I haven’t had a chance to blog because honestly our days here are just so busy.  From sun up to sunset there has been very little down time for me. 

Though life is simplier here and seemingly slower, time is flying by.  Our days seem to end as fast as they begin. But our days are not just busy they are full.  Full of learning,  of preparing, full of walking,  full of experiences, full of community. 

Carla and the girls left Wednesday and Christine arrived.  So our house transitioned from little learners to adult learners. Though it all looks much the same.  Carla and the girls brought so much fun to our house.  I miss having my kitchen side kick Bianca around who while she may have appeared ever resistant (much like myself) to learning Spanish,  she was learning.  I miss watching Brianna fully engage is learning and picking it up with ease.  I miss the noise of the kids playing. I am so thankful for the time we had.

Christine has transitioned in with ease and is for sure the most eager of any learner that has ever been in this house lol.  I fully believe she will leave here speaking Spanish. 

My learning has been… well exhausting to say the least. I’ve learned lots about my teacher and her life. I am learning to ask questions that give me answers to my ever curious self.  When,  Where, How, Who, Why.  My learning looks different then others.  But it’s learning just the same. My teacher is sweet and kind. She is far more independent and educated then most woman in this area. Though her and I are similar in so many ways her life has been far more challenging then mine.  From the outside her and I both present as strong, independent, self sufficient woman. However her means of becoming that person were far more challenging then mine,  and far more atypical in her culture than it is for me in the United States. She is by no means typical here. It’s always a challenge to put your own privilege aside and be able to hear someone’s story thru their own voice.  To take in their hard and not judge it by your standards. To honor someone else’s hard in its totality. This is where empathy not sympathy comes into play.  There isn’t one single story my teacher has told that has been a woe is me story. Not once has she ever indicated she felt bad for herself and all that she has endured (and boy has she endured). It’s been quite the opposite. Her mentality is this is life and she lives every minute she is given.  Once again this place has me thinking of resilience and why some have it and others don’t.

I also continuously come back to the fact that education is the only thing that can change a community, a culture,  and improve people’s lives. This is true no matter where you live or travel to.  The more educated people you encounter the kinder the interactions become.  There’s far more humanity that exists when people are educated.  Living with isolated views and little exposure makes a person far scarier to me then probably anything else.  I’ve tried to disconnect as much as possible from all of the awful that has been happening in the US. I needed to for my own mental health.  But there have been moments where no matter how hard I try I can’t completely avoid.  I hate that the perception of the US has changed so drastically and so quickly. Last year people here viewed the US as a power house.  As the leader in the world.  This year their views are so different. They feel sorry for us,  they think we are allowing one man to destroy everything the US has stood for.  They literally have said how are you letting this happen to you. My only response is…I wonder the same thing.