Six weeks later...

Holy Coww, I have made it six weeks here. There have been many times where I almost wanted to come home early, due to disorganization in the program. There have been times where I've been so hot, tired, and sick. There have been times where I've missed all of my friends and family. But mostly, there's been times of happiness. I've experienced what it's like to make a difference. I've got to see first hand what actual poverty looks like for a whole community, and not just a couple houses. I've been able to make friends and create memories from every part of the world. I've had the opportunity to travel on the weekends: Playa Blanca, Medellin, Tayrona, and tomorrow Bogota. The amount of excitement I have to go home does not cancel out the amount of sadness I have to leave the new home that it feels like I just created.
As I sit and write this, it feels like every other night in the house. Katie is watching Grey's Anatomy, Sarah is Facetimeing her new boyfriend Travis (they met on this trip, omg how cute I cannot even), Tori is in our room packing/rearranging her stuff because she is a very neat person, and Beto is on his phone playing some game. So how is it possible that tomorrow I won't be here? Yet, at the same time, I look forward to this school year. I'm social chair for my sorority, I'm moving in with my best friend, I might be going to Spain. I'm al so excited to see all the friends I made here: Caroline and Ellen in Texas, Tori and Sarah in New York, and Katie in Denver. I actually plan on seeing them. Coming here has made me realize I'm so much different than some of the people I hang out with, and although it definitely doesn't make me stop loving my friends less (obvi they are the best ever) it was nice to be with people who see a need for volunteering and just go. I've had so many people tell me I shouldn't come here because it's dangerous, or because there's poverty in the USA. And to those people I have to say you are right. Colombia was dangerous at times. There is definitely poverty in the USA. However, no matter how dangerous Colombia possibly could be, there's a community here. Like the USA, there's more good people than bad people. I will miss people saying "Buenas" in a city of one million people. I felt completely safe walking at night to the corner store for a beer. And as for the poverty: yes there is unemployed, homeless people in the street. However, from teaching English in a slum, in the poorest community of Cartagena, I can tell you that the poverty in the US is not as extreme. There are kids without shoes, kids who are unhealthy, kids with skin conditions due to lack of nutrition. There are pregnant women without access to prenatual care.  This is the type of poverty that cannot be fixed by one hefty donation, or one homeless shelter. This is their culture, their community, and their lives. And I was lucky enough to share that with them. I experienced some of their routines, and I experienced their children. Every day, these kids brought me joy and a new found excitement for teaching and helping kids. Because kids used to drive me nuts. Actually I think kids will always drive me nuts. But seeing kids with nothing who have so much happiness has changed my perception.
This week went by quickly. We taught at nelson mandela all week except Thursday. We said goodbye to three more volunteers. Saturday Nelson Mandela had a going away party for us. We had cake, we danced salsa (my favorite), and we received letters and words of thanks. I never thought I really made a difference in anyone's life until they said goodbye and told us how we helped them. The director then told us we were the only ones who ever paid any attention to them, so I realized then these kids didn't need me to be an English teacher, they needed me to be a consistent person who loved them. And I do love them. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I've faced here. Harder than no ac, harder than not having any previous teaching experience, and harder than getting on a plane by myself to a third world country.
I have no regrets. Next summer, I see myself doing a similar trip, maybe for a shorter period of time depending on my job and where i'm at next year. I encourage everyone to try a program like this at least once. It changes the way you see people, places, and things. I'm optimistic about the future of this world, especially after working with the most amazing group of people ever. Goodbye Colombia, hello America though!

Medellin: Forever Spring

Oh my gosh. I have just had the best weekend of my life. Medellin Colombia is the nicest city I have ever visited. Without a doubt I would live there. This weekend, Tori, Sarah, Kevin, Romain, Travis, and Vahig flew to Medellin. We missed projects Friday and Monday, so it was a much needed break. Medellin is located in the mountains in a valley, so it's less humid and automatically felt cooler. As soon as we arrived, we noticed the change of temperature and became so much happier and giddy. Our cab driver probably thought we were high because we could not stop laughing and smiling. We went straight to our hostel which was closed to El Pobaldo and el parqe lleras. This area is where there are tons of restaurants and bars, and at night, dance clubs. That day we did some shopping and got some coffee. That night, we drank a little in our hostel and began our nighttime adventures. Being able to drink legally is a blessing. We drank a bottle of amazing wine that Tori picked out at an Italian restaurant, and then we went to a Microbrewery. While there, we met a man who grows medical marijuana in Hawaii. His friend spoke no English but was such a gentlemen. Sarah started feeling sick from the food we ate, so his friend ran to get her some alkaseltzer. Unfortunately she did not start to feel any better, so we took her back to the hostel. Tori and I decided to go out again, and we met up with some guys she met in Cartagena who live in Medellin. They paid for our drinks the entire night, and always made sure we had water nearby. They took care of us and showed us the city and would not let us pay for a thing. Then, one friend drove us around the city because he was not drinking that night. They took us up to the mountain where we could see all of the city lights. It was the most beautiful thing I ever seen. Then after, they drove us to where one of them was building a huge house overlooking the city as well. It was in a gated community, so we concluded they were definitely wealthy guys. They were our age though, so it must be family money.
Saturday, we took the metro system around Medellin. Oh and by metro system, I mean gandalas. It took us to a national park where we hiked and did a little shopping. I bought Tia a handmade scarf that was made using yarn from the area. After our little hike, we went out to eat, returned to the hostel, and then proceeded to nap. We woke up and enjoyed our night by drinking in the park, going to a dance club, where I was informed I'm good, and just enjoying the area we were in.
Sunday was also a beautiful day. We went to Guatape, a small city two hours away from Medallin by bus. We climbed a rock that had 675 steps; it was so exhausting. The view was incredible though, so it was worth it. You could see lakes and islands and it was so green. On our way back, we missed the bus at 5 so we had to wait until 7. Some people walked around the town, but Sarah, Romain, and I rented a paddle boat and paddled around the lake for an hour. We had so much fun, just relaxing on a lake talking about silly things. The ride home was exhausting, so when we got back we took a nap. Then we got up to go out, but not a lot was going on for a Sunday. We found one club and there was a dance floor, but there was definitely some drug usage going on, so I just stayed in the bar area.
Monday was depressing because we had to fly out. We grabbed some coffee and all met up. We had to say goodbye to Kevin, so that also was ending things sadly. We arrived in Cartagena around 5, and we then went to the corner store for some drinks because four people left today. It's so sad seeing people you spend every moment with leave. I've learned so much from everyone, and I have no idea what i'm going to do when I have to say goodbye to head home. There's something about living in a house with people who have similar ideas and interests, and respect one another's work and volunteering. I am excited to come home in 11 days, but I am also sad to leave my kids and my new friends.

Tayrona Park, chaos, and bracelets.

Well, it's been a week since I've written about my experiences. I definitely get caught up in going out to the corner store and hanging out with the other volunteers. The last week has been filled with challenges, but it has also been filled with a lot of good times with great people. The last week was still a struggle, especially because the kids stopped going to school because the teachers are no officially on strike. They haven't been paid for six months, so it's honestly no wonder. So we didn't get to go to the school that we wanted, so instead we sat around a lot at the library and tried to figure out what we needed to do. This weekend was so fun though, so it was worth it. 15 of us, including all of my roommates, went to Tayrona National Park. It was a four hour bus ride, and we left at 7 a.m. Once we got there, we hired a tour guide, which ended up being the worst decision ever. He spoke no English, and he walked so fast that half of the group got lost because one of the girls was carrying a heavy bag and couldn't keep up. There was also just a lot of miscommunication about where we were staying to camp, so by the time everyone met up, people were a little testy. However, we were within a five minute walk to a beautiful beach, and 20 minutes to an even nicer beach. Once we all cooled down and had a few beers, things got so much better. We star gazed for hours, and the stars were amazing. We eventually wandered to bed which was hammocks with mosquito nets. I slept awful because it was so hot and I felt suffocated in my net. But we woke up around 7, ate some breakfast, went to the beach until 12:30, and began the hike back. Overall, the hike only took an hour, but it was so hot and it was a lot of climbing up and down stairs and rocks. We were so hot and exhausted by the time we got in the van. We finally got home around 8, then we went and got pizza. By the time we got back, I showered and passed out. This week has also been chaotic. Monday was almost a dramatic day as our director scolded us for preparing an activity in the morning instead of sitting with the children. However, we had already given the kids an activity, and we were multitasking walking around the room. Our activity that afternoon went fabulous though, as we made bracelets out of strings. We had already cut out the strings and tied them and taped them to the table, so when the kids came they were ready to go! We made the color scheme yellow, blue, and red, the colors of the Colombian flag, because it was independence day! That night, we went to the corner store at like 7 and started drinking Colombian rum. We almost got in trouble, because apparently all of the girls were so loud that night when we got back to the house. Who would have thought?! Yesterday we had a discussion with our director because we were put in a school we had never visited before, and expected to teach a two hour English class. There is nothing worse than being unprepared for the situations we are put in, and it happens at least once every day. We were all a little moody, so during the lunch break we talked to the director and explained to her we need notice of what we do, we also would like to not go into schools with older kids. We also talked about how none of us signed up to teach English, and that's all we do. Although I am definitely glad I came on this trip and met so many fantastic people, there are times that I just want to go home and sleep in air conditioning with my dog. I want ice tea, dr.pepper, cell phone service and my family and friends. But it's crazy how I only have two weeks left after we complete this week. And this weekend is going to be amazing. My roomates and I and the guys of the apartment are going to fly to Medellin, Colombia. We are staying in a party hostel, and we are going to do tours and drink coffee and sleep in and not have a curfew. It's exactly the mini vacation we need so we don't snap!

 

 

 

As you can see, these are pictures of paradise. Tayrona Park should definitely be added on places to see. It's incredible. I really shouldn't complain so much when im living in a land full of beautiful people and places.

The stress sets in..

Well needless to say, the last couple of days have been a little stressful and irritating. I've learned one thing from traveling, and that's to always go with the flow. However, nothing in this place ever goes as planned, and I can feel myself growing grey hair. Yesterday at Nelson Mandela, in the library, we were supposed to have kids from 10-12 and then 2-4. School started for the kids in the area, and they get out at 10 am, we think because of the heat but we aren't sure. Anyway, yesterday, we had no kids until 2, so from 9 until 2 we sat in the library and looked at each other. We played some card games and talked, but mainly we just sat there, frustrated. It's very hard being at a place ready to make a difference, and not doing a single thing for 5 hour. I definitely feel like my time was taken advantage of, and I did not come here to wait around all the time. Today was a little better, except they put us in a class of 60, 4 year old kids and asked us to teach them. Except yesterday, no one informed us that we are teaching or that we would be working with that many kids. And once we started teaching the kids some English, they did not listen. They ran around, punched each other, and were overall disrespectful. They didn't even have a teacher with them, just two teacher's aids who were not doing a good job at all at controlling them.
The afternoon was supposed to go a little better because on Monday we had planned activities for the day, but instead we watched a movie. Don't get me wrong, I love movies, but I just do not feel productive or like my time is being used well. I paid for this trip with completely different expectations. There is no way here to measure progress, because there is no structure or goals that we are working for. It's aggregating, and I love my kiddos, but it's been a rough week and it's only Tuesday. I know that things will get better, but as of right now, I am not satisfied with this volunteer organization. I feel like better organization, goals, and communication could lead to a more enjoyable experience. And to clarify, I am not the only one who feels this way. So at least I am not the only one complaining. Tomorrow five of us girls are meeting with the coordinator of the Nelson Mandela project to tell her what needs to change and what we can do to help the community. I would really enjoy painting houses or installing a recycling program, something along those lines that can improve their lifestyle and be able to tell. I feel like as soon as we leave here, none of the kids are going to remember the colors in English, and yes they will remember us, but still.
We had six new volunteers join our group, so there's now 25 of us I believe. We all are getting along, even in the heat and humidity, so that's amazing at least. I am happy I came here, and I am glad I came here alone, too. It's broadened my horizons, and I already feel more independent.

these are some pictures from today. Our activity was on the value order, and so we arranged animals from the smallest animal to the fastest animal. We colored the pictures and then cut them off and glued them to another piece of paper. The kids enjoyed this activity because it was hands on! they all wanted their pictures taken because they are obsessed with cameras and seeing their pictures on the screen!

It's hard to be me

As I write this, I'm chilling in the hammock, listening to the other volunteers talk about their day. It was a lazy weekend for most of us. There was a lot of beach time, since the beach is only a 5 minute walk from our apartment. Friday night we went out to the bars and we danced for a little while. Then today we watched the World Cup Final. We had hamburgers and French fries and it was glorious. We eat a lot of rice and beans here, obviously, and although it's good, it gets old fast. So needless to say we were excited for some other types of food. Everyone here has been sick with a virus, so we were all exhausted by the end of today. My three roomates each got sick, so I was just waiting to get sick. So far, so good. Five other volunteers were sick as well, so it was an interesting week. Tomorrow, the kids at Nelson Mandela, our pilot project, start school. We aren't sure what our role will be there now, but we think we might be going into the classrooms or staying in the library and helping kids with their homework.
Let's talk about the kids from Nelson Mandela now. Nelson Mandela is an impoverished neighborhood, as mentioned before. The kids are a mix between obedient and shy, to wild and aggressive. We have noticed that they have a difficult time processing the word "no," sharing books and puzzles, and getting along on the playground. There is also a younger girl about the age of 10 who has an extremely difficult time sharing our attention. She gets truly furious if we don't spend every minute with her, but as there is between 40-60 kids for six volunteers, it's completely unfair to focus on one child. The kids are also fascinated with tattoos and piercings, and since I have both, they always come up and touch them or ask me about them. Then they tell me why they like tattoos or why they hate them. Culturally, I don't believe it's a big deal, but it's not super common down here. It's interesting though because the kids always tell me what kind of tattoos they want, so it must be a generation thing, which isn't that much different from the United States.
This week will be interesting as I will be teaching a sex education class. I'm supposed to be meeting with a psychologist and sociologist to discuss how I should teach this class, but I am nervous since I this will be my first time giving a presentation about sex and HIV/AIDs in Spanish. I know it will all work out, but it's hard enough teaching sex ed to teenagers who speak English. I will be interested to see what I am allowed to talk about. The lady who is coordinating the class seems thrilled I volunteered to teach it, so I think I will have lot of leeway about how I teach it.
Next weekend, two of my roomates and I are planning on catching a bus and going to Santa Marta and Tayrona. The national park is there, so we will do some hiking and outdoorsy activities. The beaches look beautiful there, so I imagine we will be spending some time ther

Nelson Mandela Project

Well, I have officially fallen in love with a project here. It's based out of a neighborhood called Nelson Mandela. The people moved on the public land and are now in the process of making it private land. In the mean time, they have had electric and water companies move in, but there isn't a lot of space for public places like parks and libraries. It's a barrio of 50,000 people, so it's almost like a small city in Nebraska! The project I am working on is in the library with a group of six-ten other people. We have created lesson plans where we learn the alphabet, practice our colors, and play games like bingo and dodgeball. The library actually has air conditioning, so it's a joy since the house does not. It does not get super cool here, ever. My roomates actually give me a hard time because I brought a fuzzy blanket and use it every night because I'm the only one who actually gets cold here. Anyway, the facilities that we are working at is amazing. They have nice computers, wifi, and brand new books. It's being funded by a steel company that works right across the street, so it's truly a great cause. My favorite part of working with these kids is they walk 20 to 30 minutes a day to get to the library to learn. They truly want to be there, and of course there are some out of control kids, but for the most part, they are a joy to be around. There is this little girl Samara that always runs up and hugs me when she sees me and says she was looking for me! It's an amazing feeling after two days to have connected with these kids. Every day when they leave, they run up and kiss us and surround our bus or taxi and wave until we drive off. Today there was 17 of us out there, and they got a little wild. I was honestly exhausted after today, so shout out to all of those teachers and soon to be teachers. It's a lot harder than it looks.
Sunday our electricity went of at like 6 a.m. and we decided at 8 to go to the center and catch a boat to these islands off of the coast. So from 9-5 we hopped from three different islands, swam, had a drink, tanned, and just enjoyed the tour. Luckily when we got back, the electricity was on, so we had a group meeting inside. We talked about our approach to teaching, and our plan for the week. Some people are already leaving, and it makes me so sad. We all really connect, mainly because we are here for the same reason. That's my opinion anyway. It's a change of environment to meet people that have the same views as you do. I'm feeling like taking this trip by myself is on of the best choices I ever made, and I cannot wait to plan my next one. Especially after hearing all of the stories from the other volunteers!

God's Got This

I've been reminded by more than a few people that I need to write a new post. So here is an update! I really haven't had much time to myself. From going to projects, hanging out with the housemates, and going to the corner store a couple blocks by our house, I have been so busy! Ok, so I survived the nine hour layover in Miami, but barely. There are some truly odd people out and about in the airport at 3 A.M. Then in Bogota, I almost had a meltdown. I could not find my gate, the security wouldn't let me through and kept harassing me asking if I had a boyfriend. Finally, after a stressful hour and a half, I got to my gate and loaded to Cartagena. On the plane, no flight attendant would speak to me in Spanish. This really wasn't bad because I do speak Spanish, but some of them were a little harder to understand. Luckily, I met a man who fluently spoke English and Spanish. He was asking me about my life and why I was going to Cartagena, and he asked me about my faith. He then showed me a bracelet that made me feel so optimistic about life. It said God's God This. He told me about his wife and kids and how he wants to do the work that I'm doing because being an international tax attorney really isn't helping anyone and makes him feel like he's not doing God's work. I never thought a grown man who is a lawyer and has a wonderful family would be envious of what me, a poor college kid is doing. He was so encouraging! Once I landed, I was picked up and taken to my apartment on a bitaxi, a taxi on bike. I felt so bad for the "diver" as he pedaled, me, a staff member named Carlos, and my two suitcases. Once I arrived, I was introduced to the house mates, and shown my room. I live with four other girls, and they are AMAZING. Sara and Tori are from Albany New York, Martina is from Argentina, and Rachel is from the UK. We are all so different but so far we really get along. Which is good because our room is small and it is so hot and humid here to the point where I have almost cried from being so uncomfortable. It gets better though each day, as I get more used to it. That night we went to the corner store, our new hangout and drank a couple beers and got to know each other even better. the next day was training, and Monica, the leader of the group, asked us to find someone we hadn't met or spoken to, and we all said that we knew everyone and she looked surprised. This group just really connects. We all talk and are totally comfortable breaking out in small groups and mixing with one another. After our training, we went to the bar to watch the soccer game and then came home and went to our corner store. The next couple of days have been filled with experimenting with projects, from daycare to teaching English on an island. This weekend we went and watched the Colombia game in the Center, and then we came back to our house and ate pizza! Today was filled with watching soccer games, going to the beach, and now we are about to start our evening! I'm feeling very lucky to be here, and I cannot believe a full week has passed!