Hi guys!
So, this is the end. I'm writing to you from the Cuenca airport, where I'm catching a flight to Quito, where I'm catching a flight to Houston, where I'm catching a flight home. I'm sad. It was a hard goodbye, both to the kids and the other volunteers. (Although, in the week before I left for Ecuador, I said something like 18 goodbyes. I should be used to them by now.) It's weird, in many ways, it feels like I've been here much longer than two weeks, like I've been here for months. But I don't want to leave--the rhythms of the work are somewhat part of me. Perhaps this is what belonging feels like.
As I'm leaving, a few thank you's are in order to those who helped me get here. (I don't want to publish their names online without their consent, but a lot of you guys will know who they are). First, to my parents, who both permitted their young daughter to go to a developing country, and for funding it. I'm very lucky about that. A fifth-grade teacher at the elementary school I attended, for recommending that I do OSSO (she volunteered here herself several years ago). Those who agreed to serve as my references--my boss, my piano/band teacher, and my Young Women leader, who were all willing to say nice things about me to help me get accepted. And everyone who has taken the time to read about my adventures on this blog, especially those who have left comments or texted or emailed me about it. Thank you thank you thank you.
I was in the OSSO orphanage all day today--Casa Alegria in the morning, and Casa Milagros in the afternoon, although the two groups were somewhat mixed today, so I sort of just rotated between all of the kids.
In the morning, I had the typical Casa Alegria schedule--feeding, and then bath time. I had to feed Jhon again (the boy who really really hates to eat), which is always an experience. In all honesty, I could just take his bowl at the beginning and pour it out on his bib to obtain the exact same result, in a fraction of the time. However, we do try and get his meals into him--it takes a while, though. I can feed him in the time it takes to feed three or four other kids, because he fights so hard. While he was eating, I talked to him about how some things in life, like the superhero movies that Martin always wants to show, are completely optional, while others are mandatory. And how eating falls into the second category. I doubt he understood much (or any) of it, because I don't know how much English he has, or comprehension in general, but maybe the sound of my voice distracted him. And the effort to get a toothbrush into that boy...it's quite impressive how forcefully he manages to prevent anything from getting in his mouth. If it weren't such a harmful habit, I would applaud his ethic.
After everyone ate, it was time for all the kids to take their showers. Although I don't actually wash the children (that job falls to the orphanage workers), I do dress and undress them and help carry them from beds and wheelchairs to the shower. I've gotten a whole lot more comfortable with other people's nudity while I was here, which is a good trait for an aspiring physician to have. I've also seen some...interesting things in that regard, which I won't explicate on. You guys can use your imaginations.
I then chased Bryan around a bit, exploring around the orphanage grounds with him (although we've both already seen the entire thing). I then read a bit more to Cecilia--we made it most of the way through Superfudge, which was fun. I read that book around second or third grade, and it's interesting to see which plot points still seem familiar.
During my lunch break, I did a few necessary departure things (washed my sheets, emptied my trash, swept my room, double checked that my shampoo was out of the shower, donated extra laundry pods to the left-here-by-volunteers cabinet), and then went to the bakery with another volunteer. It was awesome--they had shelf after shelf of freshly baked bread, and the smell rivaled any bakery I have ever been in. And the bread tasted as good as it smelled--I had no idea what I was buying, because there was no label and I wasn't sure how to ask if there was a filling, but I bought some kind of cheese-filled roll, and it was yeasty and gooey and wonderful.
After lunch, I had my shift in Casa Milagros. Fortunately, I only had easy feeders there today, so that was pretty efficient. Although one boy seems to be attempting to eat his toothbrush, as it is covered in bite marks and whenever I put it in his mouth, he clamps down.
One of the little boys just got a new hearing aid, and he apparently doesn't find it comfortable, because he keeps trying to pull it out (and occasionally just gives it to people when he pleases). They've had to tape it to his ear to prevent him from pulling out, and it creates quite the comical effect.
Another volunteer set up a bunch of crafts for the kids to do, which kept most of them busy--I was in charge of supervising those who couldn't or didn't want to do the activities. I pushed Laura on a swing for a while, until Martin announced that he wanted to go for a walk (he can propel his own chair, but he struggles on hills). We looped around the orphanage grounds, stopping every once in a while to run over to give Laura a push to keep her swinging.
I then went into Maria's room to spend some time with her (she gets cold really easily, so she can't go outside much, even though being walked around is one of her favorite things). Instead, I sang to her. Another young boy heard the noise and ambled in her room to listen. He even applauded occasionally (especially when I would slip his name into the songs). It was very good for my ego.
Because her name is Maria, and I was told that she loves music, I spent the past few weeks singing the Sound of Music to her. We've gotten through pretty much the entire soundtrack (except for the weird yodeling goatherd song, because my yodels would song akin to a drunken cow being tortured.) Tonight, I ended with "So Long, Farewell," which I had never sung to her before. I hope she understood the goodbye.
I then went to say my final goodbye to all of the rest of kids. Martin almost cried, which prompted me to almost cry, and Cristian, who always high-fives me and sticks out his tongue, gave me a hug (along with high-fiving me and sticking out his tongue).
I then said my goodbyes to the other volunteers, with hugs and promises to meet up in the US (all but one live within a few hours drive of my college, so it's feasible.)
Keenan and Sasha, the volunteer directors, then escorted me to the airport. Cuenca to Quito was easy (the airport there is tiny--it only has three gates), but Quito to Houston was more interesting. Apparently United check-in has its own section of the airport, but it's completely unlabeled, so I walked past all the check-in counters three times, until I finally asked for help. I was able to cobble together that I was supposed to get into the long, snaking line. Fortunately, I had extra time, and the women behind me in line were super nice--they were from Ireland, and had just gone to Macchu Pichu in Peru and the Galapagos Islands. And their accents made them so fun to talk to--if anyone has seen the movie Brooklyn (you should, as both the movie and book are lovely), they had almost the same accent as the protagonist.
Eventually, we got on the flight to Houston. I was sitting in the middle of a large high school language-immersion tour group, and somehow they decided that I would know how to fill out the customs forms, so they all asked me for advice. I told them that it was only the second one that I'd filled out in my life, but I tried to give them the answers--the form wasn't too complicated. (Also, apparently going to Ecuador, you aren't allowed to take more than 2 calculators without declaring them for taxes. File that under completely random laws).
Fortunately, all the high schoolers were exhausted, so they were pretty quiet and we all were able to sleep a bit. We got back to Houston and it was bizarre. Everyone was speaking English! I could read every single sign, and even if I had a question, I could just ask it and understand the answer without charades or guessing as to what words meant! (Although I did bump into someone and instinctively let out a "perdon, señor.")
In Texas, I didn't have a lot of time. The bags were supposed to come out at 5:50, but didn't start until around 6:15, and my flight started boarded from 6:25-6:55. I got my bag around 6:30, then bolted through security (or tried to. The woman in front of me didn't understand that she had to take off her scarf, and jacket, and empty her pockets). My gate was on the other side of the airport, so anyone who happened to be at George Bush International early this morning got to see me sprinting in sock feet on approximately three hours off sleep, clutching shoes, laptop, sweatshirt, and passport to my chest because I didn't have time to put them in my bag. It's not my most attractive state. Eventually I realized that I could run faster in shoes, and put those on, making it to my gate right as they were about to stop letting passengers on. Fortunately, I made it on the flight, and am currently flying home! I'll publish this when I get to my house.
I wish that I could tell you some great life lessons that I learned from doing this--maybe I'll figure those out a little while from now, when I have more time to reflect and not just do. But here's what I have so far: love everyone, wholeheartedly. The innocent, the broken, those tough and those tender, the vulnerable, the seemingly unlovable. In small ways and large--both can be incredibly impactful.
And I don't think that I'm going to stop posting on this blog--I won't write every day, but I really enjoy having my own little corner of the internet to do with what I wish, so if anyone wants to check up on it occasionally, you're welcome to.
Thank you so much. This has been an amazing journey, and I am better for it.
So, this is the end. I'm writing to you from the Cuenca airport, where I'm catching a flight to Quito, where I'm catching a flight to Houston, where I'm catching a flight home. I'm sad. It was a hard goodbye, both to the kids and the other volunteers. (Although, in the week before I left for Ecuador, I said something like 18 goodbyes. I should be used to them by now.) It's weird, in many ways, it feels like I've been here much longer than two weeks, like I've been here for months. But I don't want to leave--the rhythms of the work are somewhat part of me. Perhaps this is what belonging feels like.
As I'm leaving, a few thank you's are in order to those who helped me get here. (I don't want to publish their names online without their consent, but a lot of you guys will know who they are). First, to my parents, who both permitted their young daughter to go to a developing country, and for funding it. I'm very lucky about that. A fifth-grade teacher at the elementary school I attended, for recommending that I do OSSO (she volunteered here herself several years ago). Those who agreed to serve as my references--my boss, my piano/band teacher, and my Young Women leader, who were all willing to say nice things about me to help me get accepted. And everyone who has taken the time to read about my adventures on this blog, especially those who have left comments or texted or emailed me about it. Thank you thank you thank you.
I was in the OSSO orphanage all day today--Casa Alegria in the morning, and Casa Milagros in the afternoon, although the two groups were somewhat mixed today, so I sort of just rotated between all of the kids.
In the morning, I had the typical Casa Alegria schedule--feeding, and then bath time. I had to feed Jhon again (the boy who really really hates to eat), which is always an experience. In all honesty, I could just take his bowl at the beginning and pour it out on his bib to obtain the exact same result, in a fraction of the time. However, we do try and get his meals into him--it takes a while, though. I can feed him in the time it takes to feed three or four other kids, because he fights so hard. While he was eating, I talked to him about how some things in life, like the superhero movies that Martin always wants to show, are completely optional, while others are mandatory. And how eating falls into the second category. I doubt he understood much (or any) of it, because I don't know how much English he has, or comprehension in general, but maybe the sound of my voice distracted him. And the effort to get a toothbrush into that boy...it's quite impressive how forcefully he manages to prevent anything from getting in his mouth. If it weren't such a harmful habit, I would applaud his ethic.
After everyone ate, it was time for all the kids to take their showers. Although I don't actually wash the children (that job falls to the orphanage workers), I do dress and undress them and help carry them from beds and wheelchairs to the shower. I've gotten a whole lot more comfortable with other people's nudity while I was here, which is a good trait for an aspiring physician to have. I've also seen some...interesting things in that regard, which I won't explicate on. You guys can use your imaginations.
I then chased Bryan around a bit, exploring around the orphanage grounds with him (although we've both already seen the entire thing). I then read a bit more to Cecilia--we made it most of the way through Superfudge, which was fun. I read that book around second or third grade, and it's interesting to see which plot points still seem familiar.
During my lunch break, I did a few necessary departure things (washed my sheets, emptied my trash, swept my room, double checked that my shampoo was out of the shower, donated extra laundry pods to the left-here-by-volunteers cabinet), and then went to the bakery with another volunteer. It was awesome--they had shelf after shelf of freshly baked bread, and the smell rivaled any bakery I have ever been in. And the bread tasted as good as it smelled--I had no idea what I was buying, because there was no label and I wasn't sure how to ask if there was a filling, but I bought some kind of cheese-filled roll, and it was yeasty and gooey and wonderful.
After lunch, I had my shift in Casa Milagros. Fortunately, I only had easy feeders there today, so that was pretty efficient. Although one boy seems to be attempting to eat his toothbrush, as it is covered in bite marks and whenever I put it in his mouth, he clamps down.
One of the little boys just got a new hearing aid, and he apparently doesn't find it comfortable, because he keeps trying to pull it out (and occasionally just gives it to people when he pleases). They've had to tape it to his ear to prevent him from pulling out, and it creates quite the comical effect.
Another volunteer set up a bunch of crafts for the kids to do, which kept most of them busy--I was in charge of supervising those who couldn't or didn't want to do the activities. I pushed Laura on a swing for a while, until Martin announced that he wanted to go for a walk (he can propel his own chair, but he struggles on hills). We looped around the orphanage grounds, stopping every once in a while to run over to give Laura a push to keep her swinging.
I then went into Maria's room to spend some time with her (she gets cold really easily, so she can't go outside much, even though being walked around is one of her favorite things). Instead, I sang to her. Another young boy heard the noise and ambled in her room to listen. He even applauded occasionally (especially when I would slip his name into the songs). It was very good for my ego.
Because her name is Maria, and I was told that she loves music, I spent the past few weeks singing the Sound of Music to her. We've gotten through pretty much the entire soundtrack (except for the weird yodeling goatherd song, because my yodels would song akin to a drunken cow being tortured.) Tonight, I ended with "So Long, Farewell," which I had never sung to her before. I hope she understood the goodbye.
I then went to say my final goodbye to all of the rest of kids. Martin almost cried, which prompted me to almost cry, and Cristian, who always high-fives me and sticks out his tongue, gave me a hug (along with high-fiving me and sticking out his tongue).
I then said my goodbyes to the other volunteers, with hugs and promises to meet up in the US (all but one live within a few hours drive of my college, so it's feasible.)
Keenan and Sasha, the volunteer directors, then escorted me to the airport. Cuenca to Quito was easy (the airport there is tiny--it only has three gates), but Quito to Houston was more interesting. Apparently United check-in has its own section of the airport, but it's completely unlabeled, so I walked past all the check-in counters three times, until I finally asked for help. I was able to cobble together that I was supposed to get into the long, snaking line. Fortunately, I had extra time, and the women behind me in line were super nice--they were from Ireland, and had just gone to Macchu Pichu in Peru and the Galapagos Islands. And their accents made them so fun to talk to--if anyone has seen the movie Brooklyn (you should, as both the movie and book are lovely), they had almost the same accent as the protagonist.
Eventually, we got on the flight to Houston. I was sitting in the middle of a large high school language-immersion tour group, and somehow they decided that I would know how to fill out the customs forms, so they all asked me for advice. I told them that it was only the second one that I'd filled out in my life, but I tried to give them the answers--the form wasn't too complicated. (Also, apparently going to Ecuador, you aren't allowed to take more than 2 calculators without declaring them for taxes. File that under completely random laws).
Fortunately, all the high schoolers were exhausted, so they were pretty quiet and we all were able to sleep a bit. We got back to Houston and it was bizarre. Everyone was speaking English! I could read every single sign, and even if I had a question, I could just ask it and understand the answer without charades or guessing as to what words meant! (Although I did bump into someone and instinctively let out a "perdon, señor.")
In Texas, I didn't have a lot of time. The bags were supposed to come out at 5:50, but didn't start until around 6:15, and my flight started boarded from 6:25-6:55. I got my bag around 6:30, then bolted through security (or tried to. The woman in front of me didn't understand that she had to take off her scarf, and jacket, and empty her pockets). My gate was on the other side of the airport, so anyone who happened to be at George Bush International early this morning got to see me sprinting in sock feet on approximately three hours off sleep, clutching shoes, laptop, sweatshirt, and passport to my chest because I didn't have time to put them in my bag. It's not my most attractive state. Eventually I realized that I could run faster in shoes, and put those on, making it to my gate right as they were about to stop letting passengers on. Fortunately, I made it on the flight, and am currently flying home! I'll publish this when I get to my house.
I wish that I could tell you some great life lessons that I learned from doing this--maybe I'll figure those out a little while from now, when I have more time to reflect and not just do. But here's what I have so far: love everyone, wholeheartedly. The innocent, the broken, those tough and those tender, the vulnerable, the seemingly unlovable. In small ways and large--both can be incredibly impactful.
And I don't think that I'm going to stop posting on this blog--I won't write every day, but I really enjoy having my own little corner of the internet to do with what I wish, so if anyone wants to check up on it occasionally, you're welcome to.
Thank you so much. This has been an amazing journey, and I am better for it.
Awesome adventure. Thanks for sharing! I've enjoyed reading.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading! :)
DeleteI am so glad you were able to go on this journey!
ReplyDelete