A Change in Pace, by Becca 1.3.2009

Mexico has been awesome so far! I was supposed to write about it days ago, but it all passes by too fast. Two days ago, we took a long hike up to Xopilapa. The hike made our legs hurt, but the view was worth it. The whole trip was worth taking; we got to gather and give a bunch of school supplies to children who don’t get those kinds of things easily. It made me think about how lucky I am, and how things can be taken for granted so easily. The kids looked so excited to receive pencils, paper, stickers; whereas shopping for school supplies at home has never been the highlight of my year. I truly am lucky and the experience made me grateful.

After the hike, we all drove to Xalapa and shopped for our dinners. Mayan and Marisol were a big help in the grocery stores. It’s really cool having two girls from Mexico on the trip. I feel my Spanish is improving from talking to them and they know their way around Jalcomulco very well, which is the town we are currently staying in. They are very nice, along with everyone on the trip. Unfortunately, Marisol is leaving us tomorrow night and Mayan is leaving Tuesday. It makes me sad, but I’m glad they were part of my experience in Mexico.

Today, we paddled a very fun river in Actopan. The rapids were very continuous and lots of fun! We paddled for most of the day, and today, Ellie and I were “leaders of the day,” and we make the decisions and lead the group for the day. For example, we helped find a way to and from Actopan and we decided we wanted to paddle the river in Actopan and what we wanted to do the rest of the day. Tonight, we will get feedback about how we led to help us become better leaders. Mexico has been awesome so far and I am excited for what’s left to come!