Migration North: Final Thoughts and Reflections

As I sat on the shore of the Pacific Ocean yesterday, I watched the beautiful sight of hundreds of migrating birds heading north for the summer. It occurred to me then that just before this trip, I sat watching these same transient birds heading south for the winter. I smiled to myself, realizing that I had officially completed the goal I’ve been dreaming of since I was thirteen-years-old: I had successfully missed winter by spending six months traveling in Latin America. 

With only hours until our return to the United States, Alex and I are both in the reflection stage of the trip; our thoughts on the volunteer experience, how we have changed the lives of other people, how we, ourselves have been changed by the people and experiences we’ve encountered, and the valuable lessons we’ve learned from immersing ourselves in a foreign culture. We truly realize how fortunate we are to have experienced such as life-changing adventure as this and the doors we’ve opened for ourselves by doing so.  

Our final sunset in Xela 

A friend of ours from Holland was spending time in Guatemala compiling research for his Masters in Psychology. He was studying the relationships formed between volunteers and the indigenous people and both Alex and I were able to sit down with him and have a great conversation about our thoughts on the relationship. This was a great way to wrap up our volunteer experience because we were urged to recall our escapades in Peru (which seems so long ago!) and the adventures we’ve had here in Guatemala. Our friend also asked us to reflect on incidences during our trip that made us uncomfortable or that we weren’t completely thrilled with. And while no one likes uncomfortable situations or being unhappy, I believe it is under these circumstances in which we often grow and learn the most.

All in all, I believe the volunteer experience is a fantastic way to not only see the world but to also integrate oneself in the culture and day-to-day life of native people. However, like many things in this world, the end result is heavily dependent on the input of effort and enthusiasm. We volunteered through a young, non-profit organization and that lacked organization and structure. Metaphorically speaking, the organization built for us a sturdy, plain house but what we put into that house was completely up to us. For example, in Guatemala I was taken to a school that was in need of an English teacher. Yet, what I wanted to teach them, the activities we did and how I wanted to precede in actual teaching aspect was entirely on me. Yes, I realized I was a little in over-my-head but this only encouraged me to swim to the top. I was pushed out of my comfort zone and challenged in ways that helped me evolve as a person.

Doing the robot and looking like a fool -
it was totally worth it. 

One of my main goals for this trip was to change the lives of others. This has been a big pondering topic for me during these last few weeks simply because I’m not sure I wanted to change the lives of other people so much as I wanted to make an impression on them. The vast majorities of the people I’ve encountered on this trip have beautiful lives just the way they are. Why would I want to change that? More than anything I realized I wanted to make a positive impression - a positive difference.  In Peru, after learning how the orphans functioned as a family, I understood that changing their way of life wasn’t going to accomplish anything, for, just like every family, they have their own structure.  So my motives shifted; instead of changing their lives or their way of living, I just wanted to impress upon them love, attention and encouragement. Despite the fact their parents abandoned them or couldn’t take care of them, I tried to show up everyday and give them the love and attention they so longed for. I brought arts and crafts projects everyday to encourage their creativity and through that to build and strengthen their individuality. Looking back on it now, I’m confident I succeeded in my goal. I’ll never forget a girl who, upon arriving at the orphanage, had incredibly low self-confidence and was afraid to do anything on her own. I had to help her step-by-step with every project. By the time I left she was more creative and independent than I ever imagined and I like to think it was partly the positive impression I made on her. Volunteering in Guatemala faced me with few more challenges than in Peru – not only was I forced to speak in Spanish ninety-nine percent of the time in order for the students to learn anything in English but I also felt responsible for their learning. To say this task was occasionally frustrating would be a major understatement. I quickly realized I wasn’t going to accomplish anything without patience and understanding. After issuing out the final exam on my last day, the students threw me a surprise party where they made tacos, fruit salad and cake and while we were all enjoying the tasty treats, many of the students stood up and expressed how much they appreciated me. What I cherished most was that every single student acknowledged and showed appreciation for the patience and friendship I showed them throughout my time at the school. To hear them say that made every sickness, every uncomfortable situation, every over-charged bus ride – just hearing those words alone - made the entire trip worth it.

Our house in Xela

I like to believe that there is a strong parallel between how I’ve influenced others and how others have influenced me. Through working with girls at the orphanage in Peru and teaching students in Guatemala, I believe I’ve grown incredibly grateful for the flexibility and value of patience. I treasure how far a little bit of patience can take you. Without our host families, we wouldn’t have had nearly the experience we did and I’ve learned so much from them as well. Their ability to open their house, hearts and lives to us was incredibly admirable and I only hope I can show that kind of hospitality in my future.

The list of lessons learned and values appreciated is quite extensive but what tops the list is how much Alex and I have gained a great admiration and respect for the accessibility of travel. Six months ago, hopping on and riding a chicken bus through an entire country seemed practically impossible. Now we feel lost without those busses: they were our main form of transportation.

With this said, I’ll end by saying how much I’ve learned to cherish the extraordinary. All to frequently in this life, we allow the extraordinary to become ordinary. Three months ago, I stood mouth-agape as I watched indigenous Guatemalan women balance incredible objects atop their heads as they climbed through the city streets – it was such an extraordinary sight to see and I couldn’t believe my eyes. However, by the end of our time in Xela, I would pass by a woman carrying an impressive load and hardly notice her. It is this alone that feeds the want for travel. We so quickly become accustomed to the extraordinary and therefore are constantly in search for new, remarkable experiences. And while I believe I’ve caught this bug – this constant search for the extraordinary – part of me is excited to return home to the ordinary things I love so much and have gained much more respect for.

I’m afraid to write the words that will end this blog because it truly indicates our adventure to South America is coming to close. We’ve had so many absolutely monumental experiences during this trip - memories were made that will last a lifetime. And while I feel like saying goodbye to this country tomorrow will be like saying goodbye to a wonderful friend, I can’t help but feel the jittery excitement of knowing I can start planning my next trip.