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.