A new Adventure

I arrived to Pachuca on Sunday after a long travel experience. My parents and I went through customs and found my vice principal. He got us a SUV taxi (because of all of my luggage) and we were on our way to Pachuca like that. They took us straight to my new apartment. Well, we got a little lost first and then got to my apartment. My apartment is in a very nice neighborhood and was so much more than I expected. You open a gate and walk up the stairs where there are two doors. My door is on the right and another young Mexican girl lives next to me. My apartment is all white even the couches! If you know me I need color so I will be adding color somehow. It is a two bedroom apartment with a nice big closet. All this space for just me but I am sure all of my friends here will enjoy coming over. The vice principal told me my address, his phone number, what time to be at work on Monday, how to light my water heater, and to follow the railroad tracks south to my school. Then he left! What now??!! I have no phone, no money exchanged, no food, and no idea exactly where I am! WOW! I used my mom’s USA phone to call my friend Gerzahin who came and got us. I feel bad for the teachers who come in and have never been here. We went to the mall and I got money and we ate at Taco Inn (ten times better than taco bell). Then we went to Wal-Mart and the adventure began. I had to get things like food, shampoo, hangers, trash can, and more. My friends from last summer, Gerzahin and Lalo, drove us there and were helping me get everything. After buying everything we went back to my apartment and started organizing. My friends left and I still didn’t have phone or internet. My parents and I were very tired so we got ready for bed and were almost asleep when my mom heard something. She jumped out of bed to look out the window and see Gerzahin, Sandi (his sister), and Gerza (His dad) at my door. This is the family I stayed with a year ago when I was here. I hurried and changed clothes and ran downstairs to let them in. I opened the gate and greeted everybody. Sandi gave me her phone and charger to use so I could be in contact with them until I got my phone. I invited them in to see my apartment. They were so nice and helpful. Gerza told me I could use their car tomorrow and Sandi would be our navigator. WOW!! I felt so blessed to have people watching out for me and my family.

The next day on Monday, I called the missionaries I know here in Pachuca and Vicki said she was coming to pick me up. Vicki took us to her house and fed us breakfast and talked with my parents. It really helped my parents know that people are watching over me here. God has placed amazing people in my life. After breakfast we went to get me a phone, internet, see my new school and back to Wal-Mart. My school is so nice. I got to see my classroom. It was very big and I even get a smartboard. J I was told that I will have 15 to 16 kids per class. I will be teaching 1^st grade to two classes. The way the school works is kids go to English or Spanish schooling and then after lunch they switch to the next. I found out I will be using Harcourt curriculum which I am familiar with so I was excited. I start orientation on Monday at 8 in the morning. I am excited to begin. I got a prepaid phone and the internet said it would be here in two days. That is incredible because some people it took a month to get internet. After all our shopping we went to Gerza and Reyna’s house for lunch. Reyna made a wonderful meal that was so good. My family got to meet the family that I lived with last year and see where I stayed. Then we went back to my apartment to relax for a little bit. Another missionary I know her lives very close to me almost on the same street. She invited us over so my parents could meet her. We went over there for about an hour. Then Gerzahin called me and said his sister and him were coming over to my apartment and then we could eat. We couldn’t decide whether to eat at my apartment or go out. I was trying to explain that I needed a cookie sheet to make food in the oven. Well, Gerzahin can speak very good English but didn’t know cookie sheet. It is not something they use down here. I could tell he didn’t understand and thought he might bring me a skillet or pan. They get here and I go open the gate. We decide to go out to eat. Gerzahin says, we will need to take the microwave out so everyone can fit. I said microwave???? He brought me his mom’s microwave instead of cookie sheet. We laughed for ALONG time about that one. Oh language barriers! After my dad moved the microwave we went to get Taquitos. They were delicious!  

It is now Tuesday and my parents have to leave. It was a very emotional day filled with tears. Vicki picked us up and we took a bus to the airport. I watched my parents walk through the security after hugs and tears. I knew this is exactly where I should be but it was still hard to say goodbye to my parents. Then Vicki and I got back on the bus to Pachuca. Once I got back to my apartment I was very drained from the emotions. I found on my bed a journal that my mom and I used to write to each other when I was younger. My mom had left me a message J I also found little notes in the bathroom and refrigerator. I would not be who I am today without my amazing family!!!!

Wednesday, the missionaries came over with another Mexican couple and we ate breakfast. The internet guys were coming today but nobody knew when. The missionaries already had a marriage counseling meeting set up so they had it in my apartment. I just watched movies in my room. The internet guys came and I got fiber optic internet J That night I talked to my family! I got to show my little brother my apartment. I am so thankful for things like skype and facetime. Then Thursday was filled with movies and talking to family. Gerzahin came to my apartment around 7:00 to show me which bus I will take to school since my vice principal gave me no information. It took a while to figure it out and we weren’t sure if we took the easiest way either. Then we went to Aro which is a young adult cell group here that Gerzahin’s oldest sister and husband do. It was nice to see people that I haven’t seen in a year. Then we went to Gerzahin’s house to get a car. Then he took me home. Today is Friday August 3, 2012 which is exactly one year since I had left Pachuca last year. I am so happy to be back! I am ready to see where this adventure takes me. There will be more updates coming!