Saturday, August 6th, 2016

2 Weeks…

I am currently sitting in an airport in Houston, waiting for my final flight home. It has been a long journey in many ways, but I have learned some amazing things about myself.

Things I never thought I would do:

-          Travel to another country

-          Travel to another country alone

-          Figure out my way to an island on my own- taxi to water taxi

-          Climb Mayan Ruins

-          Climb over 100 feet on a building voluntarily

-          Snorkel in open water

-          Swim with sharks

-          Dance in front of a group of people that aren’t 3 years old

-          Room with a complete stranger for 2 weeks

-          Make it staying away from my husband for 2 weeks

-          Survive a hurricane

-          Manage without water and power for over 24 hours

Decisions I have made based on the past 2 weeks:

-          I will travel internationally again

-          I am a good teacher

-          Helping children from other cultures and backgrounds is in my heart

-          Refugee education is a good passion for me

-          I am culturally aware, but always willing to learn more and try more

-          I AM STRONG

I am so proud of myself for making it through this adventure. It was a challenge, to say the least. I am still not sure if this type of situation is right for me, but I am certainly happy I did it. I cannot believe I did this!

I have learned so much more about wealth and the many ways in which someone can be wealthy. My observations far surpassed what I imagined I would receive or see after reading Yosso’s article. The community and the passion for community which I saw in San Pedro is something I dream to see in my neighborhood, place of work and family. I am proud to have been part of their community, even if only for a short while.

I have also learned that taking a step back and evaluating your own lens is very important. As happy as I was to be part of the San Pedro community, I misplaced my feelings of lack of wealth on them by having a jaded point of view. A sadness I carried in my heart from another’s experience almost pushed me over the edge, but I checked myself and was able to value what I saw.

I am still processing everything in my mind and trying to figure out how I feel about everything. But what I do know is:

I am happy.

I am proud.

I am strong.

I am truly amazed at myself.

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2016

So, today was an interesting day. In true Belizean fashion, I had to figure out a way to "go with it." I did my professional development class today and I feel like it went fairly well. Of course, looking back I made mental notes of about 10,000 things I should have done differently. But, I am proud that I made it through it and everyone seemed to have a good time by the end. I am also proud that I was able to adapt and move forward.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the day was when I spoke with Ms. Delia. She is amazing. Delia is going to be going to the United States to get her Master’s Degree soon. I respect her for that because I know leaving home is not easy. But perhaps even more interesting and valuable is the passion she has behind her city and culture. Delia lives near New Horizons. Today, she took me to the gym at the Junior College- she pointed and told me how this one small space is all the community has for large events. Delia proceeded to tell me that sporting events are held here, weddings, graduations, community gatherings. This one area is a wealth of value for the community. The problem, as Delia put it, is that this is the only area. She seemed remorseful that the community has grown so much, businesses are popping up, and yet, there is no area for families to play. There are few parks, there are no community centers. These areas which could be so valuable for community wealth have been traded in for financial gain.

Delia and I continued to talk for a little while. We shared some similarities and differences, we shared some cultural information, we shared some life stories. Delia and I talked for about a half hour. And at one point of talking to me, she turned and said I have to pick 3 areas for my Master’s. She said she has Leadership and Administration, but she didn’t know what the third should be. Then she asked me- a total stranger. I smiled and said “advocacy.” I told her the passion she described about her town, what better way to make a difference than to advocate. If the local community doesn’t have a voice for it, then no one will care enough to make the changes she so wants to see. It was a wonderful afternoon and conversation.