Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Living the Dream with rice and beans

Holy frijoles! I am so excited. This weekend I will be "living my dream"--the other one. Not the one of getting married and having a family--living that one and very gratefully. No, this is my other dream, the one I had long ago but never has been tucked away but never quite extinguished. The dream of traveling to third world countries to provide medical service.  I made it as far as Chemistry 105 when I met Brandon and my first dream eclipsed the other for a time. I did finish my degree--in Spanish--and although I lament at times that it was a pretty unmarketable choice--it turned out to be my ticket to go on this trip.

But first, I must announce very happy birthday wishes to Kate. My oldest is now 11! She had a sleepover with a few friends (another thing kids will talk you in to) She was an excellent hostess and provided non-stop entertainment all night--at least until 11 p.m. when I told them it was time for bed then again at 2 a.m. because they didn't listen the first time.  There was a  steady stream of loud laughing and giggling so I guess that means they had fun.  Most of their entertainment thrived on the disgusting: egg races, eating baby food and guessing the flavor of the lifesaver inside, and something about digging for a treasure in a vat of raw meat.   Sick.
Kate got a pocket video cam. so she can film our reactions to her crazy pranks and send them into America's Funniest Videos for a chance at an easy million. She also got a book of easy piano Adele songs so that she will love practicing every day.
It has been a beautiful thing to watch Kate grow up and come into her own. She is a great babysitter and now dog-sitter and she continues to grow in talents. I think she will grow up to become a writer and illustrator where her imagination can charm, entertain, and even shock her fans.

So back to the dream....I will be flying deep into the innards of Mexico to volunteer as a translator for a group of medical professionals. I couldn't be more excited! My brother is one of the doctors. My niece is also joining as a pre-med student. When my sister heard us planning the trip she got downright jealous and now she's coming too. We will conclude the trip with a little Whale Petting excursion in Baja which is just icing on the already scrumptious cake!!

Getting this trip planned wasn't exactly as EASY as cake. I had some problems getting my passport--wrong form, delays, etc. Then travel alerts popped up for our destination. Some people thought I was crazy (Mexicans even) For one reason or another it seemed like I kept getting stymied and I almost gave up and thought it would be easier to just stay home.   It would have BUT then I remembered that some things are worth fighting for.
 Like the time I went on study abroad and had the chance to take an optional excursion to Macchu Picchu, Peru--one of my other dreams (I guess I have a few)  There were serious drug trafficking dangers going on at the time, some American students had just been killed in a plane crash on our same airline there a few days earlier, then I came down with a stomach bug, and weirdest of all, the day before I was supposed to leave I woke up with a sprained ankle!! Like an episode of bizarre ER, I don't know what happened just that I woke up and couldn't walk for the whole day. How was I supposed to get around the rugged ruins? I just prayed that everything would work out and it did. The next day as quick as my leg ailment appeared it disappeared.  We ended up going on the trip and I count it as one of the best experiences of my life. Certainly, it was  the most breathtaking and magical place I have ever visited.  Worth the fight no question.

So, I got on my war paint and bushwacked through the obstacles--like calling the passport agency EVERY day until that got resolved and other minutia.

I went to the doctor for some antibiotic--in case I get ill. I'll also be bringing some of my oils for the same reason. I came home from the store with scrubs, my own stash of TP  and some trinkets for the kids. Luckily there are lots of pockets on those scrubs. One of those is going to be filled with TP, another, my camera, and the rest I'll load up with stickers, candies, and little toys,--even clearance valentines because if those kids are like the ones in S. America they swarm up to with hugs and then just light up when you have a little something to give them.

Adios amigos. And as I assured Brandon, I WILL BE BACK.

5 comments:

Sheree said...

Awesome! What a cool thing to be a part of. You will be perfect. And although you didn't end up being a doctor, you had quite a bit of medical experience pre-kids! I'm sure some of that has come in handy.

I hear lemon oil is good for purifying water. Why don't you test that out and tell me how it goes. ;)

Megz said...

What a grand adventure awaits you. Hope you have a great time!
What other dreams do you have with the rest of your young life?

Sherie Christensen said...

I hope you will enjoy your adventure and stay safe. Is your life list still on your fridge? I need to come read it again. You are quite the adventurer!

cold cocoa said...

I hope you're safe too! That sounds adventurous and a little scary perhaps. Enjoy the experience!

Megan Goates said...

I look forward to a captivating report on your return. Have a great trip.