Thanksgiving in community

Pleasure is spread through the earth
In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.

~William Wordsworth, 1806

the feast!

My experience of the holiday season in Honduras was a bit different than in the US… to say the least. It is the strangest thing to be looking at a Christmas tree in the office while I’m wearing a tank top and sandals… But even though this holiday season is nothing like I’m used to, the people I live and work with have made it a truly memorable experience. We had a huge Thanksgiving feast at our apartment and it got pretty cramped with over 40 people in our tiny living room but it was great to be surrounded by such wonderful people. The preparation process was astronomical! We ended up using 4 ovens between three houses to make all of the food… and there was certainly a ton of it! We made a huge batch of sangria using one of our water jugs… and it was such a hit that it was gone before dinner was on the table! Before we ate, we took the time to go around to every person to share what we were thankful for.  This was the most diverse Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had- with all of the different nationalities we have in the house, the table was filled with Spanish rice, Tandoori fish, and my personal favorite, Mom’s stuffing. (This was my first time truly cooking it all on my own and it was a true success!) Though I would have liked to be with my family on Thanksgiving Day, I definitely have a second family here in Honduras… and I think we are going to have leftovers for the next month.

the ride to Zurzular

Eddie, Maria Cristina and their five children

The next morning after the big feast, a bunch of head packed up and headed out to community at 6am. This community visit turned my Thanksgiving weekend into the most inspiring Thanksgiving weekend I’ve ever had.

I was out in one of our communities called Zurzular for three days participating in public health projects. We worked in a family’s home and in three days, we constructed two concrete floors, a stove, a water pila, and a full latrine with its own septic.  This was the first Public Health project that Global Brigades has brought to the family so it was pretty exciting to the community members. All of the neighbors were crowded around all day, greeting us with smiles and offering us their homemade coffee. The mayor, Don Antonio, was very present throughout the three day process and it was great to see him so involved with his people.

the family's home

I am going to have a hard time trying to explain this weekend- it just simply cannot be put into words how wonderful it was to work with this family and help to change their lives for the better. This family has five children and both parents, Maria Cristina and Eddie, are 30 years old and all seven of them sleep in the same small room, with walls built out of adobe and a ceiling of metal paneling and large rocks to hold it down. Before these projects, their bedroom and kitchen had dirt floors. They used an inefficient adobe stove and would collect their water in a large plastic bin. This bin didn’t have any way to drain so it would get quite dirty and attract mosquitoes, which leads to infection. They also didn’t have their own latrine and would have to use to the bathroom at the neighbor’s house across the dirt road. 

before we started the latrine...

almost there...

...ready for use!

I personally was helping to build the concrete floors and the stove. We build concrete floors for these families because it cuts back on bugs in the home as well as minimize the dust that gets kicked up from walking on the dirt, which can lead to respiratory infections and asthma. Similarly, their stove often leaked smoke into the home and burned wood at an inefficient rate.

their home before we started working

To start, we used a plastic hose filled with water to find a level measurement around on the walls, from which we measured down to create a uniform level height for the floor. Then we used a level and string to form our two maistras or guidelines of concrete. I can’t even count how many buckets of concrete we ended up making but I have about 15 bruises on each thigh from hoisting up buckets of dirt above my shoulders! And this family lives on the side of a cliff and making your way up and down a dirt cliff with a ton of dirt in your arms is no easy task!

mixing and laying the concrete

getting the level for the floor

The two concrete floors took a day each and the third day we spend constructing the stove. We mixed more concrete as the two rows of concrete dried and then used a long piece of 2x4 to level the rest of the room. We scraped side to side to lay the rest of the floor, as someone else went back over the already-laid sections to create the pure cement finish. It was an intense back workout but I’ve never felt better to be doing manual labor. The emotional reward was indescribable. Maria Cristina would peer into her kitchen as we worked and just quietly watch and smile. Eddie, a skinny but undeniably strong man, was running around all day with us, working at a speed that tripled each of us. To have him so involved in the projects and always asking what to do next really expressed how thankful he was and how badly he wants to learn how to maintain his home in a healthier way. Even the children—who followed us around all day, so interested in what were doing—were so excited to be the first the ones of their friends to be getting these projects in their home.

the old water basin

constructing the new brick and concrete pila

The pila was another very exciting project for the family. Prior to our brick and concrete pila, the family stored their water in a plastic bin and cleaned their clothing by scrubbing it on a rock. Now, they have a washboard and an efficient draining system for their water storage so they can clean their collection tank often and easily. Hollie got a good shot of Maria Cristina looking at her pila in almost disbelief, as she repeated “¡Mi pila! ¡Es la mia!” (MY pila. It’s mine!).

the new pila

It took a team of about twelve of us to complete these projects in the three days and though they were filled with long demanding hours, I couldn’t help but think about how hard Eddie works everyday just to maintain the little bit he has for his family. As we worked hand-in-hand with the family and played around with the curious kids in between, I just kept thinking about how proud Dad would have been to see this. He may not have understood why I wanted to move here but I think if he could see these projects he would be able to relate and really see how our efforts directly affect the family. I could see him thinking that this stuff is pretty cool!

the team

Thanksgiving weekend was probably the most appropriate time for such a project, being the weekend to recognize what you’re thankful for. The family was so thankful to now have their own complete facilities and I am thankful that they showed me such a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.

Maria Cristina

Another hiking adventure...

Real elation is when you feel you could touch

a star without standing on tiptoe.

~Doug Larson

A couple weeks ago, a bunch of us took the Land Cruiser out past one of our communities and went on an all-day hike. This was nothing like the other hikes we’ve been on… this was more like rock climbing! I mean literally, we brought rope and had to use it to get up a few boulders at one point! We were under the impression that we would be following a river the entire was to the waterfall, but instead we were actually hiking through the river the entire time! We were drenched all day- good thing I wore my spandex which dry fairly quickly! It was a treacherous hike and obviously I sprained my ankle again! We were constantly balancing and climbing over rocks, wading up to our waists in water, and scaling down the sides of boulders. A few of us took some spills and were drenched up to their necks the whole time! 

 

 

Community visit to Joyas

"Learning to speak another's language means taking one's place in the human community. It means reaching out to others across cultural and linguistic boundaries. Language is far more than a system to be explained. It is our most important link to the world around us. Language is culture in motion. It is people interacting with people."
- Sandra Savignon

While on the staff retreat at our compound, we took the Panama staff to one of our communities to show them a few of our projects here in Honduras. We took them to a town called Joyas, where we recently had an inauguration because the Water, Public Health, and Microfinance projects have been completed there.

collection tank above the community

We drove about an hour and a half in the land cruiser to the community and then we listened as Ben (our Water Brigades Lead) explained the Water project that he helped to execute in this community. Under the direction of his team, students from all over the U.S. helped to complete a sustainable water system for this community. They laid about 8 kilometers of piping to bring fresh water to the people's homes. It was so incredible to learn about this project more in depth. Ben explained everything- how the pumps work to collect the water, how the pressure of the water builds up as it travels, how the PBC piping is laid in the ground, and how the waters collects in the distribution take above the community before it is distributed to all the homes. We hiked up to the distribution tank where we could see the river in the distance from which the lines collect the water. 

GB brick and mortar stove

pila with wash board shelf

Then we were welcomed into the home of one of the families and listened as Moises (one of the Public Health Coordinators) explained how the PH team constructed an efficient stove for the family. It looked quite simple by American standards but this unadorned stove changed this family's habits and dramatically increase their health. Because of this stove, the family no longer has to breath in all the smoke that it emits- we installed a chimney that directs the smoke out of their home. There was also an accessible latch on the side from which the family members can easily clean the inside of the stove and chimney. Moises demonstrated this process for us to show us just how much soot the stove is emitted- after one swipe, the rag was black. It was almost unbelievable to think that until GB came to this community, the women would cook all day long and breath in all this smoke and so much soot would collect on the ceilings and walls of this home, and the children would constantly be breathing in the fumes. It made me smile inside that GB did such a simple thing for this family but it really impacted their life at home.

old latrine

Next we checked out the pila. This is basically the family sink. It is a concrete water basin that is located outside the home and it can be filled up with a hose from the faucet that Water Brigades installed. There is a top shelf that has a drain so that you can scoop water from the basin and wash your hands and dishes. There is also a wash board on the shelf for cleaning clothes. Interesting how we have a porcelain sink in every bathroom in our home and picking out the kind of kitchen sink you want is often a big deal in the States- it has to match, it has to be the right size, the right height... these people are delighted and so thankful for a concrete one outside of their home.

new GB latrine!

Another project that GB Public Health completed for every family in this community was to construct a latrine at every home. Many of the old latrines (if a family had one) were usually made out of flimsy wooden sides with a cloth serving as a door. GB constructed a concrete one, with solid floors and metal paneling for the door. Every latrine is hooked up to a septic tank, that is either completely new or a renovated version of their old one. These septic tanks will last 10-15 years, depending on the size of the family. The tank is also covered by concrete instead of just wood so the substance doesn't get into the group as much when the wood rots. The system is very simple- there's no seat on the toilet, no handle- it flushes from pressure when you add water. This simple change, however, prevents a lot of disease for the family and also allows them to go to the bathroom close to home, rather than having to hike up into the mountain, which ultimately results in their feces coming back down to their home when it rains.

my boss and 2 other wonderful ladies that I work with- overlooking Joyas

It was so wonderful to get a detailed explanation of two of our most exciting developmental projects. It really made me feel more connected to the communities that we work with, as well as to the rest of the Honduran and Panamanian staff. As I walked through this beautiful community with my fellow staff members, gazed at incredible views, and listened to details about what GB is known for by the people we serve, I just thought to myself how lucky I am to be standing on such a gorgeous mountain in the middle of Honduras with such wonderful people who are dedicated to empowering the lives of others.

Community Inauguration in Joyas

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.
- Albert Einstein

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to this country was the overwhelming need of simple necessities. In the U.S., we don't think about how luxurious it is to have plumbing and running water and refrigerators to store food in... but imagine for a minute that we didn't have all of these things. We sometimes joke here about how we can't throw toilet paper in the toilet when we use the bathroom but I have come to view any plumbing at all as a luxury. It is something that many of the communities we visit don't have until start working with them.

the state with the beautiful handmade decorations

Last Friday, all of us staff were invited to an inauguration in one of our communities because GB had successfully finished all of the Water, Public Health, and Micro-finance projects in this community. Over the last year, GB staff and U.S. students have been working with the community members to bring running water from the mountains to their homes, to construct latrines throughout the community, and to establish a micro-financial system so that members can manage their money and practice loans.
Today in Joyas, water is pumped from the source, filtered and chlorinated, and is available to the people via a simple faucet in their home. This water is clean and drinkable and the community members are more grateful to have this single faucet than we are to have an entire running sink in every kitchen and bathroom in our homes... unbelievable isn't it?

one of the teenagers' performances

This community is also now equipped with a latrine outside every home so the people no longer have to hike to the mountains to go to the bathroom. These latrines are quite simple, typically a cinder-block stall with a toilet basin in the middle connected to septic hole. In order to flush the toilet, a bucket of water is poured in after use (nope, no handle or anything!).

We brought simple things to this community but the way the people spoke and expressed their gratitude was so heartwarming. You could feel the gratitude and thanks beaming from these people as they spoke. One woman made me cry when she read a poem that she wrote. She was thanking God for everyone who had helped her and her community and expressing how wonderful it is to be able to clean in her home with running water. She compared the GB workers and students to God's angels who brought these great gifts to her community. It was unbelievable to hear first hand how much we have helped to better these people's lives.

drinking from the freshly-installed water faucet

Also during the ceremony, women sang songs, filled with lyrics of gratitude, and children performed skits and plays centered around what they have learned from GB. They sang about washing their hands before eating, brushing their teeth, and picking up their trash around the community.
The ceremony was beautiful and it definitely struck home with reiterating what we are all doing here.


Like most of the communities we work with, Joyas is located over 2 hours away form the city and it is mainly dirt roads that lead to this community. It is no easy task to reach these areas and flat tires are not uncommon during the journey! The dirt roads are often obstructed by huge ditches and rivers. It was an adventure for sure, and I have to say I was a bit uneasy as we crossed some rivers that had fairly strong currents. Here are some pictures of our journey to Joyas...

Amapala... otra vez!

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.  

~Mohammed Ali

pulling up to the island

If I could to become a fisherman, walk around barefoot all day, play beach soccer on a daily basis, and drive a boat for a living, then I would so move to Amapala...
After taking a day trip to this beautiful peaceful island with Mom, I knew I had to return. So last weekend, 13 of us headed down for the weekend. 

fishing canoes and beach-side huts

women preparing our yummy fish

It is the most secluded and tranquil island I have ever seen. It is so quiet and remote that you feel like you are worlds away from civilization... which is not inaccurate to say. The beaches are quiet and undeveloped, populated with a few simple huts and cabanas. Hammocks are an abundance. Boys play soccer on the dark sand. Men wheel in their fishing canoes on round blocks. Kids play in the water all day long, while their parents clean the in-coming fish in their beach-side mom-and-pop restaurants. We were treated like family when we stepped up to one of these restaurants- I wanted to show everyone the same place Mom and I had gone. After wading in the water and taking massive amounts of pictures, we all feasted on incredible fish, shrimp, and fried plantain chips. It was once again, the best seafood I have ever had- not an exaggeration!

freshest fish ever!

 

clothes drying on people's fence

After we ate, we walked along the beach, went swimming and explored some caves. We had enjoyed a trip around the island, standing in the bed of a truck... it was an experience. The island is so beautiful. The streets are all cobblestone. The houses that line the roads are not as poor-looking as those in the mainland but instead just simpler and the colors on the island are strikingly bright.

a shot from the back of the truck

I truly want to move here. Everything is so simple and everyone is so friendly- the children on the beach befriended us with no hesitation and they just loved our digital cameras! Emily and Christina met these two beautiful girls last time, Angie and Margery, and they remembered them and loved playing with all of us. They had a kitten, newborn puppies, and chicks at their home! I went swimming with the younger one who couldn't swim so I held her in the water and she was so brave!

Christina's great shot of Margery

It was really interesting to observe these girls' childhood. They entertain themselves each day on the beach all day long, playing with rocks and shells, swimming in the water with their friends, jumping off the anchored boats along the shore, all along with no adult supervision. In the States, we treat children as fragile little dolls that shouldn't be left alone-- especially around water-- and these girls got along just fine, never complaining about being bored or bothering their parents for something to do. When they were served lunch, they took their plates with gratitude and found their own place to sit within the little cabana restaurant. They ate in silence and though they were young, they fed themselves without any help and cleared their plates, without being picky about what they were given to eat.

These two little girls aren't needy like so many kids I have babysat for in the states. They didn't throw tantrums for not having enough Legos or beg to have one more piece of candy or complain that it was too hot to be outside... they make due with what they have and they enjoy the simplicity of their lives, and they taught us a thing or two about simple appreciation for the beautiful place in which they live and spend everyday of their lives. Of course they don't think about how they are playing on a beautiful secluded beach, surrounded by the mountainous islands of El Salvador and Nicaragua; this is their life and only us tourists are fascinated by the peaceful tranquility of the mountain island. For these little girls, this is everyday life...

The strolls around the island were so amazing, but the stroll home was not so enjoyable...

my first flat tire experience in Honduras

Our 3 hour trip back home turned into 9 after we endured three, yes THREE flat tires on the bus ride back! You see smooth roads in this country are about as common as hot water-- which is not at all! The first time we hit two pot holes in a row- and by pot holes I mean man holes (about 3 feet wide and 4 inches deep! Yes, we went back to look...) and this blew out that back two tires. Like most vehicles, we only had one spare on the bus so we had to wait for a friend to come meet us, pick up the tire, drive into town to get it repaired, and then bring it back to us... this took about 3 1/2 hours... oh and it was raining, obviously. In the midst of our waiting around on the side of a random road that looked like it was out of the movie Jeepers Creepers, we entertained ourselves by chasing down frogs, playing cards, and climbing trees to pick random fruit. A sweet Honduran family actually stopped to pass the time with us- they told it was a dangerous area for a bunch of white people to be hanging out alone. They stayed with us for over an hour while we waited and they had young children with them too! It was so sweet of them.

We thought all was fine and good once we finally got on the road again but within about another hour everyone woke back up to that all too familiar sound of driving on a rim... the repaired tire had blown out. This time we were stuck just after a nice bend in the road so we decided to stay in the bus. We passed another 2 hours telling each other brain teasers and riddles... it was great bonding actually!

We finally arrived back home at around 2am, starving, still wet, and beyond tired. I'd say the seafood was well worth it though!

To all the parents and loved ones of Global Brigades...

Mom put together this letter the family members and friends of all of us here in Honduras after one of my housemates, Hollie, asked her to jot down her experiences. It summarizes how we all live together, as housemates, co-workers, friends, family... we watch out for each other and enjoy Honduras in the safest way possible. I thought some of you might appreciate it.


"To all of the parents and loved ones of Global Brigades:

I wanted to reach out to all of you and give you my impressions of the Global Brigades in Honduras.

As a parent I was tremendously concerned about my daughter going to and living in Honduras. I wanted to encourage her to follow her heart, but at the same time was worried sick about her. Would she be mugged, kidnapped, raped? Where will she live, what will she eat, what kind of illnesses will she get? All parents can relate to these concerns.

So, what did I do? I decided to go there and see for myself.

What did I find?

The most amazing, courageous, caring group of young adults that I have ever met in my entire life. They share the same passion and values with each other. They talk of their experiences and how they have impacted their individual lives. Every time the conversation in the ‘house’ strays from the Global Brigades, invariably it turns back to the group and how they can improve it. Each one of these young adults brings to the Global Brigades individual experiences that they each thrive and build on.

For all of the parents and loved ones who have not or maybe can not have the experience of coming here I want to let you know that each and every one of these young adults cares for and looks out for each other. They know that there have been gun point robberies, and murders right around the corner from them. So (1) they do not go out alone, (2) they do not carry anything with them, except some cash in their pockets, so that if they do get mugged the robbers are happy with some money. The rest of their money goes into their personal areas on their bodies, (3) they never walk anywhere at night, they always take a cab; they each have various cab driver’s telephone numbers (just in case).

In other words they have come together to protect each other, to live in a very poor city, and make a difference in this world. They have become a family here. You parents and loved ones should not worry about them.

I am very comfortable now with where my daughter works and lives. I am so very proud of what she is doing and the rest of this group. I wish that more of us had the courage that these very special young adults have. They truly feel that they are making a difference in this world, and I think that they are, one little village at a time."

-Michelle Grasso

Mom came to visit!!

Never reach out your hand unless you're willing to extend an arm.
- Elizabeth Fuller

on a little boat to Amapala

A couple of weeks ago, I finally got my much-needed Mommy time! Things were off to a rough start, beginning with the airline losing Mom's bags, but us Grassos made the best of our week together and we ended up having an awesome time!

The next morning after Mom arrived, we woke up at the crack of dawn to catch our flight to Roatan (an island off the north coast of Honduras). We had everything booked, including the canopy tour and scuba diving lessons and were scheduled to stay at a beautiful resort in a beach side cabana. Well... all of this changed when we "missed" our flight. I put that in quotes because if you have ever heard of TACA airlines, you know that things run depending on their mood that day. Our flight was at 8:30am so naturally, for any 2 hour domestic flight, we arrived at 7:30, which is also what the airline recommended. Well nothing was open yet and the information desk told us that the TACA desk opens at 8. Well I wasn't surprised considering a few weeks prior my friend couldn't check in for his TACA flight until about 10 minutes before his departure so I sort of expected this nonsense. What I didn't expect was being told that our plane was already out on the runway at 8:10 when the desk finally opened! They nonchalantly told us we missed our flight and I just looked at them in disbelief.

just under the Picacho statue

Well we came to find that our missing the flight was actually an omen and we were never meant to go to Roatan in the first place! While in the airport we heard about Hurricane Matthew from a friend of mine and suddenly we weren't so upset about missing our little 19-seater plane to the island. Needless to say, the weather was pretty dreary for the next week but the rain did not hold us back from visiting Picacho, the national park at the top of a mountain in Tecgus, on Friday. Saturday we made the trek to Valle de Angeles, a cute little town about 40 minutes away, where we did some shopping and had a true Honduran lunch- catrachas and baleadas! Mom was most amazed by the electrical set up this country has- the power lines seem far from safe, hanging down into the streets in some parts!

this is nothing- electrical wires will actually hang down resting on people's fences... real safe

street-side "vendors"

Mom trying some Honduran beer

It was a beautiful ride to Valle and it was so great to be able to show Mom the countryside of Honduras.

The next day we hung out at the hotel and had a total spa day together. We hung out in the sauna and the steam room and we each had a full body massage... yes, it was heavenly. Mom laughed as she told me afterward that she couldn't even understand the woman when she told her to roll over- the masseuse had to resort to hand motions for my non-Spanish speaking mother!

Later that week we took a trip down to the southern shore of Honduras to go across to Amapala on La Isla El Tigre. We woke up bright and early to begin our 4-hour trek down there and the trip was far from boring! First of all, the way people drive here is absolutely insane. You can count on one hand how many traffic lights there are in Tegus and no one listens to them anyway- they are simply recommendations. So beginning with the taxi ride in morning traffic was quite entertaining, but not as entertaining as when we pulled up to the bus stop and men surrounded our car, pressing up against the windows and yelling "A dónde van? A dónde van?" Where are you going? and they practically pulled us out of the cab to get us to go one one their buses. We were carried by the crowd toward the bus that we hoped was headed to Coyolito. Mom just kept saying "You should check with that man. You should just ask again to make sure!"

We finally made it down to Coyolito, but of course not without hurdling through a few obstacles on the way. First of all, keep in mind that it was POURING out this entire day since Hurricane Matthew was hitting the north end of the country. And the buses are far from tranquil. You are constantly thrown around due to the potholes and there are people always yelling and babies crying, no one wearing seat belts. Mom's favorite part was that at each stop, more people would board the bus and walk through the isle holding their merchandise- bags of beans, plantains, ears of corn... she loved being in the middle of all the commotion. I think it really made her felt like she was experiencing the real Honduras.

The rain continued and when we got off the bus in Coyolito we were soaked through in a matter of seconds and we could not find a place to go to the bathroom! We finally found some women in their quaint little restaurant and we practically begged them to use their bathroom. They kept using this one word to describe their bathroom that I could not understand and eventually they explained that the toilet was for "solo pee pee, no poo poo". We understood right away when we saw the pot in the floor. Mom had a good laugh. If she hadn't realized before, she knew in that moment that she was not in Connecticut anymore!!

soaked and sad that we can't see the top of the mountain

five star bathroom in Coyolito

Since we were already soaked we decided to keep going and take the "ferry" out to the island. This ferry turned out to be the size of a little row boat with a motor on the back. Luckily the water was fairly calm. The sweet driver took us to the opposite side of the island where we docked on Playa Grande. During the ride, he pointed out the islands of Nicaragua and El Salvador that we could see. It was such an incredible self-affirming feeling to be sitting in that little boat at sea level and to be surrounded by these immense mountains and volcanic islands. You really realize how small you are and how beautiful the earth is in a moment like that.

We docked in Amapala, this small fishing community, and as when we pulled up to the beach, fisherman were cutting up fish and stingrays right on the surf. We watched in awe as these men and boys hacked away at these fish with machetes and no gloves. We went into a little hut restaurant right on the beach. The woman brought us right inside to her quaint kitchen and opened the freezer and told us to pick what we wanted. She cooked up some amazing jumbo shrimp, lobster tails, and fish fillets, all bathed in a delicious butter sauce. As we ate, we observed the boat loads of fish coming in and the boys playing soccer on the beach, with sticks planted in the ground to mark the goals.

On our way back to the mainland, our boatman pointed out his home to us and told us how he doesn't know how to drive a car- he makes his living fishing around the island and driving his boat. I got his number and my friends and I are going to go back and stay on this island for a weekend. It is truly an escape- from everything.

freshly-caught stingrays

too bad we couldn't see the peak but still unbelievably gorgeous

The rest of the week was great with Mom. She spent a lot of time with me at the apartment so she really got a feel for my daily living and work space. Everyone I live with loved her and called her Mom, just like all my friends back home. They were shocked by how alike we were! We took her out at night to one of our favorite spots- Sabor Cubano and there Mom learned how to salsa dance! She was laughing at herself the entire time- we all had a ball.

hanging out at Sabor Cubano- Mom fit right in!

Danny teaching Mom some salsa technique

It was a bittersweet goodbye when Mom had to leave- we had many great dinners together, bar nights in the hotel lobby, and late nights watching Grey's Anatomy in our comfy king size bed at the Marriot (yes they have nice hotels here!). I'll miss her dearly but I think we can get by talking to each other 3 times a day like usual (thank God for Skype!) and she will surely be back again. She is hoping to meet up with me Panama at some point when I have to renew my Visa.

It was so great to teach Mom about another culture. She sparked in my interest in foreign communities when she started bringing the family across seas for her business trips and now I am teaching her about another world.

xoxo