Here's to you, South America!

Well it’s Monday and I am headed back to Angel Fire. I am sitting here reliving my trip and wanted to blog (for Polly!) and so I won’t forget these great memories.

Let’s back up to last Saturday. It was college football kickoff - so it’s the most amazing day of the year for me. Who cares if UGA basically played a middle school…I was watching. I woke up early to start watching GameDay. It starts at 7am in NM, therefore so do I.

I loved watching football (for over 12 hours) but my heart was sad. I hated the thought of leaving Gabe. And jay! I haven’t left G for more than 5 days since he was born. He’s left ME – but I haven’t left him. That kid stole my heart day one and it hasn’t looked back.

I did all I could to keep it together in front of him. He’d already caught me crying earlier in the week about leaving him so I wanted to stay strong. Some of y’all may think “good grief kaci!” but I can’t help it. I love him. I love talking to him. Kissing those sweet cheeks and having him in my daily life. I just do.

I wrote him a note for everyday I’d be gone and left him somewhat of a countdown to my return and packed my bags. He came running out of bed the morning I was leaving. He was crying. We hugged and pulled each other together. He was tough & stayed strong when I walked away.

I, on the other hand, was fine until I got to the airport. Of course THEN I start crying. Just in time for everyone to think I’m afraid to fly or something. But I reminded myself of this incredible opportunity and sucked it up.

That first day of travel was LONG. I started traveling at 7am and didn’t get in bed until after 1am. Y’all. No. I was fine the first flight but that second one…. I was losing it. It was 6.5 hours. I watched THREE movies and a few episodes of friends. I legit almost asked the stranger next to me if I could lay my head on his shoulder. But I thought better of it.

It was like being in the hospital. I couldn’t sleep because they kept waking me up to ask if I wanted things. NO, I don’t want dinner. NO, I don’t want dessert. NO, I don’t want a snack. SHUT UP. Hahaha. Bless them for doing their jobs…I guess.

When I arrived in Lima Peru at 11:45pm I immediately remembered NOBODY SPEAKS ENGLISH. I just followed people that looked American in hopes of going to the right place.

I am and apparently will forever be an idiot going through immigration. This time I didn’t speak the language and I was half asleep so I answered everything incorrectly the first time. “why are you visiting? uhh travel…uhh work.”  “how long will you be here?,  until Monday. Wait no Thursday is when I go to Costa Rica.” “what kind of work do you do? -y'all I just stood there BIG EYED like I didn’t know- and said “human resources, yep human resources.” I don’t know why they let me in.

One of my precious students from last year volunteered to pick me up at the airport at midnight basically. Poor girl. We traveled an hour I think to the hotel. She was being so kind and asking me all kinds of questions and I couldn’t think straight to answer. I just wanted a shower and a bed.

I get to the hotel and it’s HUMID as mess in my room.

Look Georgia friends. I have forgotten how terrible humidity is. We don’t have it in Angel Fire (PRAISE THE LORT.) So I was miserable. And because I don’t speak the language I didn’t know if this contraption on the wall was an A/C or just a heater. So I opened my windows thinking it’d be great. Y'all – it WASN’T. I went to bed around 2am and they started construction just outside my window around 9am. I was almost in tears. Pillow and blankets over my head.

And maybe it was just my hotel but apparently Peruvians don’t believe in washcloths. This girl wants a washcloth. Don’t give me a loofa (idk how to spell that) or one of those net type things…I want a washcloth. Also don’t give me shower gel. I want a BAR OF SOAP. I digress.

I slept through breakfast so I couldn’t get coffee. LAWD. So I decided to take my hand towel and my tired self into the shower…yes hand towel. That’s a miserable way to shower. I cried in the shower because the hot water was going in and out. Then I got out and cried putting makeup on because my eyelashes wouldn’t do right.  Y’all. I needed coffee and a whole lotta Jesus.

Precious Edgar (the guy we work with who I just love) took me to get coffee around noon. The rest of that day was good. We had lunch, rested, went sightseeing and then went to dinner with Edgar, his gorgeous wife, his son who might be cuter than G (don’t tell him I said that) and another friend (that we work with in Peru.)

The next morning we got to take it easy before I went to interview 24 students. They were absolutely adorable. I was cold. Who knew Peru would be cold? So I was wearing yoga pants with an Angel Fire Resort golf shirt and jacket. They, on the other hand, were dressed in their Sunday best. I felt terrible.

They all seemed nervous, except for the returning students. I thought one kid might pass out. I made them all take a deep breath and told them not to be scared! I wanted them to know & rest in the fact that I wanted them in Angel Fire as much as they wanted to be there. Still…sweaty palms, racing hearts and big-eyed students sat across from me.

I’ll say this now but I mean it about all the students from both Peru and Costa Rica…they are brave. I am (almost but not quite, 2 months away,) 40 years old and I was nervous in another country. But they are college students willing to step out and go to another country…not for just 8 days but for 3 months. Away from family, away from normal life, away from people who speak their primary language. Incredible. Traveling over to meet them gave me even more appreciation for what they do, for how hard (most of them ha!) work and the amazing people that they are.

I wish you could meet them all. I wish you could hear their stories. Hear their reasons for coming to work at Angel Fire… I had several say, “to help my parents financially.” Or “to pay my parents back for all they’ve done for me.” Or “to make a better future for myself.” Y’all know I wanted to hug every dang one of them and sometimes did.   

I fall in love with them immediately. Every.dang.time. I always make notes when I’m interviewing them so that I can write them a personal note before they arrive. I want them to know that I listened, cared and remembered them. Last year we had less than 40 students. This year we hired 60. So my heart had to open up and make room.

Ok back to the trip. Wednesday I worked on placing students in specific jobs and watched Netflix.

Thursday we flew to Costa Rica.

Edgar’s son, Noah, got sick in the cab. We were in the airport parking lot when all of the sudden I heard this noise and thought….no that’s not vomit. Oh it was like 5-6 times all over himself and his mom. It was pitiful and only funny because of how fast the driver was trying to get the windows down because he was about to lose his breakfast too. Bless it.

Edgar let me take his first class seat. I acted like that was normal life even though I’ve only done it a few times. Yes I want a hot WASH CLOTH so wash my hands, yes I’ll take a steak for lunch, more coffee? Why yes please. Fabulous.

That evening we got massages. PRAISE HIM. Some sweet guy that massaged me hardly spoke English and I think I freaked him out. He stuttered his way through the prep time, ha.

Friday and Saturday were filled with interviews. We had a lot of Costa Ricans to meet. I also got to see students from last year. I cried when they left angel fire in March so I was thrilled to see their sweet faces again!

Two guys, Alex and Justin, arrived early so I got hang out with them for at least 30-45 minutes. Delightful. Justin is going to be a pilot. That was fun and interesting to learn about. Alex was hilarious – quick wit and dry sense of humor. Two new favs. (the girls are going to love them too.)

PS – I just spilled coke zero all over myself and the guy next to me on the plane. I shouldn’t be let out.

Saturday was even more fun because after the interviews a bunch of students from last year took Edgar and I out for sushi. Lord it was delicious. There was college football on tv and I laughed and laughed and laughed. I love making memories with these students and love laughing at old ones.

Please watch the video of Pablo that I posted. He is hilarious. I’ll miss him this season for sure.

Sunday we met at 7am to drive two hours to the beach. I think it is precious that 6 costa rican college students were willing to give up and entire day to hang out with me. David made me laugh and kept me entertained the entire ride. Andy kept falling asleep in the backseat but David and I had a blast. I appreciate how easy he is to be around.

We stopped for breakfast. The coffee in CR is incredible. I am brining home EIGHT BAGS. Granted most of them are gifts.  And then continued to drive.  It was a beautiful drive. We arrived and did a zip line. It was more like a roller coaster that you just hung onto. I thought I was going to hit a tree a couple times. Loved it.

Then we went to the beach with CRAZY monkeys and raccoons that try to steal your things. Please explain how I am supposed to layout when I think a monkey might steal my bag. I had a headache but tried to sit back and pretend like I didn’t feel like my head might explode. I watched and listened to these precious students laugh and live life. Mile buried Carlos in the sand where he stayed for at least 45 minutes. Andy helped chase monkeys away from our things and David and Karina ate fruit and looked like models.

We all got up to take a picture together and no lie, got knocked down by waves at least 3 times. Carlos basically saved my life twice. The waves were insane. They finally made people get out of the water. More funny memories with my friends. So many laughs.

We took pitiful showers before changing. I’ve never seen that much sand in my swimsuit. Buckets.

Then we ate lunch/dinner around 4:30 and headed back. We got caught in several traffic jams and I almost cried. I was so sticky, sweaty and ready for a shower. And I knew I had to get up at 3am for my flight.

I finally went to sleep around 11. And woke up at 2:30am. One of my new Costa Rican students is an uber driver so I asked him to pick me up. He did. At 3:30am. What a guy! I loved getting to know him a little more during our middle of the night trip across town. He is an incredible soccer player. His oldest brother is a professional soccer player and has played in the past couple (maybe several) world cups. So basically I’m friends with famous people. Ha. Dylan is beyond precious and I am so excited for him to experience Angel Fire. I would like for him to marry one of my nieces but I didn’t tell him since we’d only met twice.

I left out A LOT of details but here I am. An hour and a half into my first flight. I’ve managed to lose the little extra piece that dang apple makes you have now to use headphones on your iphone. I’ve spilled coke zero all over myself. And I’m sitting in the window seat and need to use the bathroom. Awesome.