Ambiance

Feeling tired but excited and joyful after a week of orientation (with the other 50 YAGM) in Chicago and also a long day of travel, we finally arrived in Mexico City on Wednesday where we met Andrea, our country coordinator. An hour and a half later our bus turned a corner overlooking a valley of glowing lights against the nighttime’s obscure shadow. We made it - Cuernavaca! So here I am writing from CCIDD -- the Cuernavaca Center for International Dialogue and Development -- where the four other YAGM volunteers and I are staying during our orientation.

Some of this city feels different than when I was here before but a lot of this is new to me. I’m still trying to remember street names and where buildings are located. The rutas,or busses, race around the streets and there is always something happening at the Zocalo, or city square, where men and women sell corn, crafts, as people pause for a rest, or walk in from one end to another getting to where they need to be. The main cathedral gates are open during the day but at night when they’re closed I notice that the courtyard is transformed into a still, quiet space. Also, when it rains at night and the city noise is hushed, I realize how I’m not quite used to the sounds of traffic, people, music, and little animals from outside my window.

The CCIDD staff have been wonderful hosts! These are the people who assist the Center with administration, maintenance, and preparing meals. I’m still trying to remember names but no one seems have problems remembering who were are – maybe because we have a Sara, Sarah, Katie, Katherine, and Peter in our group, which in Spanish would mean two “Saaaraaahs,” two Kaaatteees” and one “Pedro.”

Already, we’ve been able to enjoy just “being” together, sharing a lot about what brought us here, what we hope to learn in this time, and our hopes and dreams for the future. I'm going to miss seeing them everyday but I'm also super-excited to begin work! And, well, my sides hurt almost every day from laughter, if that gives you any idea about how well we get along.

Later on I hope I can write more in detail about how this week has been. In the meantime, we’ll be wrapping up orientation, visiting more of our placement sites, hanging out, sharing meals and reflection time together, reading, and learning about life in Mexico. If you’d like to learn more about the work that CCIDD facilitates here in Cuernavaca you can visit: http://www.ccidd.org. 

Below is a picture of Cuernavaca (the faint city you can see way out to the right) from the top of a mountain in Tepoztlan - a 45 minute drive from Cuernavaca.