Thoughts after one week home

Well, it's been a week since I got home, enough time to put a little perspective on our trip. When we first landed in St. Louis (see photo taken in Lambert Airport) we were still smiling, but in all honesty, I was ready to be home and couldn't wait to sleep in my own bed. I think my small group of students were experiencing a lot of emotions ranging from not wanting to speak any more Spanish to wanting to head back to Oaxaca to study in college!

Overall, I think the trip was a success: we visited some amazing sights, stayed in three very different towns/cities in Mexico, experienced some interesting culture and returned home safe and sound to tell about it. Even more importantly, I think the four of us who flew out of St. Louis that early morning two weeks ago are not the same people who stepped off the plane back in St. Louis two weeks later. We were different. We had changed. Obviously, we were exhausted from the travel; we had purchased some souveniers to enjoy and share; we had practiced our Spanish. Even more importantly, we first met some other American students and teachers and found them to be like us and different in many ways. We found that our shared experiences in Mexico with those students gave us a unique bond that we still cherish and continue to build. We met some beautiful families that welcomed us into their homes and shared with us their blessings and struggles as best they could. We discovered that Mexico, our neighbor, despite it's challenges and strugles, has a wealth of cultural treasures, spiritual beauty and colorful vibrancy that we may not have fully appreciated before. Most importantly, we tapped into something within ourselves-a spirit of adventure, a thirst for discovery, a desire to learn more. We also each had our own challenges which gave us opportunities to not only grow within ourselves that ability to deal with adversity, but also a willingness to reach out for help and to reach out a helping hand to others in need. This wasn't a vacation. This wasn't easy living. This was an educational experience. This was Mexico. And I'm glad I shared it with you.