Too many goodbyes to count....

Last week was a week full of ups and downs for me.  It was great because I was finally sworn in and thus can call myself a volunteer, our days in training were much shorter, and I didn’t have to think about my language proficiency test because I was done with it.  However, last week was also a week filled with hugs and goodbyes and lots of good lucks.  Of course most of those goodbyes are only temporary because at a minimum I’ll be seeing folks when we return in late February (?) for some more training.  However, the hardest goodbyes were those with my host family. 

It’s amazing to me that people can come to mean a whole lot to you in such a short amount of time (11 weeks), especially when you don’t really speak the same language.  But it did happen, by the time I had to say goodbye I was truly sad to have to leave, not only because Lupita (my host mom) had spoiled me, but because they had embraced me and included me as if I was child #6.  

Lupita and me after the swearing-in ceremony

 They didn’t just provide me with a place to sleep and food to fill my belly or help me with my Spanish.  They worried about me, chatted with me, laughed with (and probably at) me, included me in family events like baby showers and birthdays, shared their tequila and mescal, and gathered together for one last comida my last night just to say goodbye to me.  

One example of how wonderful this family was, is that when the grandmother heard that all my stuff wouldn’t fit in my suitcases she brought me a bag so I wouldn’t have to go buy one and then on top of that gave me a pair of awesome Mexican doll earrings (picture coming later).  Another is when I had to go to the hospital to get an xray of my foot (because it turns out I broke my pinky toe), Lupita offered to take me even though her life was already crazy with having to help Manuel, her husband, with pretty much everything because at the moment he isn’t able to walk.  Further, not only did she gather her family for my last night, but spent hours in the kitchen that day preparing a wonderful comida.  I can’t wait to go back to Queretaro and share with them my experiences here in Puebla and wow them with my (hopefully) awesomely better Spanish.

Mi familia!

 So while I had to say more goodbyes than I liked, I’m ready for the next part of my journey.  I’m ready to be one step closer to living on my own again and cooking for myself, not only improve my Spanish, but also learn how to talk about climate change in Spanish, make new friends here in Puebla, find ways/things to get involved in outside of work, and determine how I can best contribute in El Flor del Bosque (the park I’m working with).  So here’s to not having to say goodbye for a while and instead lots of hola’s, and much gustos.