"A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives."
-Jackie Robinson
On September 16th, I set out for my first ever staff trip! And how many people get to say their first staff trip was to El Salvador? Eh eh?
It was pretty interesting to cross a Central American border for my first time too- or any border via car for that matter. Sure, I've been out of the country plenty of times but let me tell you, the El Salvador-Honduran border is quite unique! (Oh wait, I've driven to Canada before but... well you get the point- it's nothing like that!)
As we pulled up to the border, we were flagged toward customs (la aduana) and there we parked the bus and waited for a big burly El Salvadoran official to approach our bus. As we waited with our passports in our hands, men circled the bus, holding up hammocks, servings of peanuts, bags of coconut juice to our open windows... windows that we came to find out are not too sturdy! As Ben reached out to exchange some cash with one of these caballeros, an entire panel of the glass window fell and shattered on the pavement! It was pretty amusing and caused quite a scene... but it certainly was not funny later on in our journey when the rain came and the boys in the back of the bus had to stand and hold a towel up against the gaping opening so the rest of us didn't freeze from the stabbing rain and wind!
After about a 10 hour commute (we spent a night at San Lorenzo and continued driving the next morning), we finally arrived in Salanitas and we all cheered as we pulled into our ALL INCLUSIVE resort... which was HUGE! We truly forgot we were in El Salvador for those two days- this resort was beautiful... at least 4 in-group pools with cute little brigdes, gorgeous huts and cabanas, beach front lounging, an ocean pool... oh and did I mention it was all inclusive?!... yes, alcohol too!
Basically, we all had a blast and even though the bus ride was rough, we all agree that it was worth the journey. We basked in the sun all day, swam in the ocean, drank piña coladas poolside, and danced in the discoteca by night... it was a great vacation but I think I speak for many of us when I say that we were ready to get back to Honduras. It is not easy to forget about the rest of the world once you have seen it and relaxing inside a little bubble in Central America doesn't erase the thought of poverty and the suffering people we work to help from our minds.
It's good to be back.
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