Sometimes I forget how lucky I am.
Sometimes I ignore the reasons that I'm lucky.
I forget that I come from a great, albeit dysfunctional, family.
I forget how much my parents really love me.
I forget how truly great both my parents are.
They've taught me, and my siblings I'm sure, so much over the years.
They've taught to be generous.
They taught me to give and not expect anything in return.
They taught me to share my blessings with others.
They taught me to be thankful for all that I have.
They are the most amazing people that I know.
They are my heroes.
They taught me that "blood is thicker than water", but sometimes even water deserves to be treated like blood.
They taught me to work hard for everything that I want in life.
They taught me to reach for the stars, because they know I can do anything.
They've taught me so much over the years. They've shown me how life can change in an instant and how to never give up. They've always worked hard and followed dreams. They are the strongest people that I know-that I could even imagine. They truly are my heroes.
Sometimes I forget that. Sometimes I forget how amazing they are.
Sometimes I don't treat them like heroes.
But they really are. I love you, Mom and Dad.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Differencessssssss
There have been several differences in the culture that I've noticed so far. Though y'all might enjoy it =)
-The lanes on the road, you know, like a two-laned highway, are really more of a suggestion than anything else. While riding in the car, seatbelt fastened of course, we tore down the middle of two lanes of traffic just to go faster. Scary =p
-There are ten billion speed bumps out here on all of the roads. I think they substitue stop signs in many instances. They are a little rough to go over at first...no, i take that back. They're always rough to go over.
-The men are walking, talking, breathing oxymorons. I don't get it. They hoot and holler in the street, but they are also very courteous at the same time. They give up their seats in the busses, they open doors...it's crazy. I'm so confused =p They need to be just nice and polite all the time.
-DON'T tell your teacher that class is over when she's still talking...
-In the football (soccer) stadium it's cheaper to buy a liter of beer than 16oz of water. They have priorities =p
-There are tooooooooooons of street venders. Some of it looks good, like fresh fruit. But it might kill me so... =p
-There are a lot of venders that sell meat, and they just throw it out there on the counter. The raw meat just sits there on the counter. Chicken, beef, pork. This is why they tell us to be careful where we eat here.
-The eggs aren't refrigerated. Sometimes, yea, but in the store they aren't. Also, some of the other people have experienced non refrigerated milk. I don't know how that's possible, but it works.
-They eat a BUNCH here. Litterally. I don't eat that much, and it just shocks my family when I'm not hungry or I don't want seconds. We finally agreed on me just eating cereal for breakfast. But as for everything else... =p My family has their main meal at around 4-6. It's pretty big, and it's delicious. Ususally it's some kind of soup followed by a meat filled dish. Loving that they eat tortillas with everything =))) Then my family eats again around 9:30 or 10. Usually I pass this one up because that's too late for me to eat. For this meal they usually have like sandwiches or something smaller.
-There is a lot of American music here. A lot of it is older. It's fun to sing along.
-There is a lot of Mexican music here. Go figure =p I like it. I've heard lots of slower songs, and they are really peaceful.
-Each bread has a different name. Like a legit name. One memorable one is called a bigote (mustache) because it has that shape.
-Sweet breads, including churros, are considered bread, not a dessert.
-Lots of people don't wear wedding rings. But some do. I'm not sure where the division is and why some do and some don't.
-Policia EVERYWHERE. and they look pretty hardcore. They are always suited up with navy blue uniforms, guns, combat boots, and sometimes armor. I feel safe.
-Gotta run across the street when you're crossing, because the cars, busses, and bikes don't stop.
-There are lots of motorcycles and mopeds that come in handy for those people who don't want to deal with traffic. They just weave in and out of it.
-All of the streets I've seen are 1-way or separated by a huge median. That's super handy when crossing the busy highway because then you only need to watch for cars in one direction.
-You have to tip the people that bag your groceries.
-Each day the temperature has been in the 90s. Wow, look out. I'm melting over here. But hey, there's good news! The hot month here is May ^_^ We haven't even gotten there yet...
-I am so jealous that the kids my age--20s--all know how to dance!!!! Like completely jealous that they can just do the salsa or the tango without even thinking about it. GRRRRRR. I'm going to start learning the salsa. Wish me luck.
What else is different...it's really hard to just think of these on the spot you know.
-Buying food in the city, on the street or in a restaurant, is affordable. Most places and most meals are less than $5 USD.
-The money sign for peso is the same as the US dollar. Sometimes it gets confusing in my mind.
-Most people in the city with normal jobs earn like 60 pesos ($5) a day. For 8 hours of work.
-There are lots of women who work on the street cleaning crew--they wear orange jumpers and have little brooms made out of switches it looks like. And their job is to sweep up the tree debris in the street. Everyday. That's a hard job. There is always more to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I honestly can't think of anything else right now. I'll keep you updated when I think of more though! Thanks for reading =D
-The lanes on the road, you know, like a two-laned highway, are really more of a suggestion than anything else. While riding in the car, seatbelt fastened of course, we tore down the middle of two lanes of traffic just to go faster. Scary =p
-There are ten billion speed bumps out here on all of the roads. I think they substitue stop signs in many instances. They are a little rough to go over at first...no, i take that back. They're always rough to go over.
-The men are walking, talking, breathing oxymorons. I don't get it. They hoot and holler in the street, but they are also very courteous at the same time. They give up their seats in the busses, they open doors...it's crazy. I'm so confused =p They need to be just nice and polite all the time.
-DON'T tell your teacher that class is over when she's still talking...
-In the football (soccer) stadium it's cheaper to buy a liter of beer than 16oz of water. They have priorities =p
-There are tooooooooooons of street venders. Some of it looks good, like fresh fruit. But it might kill me so... =p
-There are a lot of venders that sell meat, and they just throw it out there on the counter. The raw meat just sits there on the counter. Chicken, beef, pork. This is why they tell us to be careful where we eat here.
-The eggs aren't refrigerated. Sometimes, yea, but in the store they aren't. Also, some of the other people have experienced non refrigerated milk. I don't know how that's possible, but it works.
-They eat a BUNCH here. Litterally. I don't eat that much, and it just shocks my family when I'm not hungry or I don't want seconds. We finally agreed on me just eating cereal for breakfast. But as for everything else... =p My family has their main meal at around 4-6. It's pretty big, and it's delicious. Ususally it's some kind of soup followed by a meat filled dish. Loving that they eat tortillas with everything =))) Then my family eats again around 9:30 or 10. Usually I pass this one up because that's too late for me to eat. For this meal they usually have like sandwiches or something smaller.
-There is a lot of American music here. A lot of it is older. It's fun to sing along.
-There is a lot of Mexican music here. Go figure =p I like it. I've heard lots of slower songs, and they are really peaceful.
-Each bread has a different name. Like a legit name. One memorable one is called a bigote (mustache) because it has that shape.
-Sweet breads, including churros, are considered bread, not a dessert.
-Lots of people don't wear wedding rings. But some do. I'm not sure where the division is and why some do and some don't.
-Policia EVERYWHERE. and they look pretty hardcore. They are always suited up with navy blue uniforms, guns, combat boots, and sometimes armor. I feel safe.
-Gotta run across the street when you're crossing, because the cars, busses, and bikes don't stop.
-There are lots of motorcycles and mopeds that come in handy for those people who don't want to deal with traffic. They just weave in and out of it.
-All of the streets I've seen are 1-way or separated by a huge median. That's super handy when crossing the busy highway because then you only need to watch for cars in one direction.
-You have to tip the people that bag your groceries.
-Each day the temperature has been in the 90s. Wow, look out. I'm melting over here. But hey, there's good news! The hot month here is May ^_^ We haven't even gotten there yet...
-I am so jealous that the kids my age--20s--all know how to dance!!!! Like completely jealous that they can just do the salsa or the tango without even thinking about it. GRRRRRR. I'm going to start learning the salsa. Wish me luck.
What else is different...it's really hard to just think of these on the spot you know.
-Buying food in the city, on the street or in a restaurant, is affordable. Most places and most meals are less than $5 USD.
-The money sign for peso is the same as the US dollar. Sometimes it gets confusing in my mind.
-Most people in the city with normal jobs earn like 60 pesos ($5) a day. For 8 hours of work.
-There are lots of women who work on the street cleaning crew--they wear orange jumpers and have little brooms made out of switches it looks like. And their job is to sweep up the tree debris in the street. Everyday. That's a hard job. There is always more to do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I honestly can't think of anything else right now. I'll keep you updated when I think of more though! Thanks for reading =D
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Viva Mexico!
Life here in mexico…well, it’s been two and a half weeks. This is what I have so far!
I arrived the 29th, late at night and stayed the night in a hostel with some other people in the group. We went out the first night to check out the town. We had our first legit Mexican meal and beer that night. I had carne asada tacos with some burn-your-mouth-off salsa. It was pretty hot, but my domestic beer helped it go down. Everything tasted great! The tortillas were fresh, the meal was good. It was a great beginning to the trip.
The next day was the first official day in Queretaro, Mexico. It was the day we all met our host families for the first time. The day started off super shaky for me; I was having some problems back home and my mind was completely not in the game. It was hard to go through my first day like that. I couldn’t understand where we were walking, and I wasn’t doing much to pay attention. I just kind of was a blob of a person that first day before heading to my host family. Everything got cleared up in the end, so I guess in a way it’s good all the bad things happened on the first day. I got, knock on wood, all my bad luck done with.
I say all the bad things happened because of a few things. So we had to take taxies together in groups of 2 to our neighborhoods and houses. I went with a girl, and she was dropped off first. We were told that the taxi ride would cost about 40 pesos so she paid me 25 and we said our goodbyes. When I got to my house the cabbie let me out and gave me the bill. 100 pesos. Wow holy crap not what I was expecting! Luckily I had the money on me, but jeez! (I found out later that the cabbie may or may not have cheated me because I couldn’t speak Spanish.) so I went and rang the bell to my house…rang again…rang again…dog was barking. But nobody was answering. O.my.gosh. you’re joking right?! No, there was no one home. I thought maybe I had the wrong house, so I walked up and down the street for several minutes. I asked a bunch of people if they knew the house I needed to go to and sure enough, I was at the right house. So I just parked it under a tree and waited for about half hour. They did show up, everything turned out fine. Didn’t understand much of what they were saying to me, and to this day I don’t know why they were late getting home. But o well. I just went to bed basically when I got there. It was great. After an intense skype session home, I slept about 15 hours. I definitely needed that after all of the travelling and lack of sleep.
Let me tell you about my family. I am living with an older couple. They are both in their 60s or 70s. both are very nice. They have 2 kids that are married that live in the city. Our house is a white stone house. There is a huge brass gate in front of it. (every house, and most buildings have gates in front and bars on all of the windows. No joke. It’s very secure.) there are 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a room with a tv, but no, there is NO wifi. =( sad day. It’s a great house, but it’s hard to stay connected. It gets super frustrating sometimes because there is like nowhere for me to get a wifi connection in the city. Mostly all are locked. Ugh. Haha first world problems, right?? Everything else in the house is great. I do my own laundry and hang it up to dry outside. I’ve finally convinced my host mom that just cereal in the morning is more than enough breakfast for me. I mostly get the upstairs bathroom to myself except for showers…the bathroom. My worst enemy. And I’ll tell you why. The toilet doesn’t flush. Legit. I have to poor a bucket of water down in the bowl to make the water go down. Yea…trying dealing with that your first day in the country. The host mom didn’t actually show me that trick until the next day I was there, so imagine my horror of thinking that my toilet is never going to flush. Yea. I miss toilets back home. STOP LAUGHING AT ME. It’s true. And apparently you’re not supposed to throw the tp in the toilet itself. You’re supposed to put it in the trash next to it…I literally just learned that one too. Haha well, nice to know that I haven’t broken the toilet yet by flushing the paper. But shhhh, that’s just between us.
I’m going to school mon-fri here, just like back in the states. My classes start at 8:45 and last until 12:30. There are just 2 classes, grammar and communication. It can get pretty dull sometimes. All I know is that I’m super tired after my classes, but I have to walk about 30-40 minutes to my house. That’s by choice, not by force. I’ll go into that in a minute…classes are going ok. Tons and tons of Spanish. Hoping for good grades. But grades are really not the point of this exchange. Learning about the culture and learning the language is what’s important. I’m trying my best. The culture here is super rich, and there are tons of differences.
The first: the busses. The busses run on their own schedule. You basically just wait at the stop around the time that it might come by and flag it down when it passes. The busses feel like their held together with duct tape sometimes. They are very tight and close quarters inside. It costs a whopping 6.5 pesos ($.50) to ride the bus. To stop the bus…I’m honestly not sure still. There are no buttons to stop. I think you just yell at the driver.
The taxies, and all the other drivers, are crazy as hell. They drive so scary! When I took a taxi the first couple times, I almost had a heart attack. Fearless drivers that think they own the road. There are no seat belts in the backseat, and I’m not sure how serious the seatbelt laws here are anyways.
There are tons, TONS, of police. Everywhere. The first night on the way from Mexico City to Queretaro, I saw no less than 20 stopped on the side of the road and lights flashing. In the street while I walk I always seen at least one every couple of minutes just driving by. At night I sleep with the window open and I always hear sirens.
(throwing this in there. Just because there are lots of police doesn’t mean it’s dangerous or scary here. This is a super safe town, and the police are there in a preventative way. I haven’t felt threatened or in danger at all since being here.)
The men here…wow. What can I say? We were warned before coming about the men, machismos, and about how they are. But wow I didn’t believe til I experienced it. I get cat-called, wolf-called, honked at, yelled at, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PHRASE IT, at least a couple times a day by passersby. It’s crazy. At times it’s a little offensive, but I’ve mostly just blocked it out. The guys are all talk really, I’ve never been approached or felt in danger. But maybe I should look into getting some pepper spray here… =p
I live in a super conservative city. There are at least a hundred churches for the 2 million people here. Thus: the women usually all wear pants. I’ve only seen shorts or dresses a handful of times. So naturally when I wear my dresses and skirts and shorts, the only clothes that I brought because it’s a hundred freaking degrees here, I stick out just a bit. There is a lot of irony here though, because I’ve seen no less than 2 dozen couples just going at it and making out in front of God and everybody here too. It’s kinda funny.
There are lots of fair skinned people here. Like, LOTS. A long time ago a bunch of germans settled here I guess. But the people are not very dark. Sometimes lighter than me. That’s really different and something that I noticed. A lot have to use sunscreen because their skin is super sensitive to the sun. my thoughts: sucks that you live in mexico where it’s sunny all year long.
There is so much more to tell. But I feel like I’m droning on and on. I’ll leave it with some stories. Everybody loves stories!
Wednesday of the first week. We all, 12 people, went out to a bar where girls got free drinks. That was a fun night. But everyone was sluggish the next day at school =p staying up too late and school the next day apparently doesn’t mix.
I’ve gone out with a couple people just walking around the town. It’s been fun seeing a lot that there is here. It’s such a big place!
There is another Rebekkah here on the trip. Kinda funny. We go out.
I’ve eaten some super amazing Italian food here. Like to die for Italian. (kind of ironic considering I’m in mexico)
I’ve almost died by getting hit by a car a few times. Still alive!
I climbed a monolith in a town about an hour away and almost died of exhaustion. It was super hard.
I went to a movie theater. That was pretty awesome. Also went to chilies ;)
I danced with a couple Mexican guys at the school; they taught me to salsa! Well…kind of. I’m not much of a dancer to begin with. But it was fun =)
I think that’s it for me. Sorry it’s so long! I’ll be more regular soon! It’s the internet thing that’s screwing me up. love you all. Keep me in your thoughts <3
I arrived the 29th, late at night and stayed the night in a hostel with some other people in the group. We went out the first night to check out the town. We had our first legit Mexican meal and beer that night. I had carne asada tacos with some burn-your-mouth-off salsa. It was pretty hot, but my domestic beer helped it go down. Everything tasted great! The tortillas were fresh, the meal was good. It was a great beginning to the trip.
The next day was the first official day in Queretaro, Mexico. It was the day we all met our host families for the first time. The day started off super shaky for me; I was having some problems back home and my mind was completely not in the game. It was hard to go through my first day like that. I couldn’t understand where we were walking, and I wasn’t doing much to pay attention. I just kind of was a blob of a person that first day before heading to my host family. Everything got cleared up in the end, so I guess in a way it’s good all the bad things happened on the first day. I got, knock on wood, all my bad luck done with.
I say all the bad things happened because of a few things. So we had to take taxies together in groups of 2 to our neighborhoods and houses. I went with a girl, and she was dropped off first. We were told that the taxi ride would cost about 40 pesos so she paid me 25 and we said our goodbyes. When I got to my house the cabbie let me out and gave me the bill. 100 pesos. Wow holy crap not what I was expecting! Luckily I had the money on me, but jeez! (I found out later that the cabbie may or may not have cheated me because I couldn’t speak Spanish.) so I went and rang the bell to my house…rang again…rang again…dog was barking. But nobody was answering. O.my.gosh. you’re joking right?! No, there was no one home. I thought maybe I had the wrong house, so I walked up and down the street for several minutes. I asked a bunch of people if they knew the house I needed to go to and sure enough, I was at the right house. So I just parked it under a tree and waited for about half hour. They did show up, everything turned out fine. Didn’t understand much of what they were saying to me, and to this day I don’t know why they were late getting home. But o well. I just went to bed basically when I got there. It was great. After an intense skype session home, I slept about 15 hours. I definitely needed that after all of the travelling and lack of sleep.
Let me tell you about my family. I am living with an older couple. They are both in their 60s or 70s. both are very nice. They have 2 kids that are married that live in the city. Our house is a white stone house. There is a huge brass gate in front of it. (every house, and most buildings have gates in front and bars on all of the windows. No joke. It’s very secure.) there are 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a room with a tv, but no, there is NO wifi. =( sad day. It’s a great house, but it’s hard to stay connected. It gets super frustrating sometimes because there is like nowhere for me to get a wifi connection in the city. Mostly all are locked. Ugh. Haha first world problems, right?? Everything else in the house is great. I do my own laundry and hang it up to dry outside. I’ve finally convinced my host mom that just cereal in the morning is more than enough breakfast for me. I mostly get the upstairs bathroom to myself except for showers…the bathroom. My worst enemy. And I’ll tell you why. The toilet doesn’t flush. Legit. I have to poor a bucket of water down in the bowl to make the water go down. Yea…trying dealing with that your first day in the country. The host mom didn’t actually show me that trick until the next day I was there, so imagine my horror of thinking that my toilet is never going to flush. Yea. I miss toilets back home. STOP LAUGHING AT ME. It’s true. And apparently you’re not supposed to throw the tp in the toilet itself. You’re supposed to put it in the trash next to it…I literally just learned that one too. Haha well, nice to know that I haven’t broken the toilet yet by flushing the paper. But shhhh, that’s just between us.
I’m going to school mon-fri here, just like back in the states. My classes start at 8:45 and last until 12:30. There are just 2 classes, grammar and communication. It can get pretty dull sometimes. All I know is that I’m super tired after my classes, but I have to walk about 30-40 minutes to my house. That’s by choice, not by force. I’ll go into that in a minute…classes are going ok. Tons and tons of Spanish. Hoping for good grades. But grades are really not the point of this exchange. Learning about the culture and learning the language is what’s important. I’m trying my best. The culture here is super rich, and there are tons of differences.
The first: the busses. The busses run on their own schedule. You basically just wait at the stop around the time that it might come by and flag it down when it passes. The busses feel like their held together with duct tape sometimes. They are very tight and close quarters inside. It costs a whopping 6.5 pesos ($.50) to ride the bus. To stop the bus…I’m honestly not sure still. There are no buttons to stop. I think you just yell at the driver.
The taxies, and all the other drivers, are crazy as hell. They drive so scary! When I took a taxi the first couple times, I almost had a heart attack. Fearless drivers that think they own the road. There are no seat belts in the backseat, and I’m not sure how serious the seatbelt laws here are anyways.
There are tons, TONS, of police. Everywhere. The first night on the way from Mexico City to Queretaro, I saw no less than 20 stopped on the side of the road and lights flashing. In the street while I walk I always seen at least one every couple of minutes just driving by. At night I sleep with the window open and I always hear sirens.
(throwing this in there. Just because there are lots of police doesn’t mean it’s dangerous or scary here. This is a super safe town, and the police are there in a preventative way. I haven’t felt threatened or in danger at all since being here.)
The men here…wow. What can I say? We were warned before coming about the men, machismos, and about how they are. But wow I didn’t believe til I experienced it. I get cat-called, wolf-called, honked at, yelled at, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PHRASE IT, at least a couple times a day by passersby. It’s crazy. At times it’s a little offensive, but I’ve mostly just blocked it out. The guys are all talk really, I’ve never been approached or felt in danger. But maybe I should look into getting some pepper spray here… =p
I live in a super conservative city. There are at least a hundred churches for the 2 million people here. Thus: the women usually all wear pants. I’ve only seen shorts or dresses a handful of times. So naturally when I wear my dresses and skirts and shorts, the only clothes that I brought because it’s a hundred freaking degrees here, I stick out just a bit. There is a lot of irony here though, because I’ve seen no less than 2 dozen couples just going at it and making out in front of God and everybody here too. It’s kinda funny.
There are lots of fair skinned people here. Like, LOTS. A long time ago a bunch of germans settled here I guess. But the people are not very dark. Sometimes lighter than me. That’s really different and something that I noticed. A lot have to use sunscreen because their skin is super sensitive to the sun. my thoughts: sucks that you live in mexico where it’s sunny all year long.
There is so much more to tell. But I feel like I’m droning on and on. I’ll leave it with some stories. Everybody loves stories!
Wednesday of the first week. We all, 12 people, went out to a bar where girls got free drinks. That was a fun night. But everyone was sluggish the next day at school =p staying up too late and school the next day apparently doesn’t mix.
I’ve gone out with a couple people just walking around the town. It’s been fun seeing a lot that there is here. It’s such a big place!
There is another Rebekkah here on the trip. Kinda funny. We go out.
I’ve eaten some super amazing Italian food here. Like to die for Italian. (kind of ironic considering I’m in mexico)
I’ve almost died by getting hit by a car a few times. Still alive!
I climbed a monolith in a town about an hour away and almost died of exhaustion. It was super hard.
I went to a movie theater. That was pretty awesome. Also went to chilies ;)
I danced with a couple Mexican guys at the school; they taught me to salsa! Well…kind of. I’m not much of a dancer to begin with. But it was fun =)
I think that’s it for me. Sorry it’s so long! I’ll be more regular soon! It’s the internet thing that’s screwing me up. love you all. Keep me in your thoughts <3
Saturday, April 6, 2013
So.Much.Traveling...
So my arrival in Mexico was pretty crazy. I left Portland at 7:30 in the morning, arrived in San Francisco at about 9, met up with the rest of the group traveling together, left San Fran at about 1, and finally arrived in Mexico City at about 6:30 local time. I’m not exactly sure what time that would be in Portland, but I think right now there is only a one hour difference.
The arrival at the airport was crazy. We got off the plane and had to fill out immigration forms and customs forms, and we waited in the line for what seemed like forever. Passing through the immigration’s felt great. The man asked how long I planned on staying, why I was there, etc. Getting through the customs check was scary though. There were really tough, official looking people with dogs. Luckily, I was not chosen to get searched and just got to walk right through. Leaving that part, I entered into an ocean of people waiting at the gate meeting people.
I’m so happy that my group of people that I came with was rather big– 9 people! There is a lot to be said baout mob mentality when no one knows where we are going =p We had to wander through the airport for a little while just trying to find the bus station to buy tickets. Everything was in Spanish. Everyone was speaking Spanish. I felt a little like “O my gosh. This is going to be hard.” We did actually make it to the bus ticket window, and we all bought tickets. I totally butchered my Spanish there though. It’s so bad because I know what I should have said, but in the moment, I did NOT say what I meant =p The same thing happened when we were going through “security” to get onto the bus. The man took my bag, asked me a bunch of questions, and all I could do was stand there dumb-founded like I’ve never heard a word of Spanish in my life. UGH! haha “poco a poco” my host family says. “Little by little.” I think it’s just the fact that I’m being put on the spot. I know i’m making mistakes, but that’s ok because that’s how I’ll learn.
The bus ride was about 3 hours. I sat near the front of the bus and the others say near the rear. It was a super fancy bus. Like first class =p They gave us snacks when we got on– chips, a rice crispy treat, and of course, a bottle of water And the seats had little computers built in that worked with movies or the internet. I didn’t mess around with that too much. I was more ready for a nap. And that was easier because it was dark outside and the bus was comfortable. The bus ride then ended with a cab ride to the hostel that some of us were staying at–this day was probably the longest day and made me take the most modes of transportation ever!
Unfortunately we were an odd number for the cab, and I drew the short straw to ride solo. (SHH, don’t tell my mom =p) Everything was fine. No problems. I was able to some what communicate my destination to the cab driver. O my gosh! Scary taxi ride! Reminded me completely of being in Eastern Europe. They just drive like crazy people. There were no seat belts. I was terrified some of the time =p But i survived! And he dropped me off at my hostel, and I was able to meet the others again =)
I don’t know what to say at that point. It was great to finally ARRIVE somewhere and not have to keep driving. It showed me just a little taste of the language though. And…yea, I’m hoping it gets better! I can’t imagine being in this language shock forever. I feel like the more I get used to actually being here, the better I’ll understand. Right now I’m still trying to catch up with all of the traveling and lack of sleep =p
I’m completely excited to start school tomorrow and start learning more Spanish. I hope all goes ok =) Wish me luck guys <3
(There are no pictures yet because I suck at life and forgot to take some =p Stay tuned!)
The arrival at the airport was crazy. We got off the plane and had to fill out immigration forms and customs forms, and we waited in the line for what seemed like forever. Passing through the immigration’s felt great. The man asked how long I planned on staying, why I was there, etc. Getting through the customs check was scary though. There were really tough, official looking people with dogs. Luckily, I was not chosen to get searched and just got to walk right through. Leaving that part, I entered into an ocean of people waiting at the gate meeting people.
I’m so happy that my group of people that I came with was rather big– 9 people! There is a lot to be said baout mob mentality when no one knows where we are going =p We had to wander through the airport for a little while just trying to find the bus station to buy tickets. Everything was in Spanish. Everyone was speaking Spanish. I felt a little like “O my gosh. This is going to be hard.” We did actually make it to the bus ticket window, and we all bought tickets. I totally butchered my Spanish there though. It’s so bad because I know what I should have said, but in the moment, I did NOT say what I meant =p The same thing happened when we were going through “security” to get onto the bus. The man took my bag, asked me a bunch of questions, and all I could do was stand there dumb-founded like I’ve never heard a word of Spanish in my life. UGH! haha “poco a poco” my host family says. “Little by little.” I think it’s just the fact that I’m being put on the spot. I know i’m making mistakes, but that’s ok because that’s how I’ll learn.
The bus ride was about 3 hours. I sat near the front of the bus and the others say near the rear. It was a super fancy bus. Like first class =p They gave us snacks when we got on– chips, a rice crispy treat, and of course, a bottle of water And the seats had little computers built in that worked with movies or the internet. I didn’t mess around with that too much. I was more ready for a nap. And that was easier because it was dark outside and the bus was comfortable. The bus ride then ended with a cab ride to the hostel that some of us were staying at–this day was probably the longest day and made me take the most modes of transportation ever!
Unfortunately we were an odd number for the cab, and I drew the short straw to ride solo. (SHH, don’t tell my mom =p) Everything was fine. No problems. I was able to some what communicate my destination to the cab driver. O my gosh! Scary taxi ride! Reminded me completely of being in Eastern Europe. They just drive like crazy people. There were no seat belts. I was terrified some of the time =p But i survived! And he dropped me off at my hostel, and I was able to meet the others again =)
I don’t know what to say at that point. It was great to finally ARRIVE somewhere and not have to keep driving. It showed me just a little taste of the language though. And…yea, I’m hoping it gets better! I can’t imagine being in this language shock forever. I feel like the more I get used to actually being here, the better I’ll understand. Right now I’m still trying to catch up with all of the traveling and lack of sleep =p
I’m completely excited to start school tomorrow and start learning more Spanish. I hope all goes ok =) Wish me luck guys <3
(There are no pictures yet because I suck at life and forgot to take some =p Stay tuned!)
Traveling to Mexico!!!!!!
So I leave for my 10 week trip to Queretaro, Mexico tomorrow morning at 7:30. I’m so excited! This whole week of “Spring Break” has been anything but that for me. I’ve been working all day everyday; I barely had time to even pack myself for my great journey, but I’ve done it, and I’m almost on my way!
This is not my first time traveling abroad- I’ve been all over Europe, but this is the first time I’ll be visiting any place that’s so different like Mexico. I can’t say exactly what it is inside me that loves to travel and experience new things, it’s just there. I’m so glad that I have gotten this chance.
As for Mexico, yea. That I’m not so sure about. I have no idea what it’s going to be like, how well I’ll pick up the language, or what the people will be like. But I have a hope that everything will be good. Great even. Everyone keeps reminding me about the dangers in Mexico, like I shouldn’t be going, or like I should be scared stiff. I am just so ready to go. I’m not afraid that anything bad will happen while I’m there, though I am completely aware of the dangers. I think as long as I keep a good head on my shoulders I’ll survive and make it out ok.
I’m so excited for the culture shock down there. And the weather. O my goodness the weather! It’s supposed to be about 90 degrees the whole time I’m there. I can’t wait for that. So unlike Oregon also am very excited to eat authentic Mexican food and see how the people act. I imagine a very nice culture and people who are pleasant and laid back. I hope for that at least. But who knows, right?
I’ll be staying in a host family while I’m in Queretaro for ten weeks. I think that’s the part that I’m most worried about. They are an older couple, and I just hope we can talk and that we will like each other. I also hope that I make a few Mexican friends while I’m there…
I honestly hope everything will go great. I’m trying not to stress or worry at this point and just let everything go. Let’s see how well that works.
Rebekah
This is not my first time traveling abroad- I’ve been all over Europe, but this is the first time I’ll be visiting any place that’s so different like Mexico. I can’t say exactly what it is inside me that loves to travel and experience new things, it’s just there. I’m so glad that I have gotten this chance.
As for Mexico, yea. That I’m not so sure about. I have no idea what it’s going to be like, how well I’ll pick up the language, or what the people will be like. But I have a hope that everything will be good. Great even. Everyone keeps reminding me about the dangers in Mexico, like I shouldn’t be going, or like I should be scared stiff. I am just so ready to go. I’m not afraid that anything bad will happen while I’m there, though I am completely aware of the dangers. I think as long as I keep a good head on my shoulders I’ll survive and make it out ok.
I’m so excited for the culture shock down there. And the weather. O my goodness the weather! It’s supposed to be about 90 degrees the whole time I’m there. I can’t wait for that. So unlike Oregon also am very excited to eat authentic Mexican food and see how the people act. I imagine a very nice culture and people who are pleasant and laid back. I hope for that at least. But who knows, right?
I’ll be staying in a host family while I’m in Queretaro for ten weeks. I think that’s the part that I’m most worried about. They are an older couple, and I just hope we can talk and that we will like each other. I also hope that I make a few Mexican friends while I’m there…
I honestly hope everything will go great. I’m trying not to stress or worry at this point and just let everything go. Let’s see how well that works.
Rebekah
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Disgusting.
You know what I find disgusting? People who break up other people's families. You know who you are. You're a hoe-bag, white trash, piece of garbage if you have ever broken up someone's family because of an indiscretion that you started.
You make me sick. And angry. Who ARE YOU to do something like that? Who ARE YOU to be so selfish as to wedge yourself into the midst of another's family and pretend that you belong.
News flash. You DON'T belong. You never will. Even if the others can't see you for what you are and accept you in your new role. I know what you are. We all know what you are.
You are disgusting. You are pathetic. You couldn't keep your own family together, and now you've taken over and ruined another. Shame on you.
I like to think that there is a special circle of hell for people like you. You both. Because let's be honest here. It takes two to tango. You should both be ashamed.
I hope that one day, you BOTH can look back on your actions with the biggest regret. I hope that one day, you get your comeuppance and suffer like you deserve.
You can play the facade of being perfect. When the fact is this: YOU are not perfect. YOU are a white trash whore that deserves the same to be done to you that you inflicted on others.
But hey, with a new partner with obvious character and integrity, I'm sure that will NEVER happen to you. I'm sure you will live happily ever after on your disgusting bed of lies.
You, and everyone like you, make me sick. You enrage me in ways I never knew were possible. You make me want to slap you silly.
I hate people like you. Most importantly, I HATE YOU.
You make me sick. And angry. Who ARE YOU to do something like that? Who ARE YOU to be so selfish as to wedge yourself into the midst of another's family and pretend that you belong.
News flash. You DON'T belong. You never will. Even if the others can't see you for what you are and accept you in your new role. I know what you are. We all know what you are.
You are disgusting. You are pathetic. You couldn't keep your own family together, and now you've taken over and ruined another. Shame on you.
I like to think that there is a special circle of hell for people like you. You both. Because let's be honest here. It takes two to tango. You should both be ashamed.
I hope that one day, you BOTH can look back on your actions with the biggest regret. I hope that one day, you get your comeuppance and suffer like you deserve.
You can play the facade of being perfect. When the fact is this: YOU are not perfect. YOU are a white trash whore that deserves the same to be done to you that you inflicted on others.
But hey, with a new partner with obvious character and integrity, I'm sure that will NEVER happen to you. I'm sure you will live happily ever after on your disgusting bed of lies.
You, and everyone like you, make me sick. You enrage me in ways I never knew were possible. You make me want to slap you silly.
I hate people like you. Most importantly, I HATE YOU.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Robots
I am no robot.
I hurt too.
My feelings can get stepped on.
I can't wait to leave this town, this place.
I desire to start anew once again.
I want to leave behind everyone and not turn back.
I want a life with no drama. No regrets. No awful people.
I want to live where no one can find me, unless I choose for it to be.
I love people with my whole heart.
But I also hate ignorance with my whole heart.
How can I love anyone who is full of ignorance.
I don't think I can.
Therefore, do I love no one?
By loving no one, I can never get hurt.
By loving no one, I am never vulnerable.
By loving no one, I can leave and start fresh and not miss anyone.
By loving no one, I cannot get hurt.
Because, I'm no robot afterall.
My heart bleeds just as much as anyone else's.
I'm just better at hiding it than most people.
I hurt too.
My feelings can get stepped on.
I can't wait to leave this town, this place.
I desire to start anew once again.
I want to leave behind everyone and not turn back.
I want a life with no drama. No regrets. No awful people.
I want to live where no one can find me, unless I choose for it to be.
I love people with my whole heart.
But I also hate ignorance with my whole heart.
How can I love anyone who is full of ignorance.
I don't think I can.
Therefore, do I love no one?
By loving no one, I can never get hurt.
By loving no one, I am never vulnerable.
By loving no one, I can leave and start fresh and not miss anyone.
By loving no one, I cannot get hurt.
Because, I'm no robot afterall.
My heart bleeds just as much as anyone else's.
I'm just better at hiding it than most people.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
I love it!
You know what I love?
I love writing.
I love writing poems. I love writing stories. I love having so many thoughts and ideas that they just rush out of me in a nonsensical way.
I love having a new notebook to scribble in.
I love new pens. The gel kinds are my favorite.
I love having so much inspiration to choose from to write about.
The best writings come from the heart. The best poems are windows into the soul, because that is what they contain. They contain heart and soul and raw emotion.
Writing is my escape. It's where no one can hurt me, judge me, or anything. It's mine. It's my mind and my feelings.
It's exactly the way it should be.
I love writing.
I love writing poems. I love writing stories. I love having so many thoughts and ideas that they just rush out of me in a nonsensical way.
I love having a new notebook to scribble in.
I love new pens. The gel kinds are my favorite.
I love having so much inspiration to choose from to write about.
The best writings come from the heart. The best poems are windows into the soul, because that is what they contain. They contain heart and soul and raw emotion.
Writing is my escape. It's where no one can hurt me, judge me, or anything. It's mine. It's my mind and my feelings.
It's exactly the way it should be.
Heartless
Sometimes, I wonder just how badly I'm damaged inside.
Sometimes, I wonder if I'll cry the next time I lose someone I love or the next time someone walks out of my life.
That's not happened in such awhile. I've hurt people, I've left people, people have left me, I've broken up with people, I've crushed people. I do truly feel bad. But it doesn't hurt me emotionally inside. I can disengage from people in such a way that seeing them go, though sad, does not crush me. I've learned to not hold strings with people, because in the end, they just leave anyway.
It's a defense mechanism. It's how I protect my heart and my sanity. The few who I have let in crushed me when we parted ways. I can still remember the gut wrenching sobs that were torn from my body. I remember every last moment we had. And I remember saying goodbye.
I remember all of that, and yet here and now, if people left my life, I feel as though it wouldn't make much of a difference at all. I love my friends. Don't get me wrong. I would miss them if one of us left. But I wouldn't miss them enough to the point where my life stopped the day one of us left. Life must go on, you know?
Does that make me heartless? I don't know. All I know is that I do love with my whole heart, I just don't let the grief consume me. I've learned not to. I've learned that people inevitably part ways throughout the course of life. It doesn't kill me.
At least it hasn't lately.
I have a strange urge to know if I'm still that heartless monster. I have an urge to know if someone that I loved with my whole heart (excluding family members) left me, or I them, would it hurt me? Would I cry endlessly for days?
I really honestly ponder this because of my boyfriend. I have broken up with people before, I have rejected people before, I myself have had both things happen as well. But I wasn't attached to those people enough and not in the same way. I've seen grown men cry, where I could not shed a tear. Is that still me?
I hate to think of us breaking up, but I have to wonder...will it hurt if and when it happens? Will I cry in my room for days? Will I refuse to set foot outside or even out of bed?
Even imagining it, it sounds ridiculous to me. I know myself, and that doesn't sound like me. I love with my whole heart, but at the end of the day, it's just not something I do. I don't get so emotionally involved with someone to where I am vulnerable. I don't cry after people leaving me or I them. I don't. I can't really picture that changing about myself.
But maybe it's already too late...maybe time will only tell...maybe...
Sometimes, I wonder if I'll cry the next time I lose someone I love or the next time someone walks out of my life.
That's not happened in such awhile. I've hurt people, I've left people, people have left me, I've broken up with people, I've crushed people. I do truly feel bad. But it doesn't hurt me emotionally inside. I can disengage from people in such a way that seeing them go, though sad, does not crush me. I've learned to not hold strings with people, because in the end, they just leave anyway.
It's a defense mechanism. It's how I protect my heart and my sanity. The few who I have let in crushed me when we parted ways. I can still remember the gut wrenching sobs that were torn from my body. I remember every last moment we had. And I remember saying goodbye.
I remember all of that, and yet here and now, if people left my life, I feel as though it wouldn't make much of a difference at all. I love my friends. Don't get me wrong. I would miss them if one of us left. But I wouldn't miss them enough to the point where my life stopped the day one of us left. Life must go on, you know?
Does that make me heartless? I don't know. All I know is that I do love with my whole heart, I just don't let the grief consume me. I've learned not to. I've learned that people inevitably part ways throughout the course of life. It doesn't kill me.
At least it hasn't lately.
I have a strange urge to know if I'm still that heartless monster. I have an urge to know if someone that I loved with my whole heart (excluding family members) left me, or I them, would it hurt me? Would I cry endlessly for days?
I really honestly ponder this because of my boyfriend. I have broken up with people before, I have rejected people before, I myself have had both things happen as well. But I wasn't attached to those people enough and not in the same way. I've seen grown men cry, where I could not shed a tear. Is that still me?
I hate to think of us breaking up, but I have to wonder...will it hurt if and when it happens? Will I cry in my room for days? Will I refuse to set foot outside or even out of bed?
Even imagining it, it sounds ridiculous to me. I know myself, and that doesn't sound like me. I love with my whole heart, but at the end of the day, it's just not something I do. I don't get so emotionally involved with someone to where I am vulnerable. I don't cry after people leaving me or I them. I don't. I can't really picture that changing about myself.
But maybe it's already too late...maybe time will only tell...maybe...
Friday, May 25, 2012
Skin Deep
You know what ticks me off? When people are shallow. Like, this REALLY gets to me. You wanna know why? Ok, I'll tell you.
Now before I start, I'm going to tell you that I'm not perfect by any means. I am human, and I also fall into this shallow business. There is my disclaimer. But now I will start my rant.
So, shallow people. Well, maybe it's not the people themselves, maybe it's because society as a whole is shallow. Shallow and superficial. I can't stand it. Who are YOU to say someone is not truly beautiful? Huh? Who are YOU?
Let me tell you something. I have NEVER heard something so tasteless and shallow as a person rating another person's appearance and saying how high their standards are. You know what I find funny? The most UNATTRACTIVE guys have the highest standards sometimes. It's ridiculous.
This is why young girls and women are so messed up in this country. People (men, media, other women) are constantly saying that looks are the most important thing about women. It's about how skinny she is and how sexy she is. But most importantly, it's all about how sexy she ISN'T. If she's not a freaking model, then she isn't worth it.
News flash. Models and celebrities are photoshopped so much that the pictures hardly look like the original person sometimes. No real person looks like that. But as a society, that's how we have been programmed to think. That's beauty. And you know what? It's not.
What's on the outside isn't all the matters. And I know to some people, men and women alike, that is all that matters. It shouldn't be that way.
As a girl, I have come from horrible self esteem issues. My confidence in myself used to be at less than zero. I was so messed up in the head that I thought nothing of myself. I was ugly and useless. Society told me I wasn't good enough, and I believed that.
I've since pulled myself up out of that dark place. But sometimes it's hard to not go back. It's those constant reminders to yourself that you are beautiful just the way you are. Those reminders when you say you're worth something; you're priceless. It's those things that keep me from going back.
I don't think ANY girl should have to go through such dark times and be so depressed ever in her entire life. That's why it makes me so mad when I hear guys tearing girls down saying "she's not pretty enough" or "I only go after amazingly gorgeous girls." It's disgusting. Girls don't need anyone else criticizing themselves because she is, and always will be, her harshest and most ruthless judge. Girls don't need any help creating a self esteem issue because chances are, like myself, she is already battling one inside of herself.
I think that EVERY girl deserves to be treated like she is a princess. Every girl deserves to be treated like she's a 10. Because you know what? In her own way, she is a 10. Not a 5. Not an 8. A 10. She is priceless. She is a masterpiece just the way she is. If more people believed this, maybe this world and country wouldn't be as screwed up as it is now. Maybe more girls would believe that they deserve a man that treats her right and not like a piece of trash. maybe then she would believe in herself.
Every girl is perfect in her own way. She is unique. She is a work of art. Never can she be duplicated. Her personality, her laugh, her quirks, everything. It's perfect just the way it is. When people can't see that about another person, it's too bad. It's too bad that person can't see what a treasure the other person is. It's too bad that that person will never be able to see true beauty. True beauty comes from the inside. After all, the outside fades after while, but the inside will always be.
I only hope that when I have children, my daughter knows that she is perfect. Anyone who cannot see that would be a fool. A blind fool. They are the ones not worth it. Those people who choose not to see beauty are not worth it.
For all you girls out there reading this: YOU ARE PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE. DON'T LISTEN TO SOCIETY. LISTEN TO YOU. YOU ARE A MASTERPIECE. YOU ARE ORIGINAL. YOU CAN NEVER BE DUPLICATED. THAT IS BEAUTY. YOU ARE AMAZING. AND BEAUTIFUL.
Now before I start, I'm going to tell you that I'm not perfect by any means. I am human, and I also fall into this shallow business. There is my disclaimer. But now I will start my rant.
So, shallow people. Well, maybe it's not the people themselves, maybe it's because society as a whole is shallow. Shallow and superficial. I can't stand it. Who are YOU to say someone is not truly beautiful? Huh? Who are YOU?
Let me tell you something. I have NEVER heard something so tasteless and shallow as a person rating another person's appearance and saying how high their standards are. You know what I find funny? The most UNATTRACTIVE guys have the highest standards sometimes. It's ridiculous.
This is why young girls and women are so messed up in this country. People (men, media, other women) are constantly saying that looks are the most important thing about women. It's about how skinny she is and how sexy she is. But most importantly, it's all about how sexy she ISN'T. If she's not a freaking model, then she isn't worth it.
News flash. Models and celebrities are photoshopped so much that the pictures hardly look like the original person sometimes. No real person looks like that. But as a society, that's how we have been programmed to think. That's beauty. And you know what? It's not.
What's on the outside isn't all the matters. And I know to some people, men and women alike, that is all that matters. It shouldn't be that way.
As a girl, I have come from horrible self esteem issues. My confidence in myself used to be at less than zero. I was so messed up in the head that I thought nothing of myself. I was ugly and useless. Society told me I wasn't good enough, and I believed that.
I've since pulled myself up out of that dark place. But sometimes it's hard to not go back. It's those constant reminders to yourself that you are beautiful just the way you are. Those reminders when you say you're worth something; you're priceless. It's those things that keep me from going back.
I don't think ANY girl should have to go through such dark times and be so depressed ever in her entire life. That's why it makes me so mad when I hear guys tearing girls down saying "she's not pretty enough" or "I only go after amazingly gorgeous girls." It's disgusting. Girls don't need anyone else criticizing themselves because she is, and always will be, her harshest and most ruthless judge. Girls don't need any help creating a self esteem issue because chances are, like myself, she is already battling one inside of herself.
I think that EVERY girl deserves to be treated like she is a princess. Every girl deserves to be treated like she's a 10. Because you know what? In her own way, she is a 10. Not a 5. Not an 8. A 10. She is priceless. She is a masterpiece just the way she is. If more people believed this, maybe this world and country wouldn't be as screwed up as it is now. Maybe more girls would believe that they deserve a man that treats her right and not like a piece of trash. maybe then she would believe in herself.
Every girl is perfect in her own way. She is unique. She is a work of art. Never can she be duplicated. Her personality, her laugh, her quirks, everything. It's perfect just the way it is. When people can't see that about another person, it's too bad. It's too bad that person can't see what a treasure the other person is. It's too bad that that person will never be able to see true beauty. True beauty comes from the inside. After all, the outside fades after while, but the inside will always be.
I only hope that when I have children, my daughter knows that she is perfect. Anyone who cannot see that would be a fool. A blind fool. They are the ones not worth it. Those people who choose not to see beauty are not worth it.
For all you girls out there reading this: YOU ARE PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE. DON'T LISTEN TO SOCIETY. LISTEN TO YOU. YOU ARE A MASTERPIECE. YOU ARE ORIGINAL. YOU CAN NEVER BE DUPLICATED. THAT IS BEAUTY. YOU ARE AMAZING. AND BEAUTIFUL.
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