Within the past two weeks...

Our group was granted the unique opportunity to visit and live with a typical Mexican family in the town of Totolapan. From the moment we arrived, the contrasts to life on Huehuecoyotl became vividly apparent. We were housed in a modest home, and received by a warm and amiable family. I immediately felt safe and at home. The Perez Family did everything in their power to make our stay as comfortable as possible.

 While in the town we were exposed to a lot of different aspects of Mexican life. We were able to go to a middle school and interact with students who were studying English, and play soccer with a group of extremely talented boys. We also got the chance to speak with a group of women whose husbands were forced to cross into the United States illegally in search of work and funds for their families. This conversation was a perspective of the immigration debate that is rarely seen or talked about. It was eye opening to talk with these women.

 We have also been working very hard at constructing and carrying out our service-learning project. Our group surveyed the community, strategized around the results, and decided to dedicate our time to beautifying the garden space. So far the garden is looking much neater and the shade cloths we are installing to project the plants from the harsh heat and torrential rains are working nicely. We have put in a lot of time and effort into the project, but no part of the process has felt better than leaving the garden after a hard day of work.

The past two weeks of the program have been an intense mix of emotions. I cannot believe that my time here has passed so quickly. I am looking forward to seeing my family and friends, but am hesitant to depart this oasis of communal togetherness. I am hoping to spend my last two days soaking up the warmth from the sun, as well as the warmth from the Huehuecoyotl family.