Thanksgiving in Mexico

Hilly countryside, ocean views and margaritas. Sounds like the perfect getaway, doesn't it? I've just returned from a weekend trip to Mexico, and I did enjoy the hills with mountain views and the occasional margarita, but this trip served a different purpose than relaxation and tourism. I had the privilege to help build a house for a family of five so that they could move from their rundown small trailer without electricity or running water to four-sided, 1 bedroom house that will change their life forever.

We started the weekend out at the YWAM campus (Youth With a Mission) where they cooked a delicious Thanksgiving meal. We had orientation and learned that Defender Direct, the company that I was a guest of (thanks Ashley!), was going to build it's 100th house that weekend. That's awesome. They send their employees with family and friends several times a year to build homes for the Homes of Hope program.

Anyways, the second day (Friday) we piled into vans, and after breakfast at the YWAM center, we headed into the hills to meet our family. We went on a 25 minute trip that turned into "off-roading". To say the least, Mexico has not established paved roads in many areas, especially these hillside communities. As we stepped out of the vans, the first thought (of many) that went through my mind was that in the States, this view would be worth millions. But here in Mexico, since this area is not as accessible, the cost of the land was significantly low to American standards.

That first day we painted, painted, and painted some more so that the entire exterior of the house was gray, and all inner panels were white. It really was amazing to see our team of 15 put up the walls and roof in one day. To clarify- the house would roughly cost $5,000 American dollars. I'll show photos of the finished product below.

That first day was also our introduction to the family, Betzi and Alfredo and children Pahola, Josue and 5-day old baby Jose. Pahola was so happy to help Abby and I paint, and loved sharing her Doritos with all. Alfredo (the dad) helped on the roof the entire weekend, as he is a construction assistant.

The second day, we finished painting all dry wall and touched up. We also collected donations from  our team for goodies from WalMart. A Mexican Walmart is the same as the US, except prices were even cheaper and everything was in Spanish.

When we got back from WalMart, we laid the rugs we purchased and laid out all of the food and tolietries, including the "luxury" toothpaste and shampoo. That last hour with the family was my favorite. They got to unlock their house for the first time and go in to have a look around. Then all of our team members entered the house and there I had the most priceless memory of the entire trip. Pahola, the 8-year-old girl, looked at us with tears running down her cheeks. She was in awe that this house was all for her family. I'll never forget that look of gratitude in her eyes.

Overall, it was an amazing weekend. To see how the smallest things to us could mean the world to someone else is just amazing. They didn't even have carpet or running water. But to them, they just won the lottery.

 The family we built for, including their two Grandmothers.

                                                      Panoramic shot

Saul, our team leader.

                                                                       Beautiful sunset.

                                                                Little Josue stole our hearts.

                                                        Pahola and I after she saw the house.

Making a House a Home

Well, it's been quite awhile once again since I've shared my thoughts on here. It's 9:00 on a Monday night, the Colts are actually winning and my bottle of Pinot Noir is certainly not disappointing. I suppose I could recap on the last 3 months-weekends of travel, exploration and pure enjoyment of the simple things in life.

I'll start with the latest addition in my life. It's funny to think that my townhouse finally feels like home - this past weekend we added a quite stylish lamp AND a kitten! The idea of something so small that depends on you for happiness makes me happy in return. Simba is his name. It's sort of ironic how he came to be part of our family.

Derek had bought a cat carrier, food and litter box last week, and we had plans to go to the Humane Society the following Wednesday. Well fate had other plans! One of the co-founders at my work announced that he had found a stray kitten who needed a home the day before we had planned to go to the shelter. It was fate! The next day, he brought Simba to work and Derek and I had our first pet! 2 baths and 100 fleas later, Simba is a happy camper. And so are we.

 

One thing I've certainly learned in the past few months is that it's alright to slow down. For some reason I'd forgotten what I'd learned while living in Spain- to just enjoy that small moments in life. In the past months I stressed incessantly about work, worked long hours into the evening, and constantly felt a need be on the move. I've finally began to realize that it's good to slow down; I'm not saving lives at work and my thoughts deserve to be stress free and relaxed.  I am now trying to focus my efforts towards finding great volunteer opportunities that I can dedicate a few hours to each week (I'm open to suggestions), planning a wedding that is quickly approaching, and spending quality time with the people I truly care about.

A Long Overdue Recap

At the beginning of June 2010, I set off with my twin sister and a close friend on a journey to the "happiest place in the world" located in Central America - Costa Rica. While that was one of the most livening times of my life, it's hard to believe that over a year has passed since our exploration. The itch never left, and the travel bug still has a hold on me. But when I'm having a bad day, or need inspiration, it's so easy to think back to my Costa Rican experience and remember how much I learned about the simplicity of life.

I kept a blog when I was down there, but only posted four times due to the fact that I wanted to spend as much time as possible exploring the city, meeting new people, volunteering, etc.

What I kick myself in the butt for is that I never wrote a recap of my time in Costa Rica. I have so many thoughts in my head that deserve to be preserved and shared. Often times though, I struggle with living in the past, and facing what's in my future. This was even more true when I came back from studying abroad in Spain, and literally thought about Spain everyday for a year and half.

Anyways, here's a summary of my thoughts and what I learned while living la pura vida.

1. La Pura Vida- Can you imagine using the words "pure life" as hello, goodbye, what's up, and any other way you can imagine? The pure life. What does it mean? I learned that it means to enjoy life. If you aren't living every day as it's meant to be - enjoying the little things- then you aren't living the pura vida.

2. Volunteering abroad- I volunteered for three weeks at two different sites. The second site was the most influential for me, where we worked in a soup kitchen with Nicaurgan immigrant children. The neighborhood was poor, the streets made of dirt, and the children always showed a smile. These kids went to school, had friends, and came to the soup kitchen to get their last meal (and sometimes only) of the day. The only fear I left with is that I didn't affect the kids' lives. But they left me with an appreciation for what I have, fond memories of Zach and his rabbit named Nini, and the lovely ladies who served the children everyday.

I highly recommend volunteering abroad if you ever get a chance. It's cost-effective, educational, and provides an introduction to the heart of the country - the people. We went through http://www.volunteerhq.org, and highly suggest it to anyone who is interested!

3. Life's a beach. Enjoy it. Don't take it for granted. Take time to sit back, relax and live in the moment.