. The friends I've made may or may not continue into the future, but I'll always consider the Mexico 2010 YouthLinc team some of my good friends. I hope that in my sharing this/these experience(s) that somehow these people and in particular the children may have made a difference in your life, just as they have in mine. We're a blessed people, don't every forget it. If you have heating, air conditioning or running water you already have more than so many people in the world. Tonight do me a favor, thank your Heavenly Father for the blessings you have. Then tomorrow do something to show your gratitude. You don't have to leave the country, or even your community, home or office. Just do something for someone else. If we all did a little something everyday, the world would be a much better place. ...just a little food for thought.

Welp, there is my story and I'm certainly sticking to it. :) So until next time, keep your stick on the ice.