I’m back from Nicaragua, and I promised to write about my trip, so here it goes. On Thursday when I got home, I posted this:
Home.
Goodness, this word has so many different meanings. I’m at home now. I’m with my family. But, I wasn’t not home before. In some ways the trip to Nicaragua was like returning home to where I really belong. Home isn’t always a space we occupy or the people we occupy it with. Sometimes it is what you do or the language you speak.
Tonight, I’m home. I’m back from a long trip away from where I desperately wanted to be, in profoundly more ways than one.
Of course, I’m home now. Being away from my boys for 8 days was difficult, especially with a busy schedule and limited access to internet. I missed them so much. I missed how my sons crawl into bed with us every night. I missed how my husband and I banter and discuss the details of our day. I missed how my pups only listen to me and no one else.
But, being away also brought me home in ways I can’t ignore. This last year has taken me on a long journey away from things that are essential to who I am. I never imagined an entire year where Spanish was not a part of my daily life. I never imagined feeling like an island. I never imagined I’d long so much for professional relationships and space to collaborate. I never imagined that after a year away from home, I’d get to go back by going away.
I went on this trip with amazing professional educators and Pulsera Project staff members who were dedicated to their values and ethics. An idea that came up over and over was the idea of “doing it right”. I felt like a starving bear at a buffet. I loved that my ideas were challenged and changed and valued. I loved learning and growing. I loved the validation that comes from dialogue. I loved being home for a little while.
-CL
I can’t wait to continue sharing more about this trip in the coming days! Stay tuned.
So exciting- I love reading the updates!
Thank you! I have so much more to say! I can’t even digest it all…
Cheryl: meeting you was a blessing and having you in my life, sharing little things that matter when we have a few minutes with our buddy schedules is priceless.
To the right b s that are reading this post, Cheryl and I were chosen with other 6 Spanish Teacher’s to travel to Nicaragua this pass summer.
Sometimes you find pieces of you in places you can’t even think those went missing. We all found a piece, a big one that was lost in Nicaragua meeting fantastic authentic individuals, we shared ideas, we listen, we cried, we loved and came back to the USA with a better heart, like when you find the piece you missed of a puzzle.
With little acts of kindness and a little help when you just wish and can, we can make this world a better place for all and for future generations.
I believe we started something beautiful just because the people we met with. Names like Dara, Sebastian, Marcelino, Daniela come to my head over and over. I see people trusting to make it better, I see hope, I see love.
Like you my dear Cheryl, I promised to write about that amazing trip we took and didn’t find the right moment yet. What I have is a jar with memories that I’m putting inside through the year. Nicaragua took already like half of it, but I still need to write more things that keep popping in my head.
I love this Cheryl, you are such a fantastic smart and sweet person in and out, and I’m blessed to count on you as a great friend!
❤️Cristina
Ups, few mistakes: buddy- busy; righ b s-people ( don’t know what happened); pass-passed; trusting-trying! Sorry!!!!