June Highlights (And some from July)

World Cup.   

Team Mexico was out there playing hard - winning some, and losing. The atmosphere was pretty upbeat and high when Mexico tied with South Africa and beat France. (That lasted a short while.) Even though Mexico is now out of the running, I’ll never forget hearing people scream “¡¡GOOOOOOOOL!!” in the city center, in friend’s homes, at work, and even on the ruta (bus).

Here we took some of the students to the zócalo (Cuernavaca’s city center) to watch the game.

Travel to Mexico City. 

Fellow YAGM Katherine, Peter, Sara and I took a long weekend to visit Mexico City, or Districto Federal, as it’s called - D.F. for short. We took in a few museums, floated down river canals in Xochimilco, and walked through “Casa Azul” (The Blue House) where the famous artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera once lived. 

Me, Katherine and Sara on our small boat in Xochimilco.

(Frida and Diego lived in this house - 1929-1954)

“I’m Fine!”

These are the words I hear each morning when I come into work. Lately in English class we’ve been working on greetings: 

Hi. How are you? / I’m fine. etc etc. 

Now the resounding “1-2-3! I’m Fine!” has become my morning welcome. In fact, some of the teachers have even started calling me “Katie ‘I’m Fine!’ Nelson.” Sounds about right.

Farewell visit. 

Fellow volunteer Sarah and I had the chance to visit dear ones in the mountainside community where we worked up until February. Saying final goodbyes was hard, to say the least; but it was a joy to see familiar faces, give HUGE hugs to the young women that I worked with for so many months, and once again enter into some of the homes that welcomed me right from the start. 

Below Sarah and I walk down into one of the community wells. During this time of year when the well level is so low, people have to walk all the way down to the bottom and let their buckets fill up from a small trickle in the rock. 

Fin del curso. 

Colorful balloons, streamers and students’ artwork decorated GADI (the school/day center where I work) for our end-of-the-year party. Families and friends came to celebrate an incredible year and watch their children and siblings sing, dance, do some tae-kwon-do for the crowd, and receive lots of awards. 

When it was all over we devoured delicious tlacoyos to top off what was a fantastic run of events! 

Farewell dinner for coworkers and host families. 

As a group, us YAGM volunteers hosted a dinner for our coworkers and homestay families. It was one teary-eyed evening giving thanks to those who have opened their lives, homes and hearts with us this year. 

It struck me that evening that this year’s experience, with it’s highs and lows and oh-so-many memories, is something that I’ll never be able to forget. I’m beyond amazed to look back on what this year has given me, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve visited, and all that I’ve grown to know and love. 

I was really touched that my coworkers came for the dinner last Sunday. Here I am with Viri, Liz, her baby Erik, and Rosita.

That said, it feels good to be on the homestretch. 

These last few days leave me feeling pulled in many directions, sifting through lots of emotions with goodbyes and thank-you’s, and with many thoughts on what it will be like to return home. It’s hard to believe that in less than a week I’ll be leaving my adorable students, my friends here and fun coworkers.

But in these last few days, my focus is on being HERE. To soak in all that I can, continue the process of saying goodbyes, and soon I’ll be able to rejoin my family and friends back home.