Life Goes On...

What goes up and down, can be fast and slow, turns unexpectedly and brakes suddenly? No one knows what’s after the next curve. No one knows what to expect before entering the wagon. It is a rollercoaster, or the emotions I have felt during Project El Salvador 2008.

My emotions changed from happy to sad, tired to energized, and feelings of being overwhelmed with the group to enjoying their company. Every one of these emotions played a role in my experience during this trip. Despite these emotions, I viewed every challenge optimistically. In the end, I believe that everything worked out perfectly. Everything that has happened on this trip, good or bad, has happened for a reason.

This winter break has been an incredible experience, from when we first arrived at the airport in San Salvador to the goodbyes in Altos De Jardines. Our activities varied from traveling across the country and seeing beautiful landscape, seeing different people in towns in El Salvador, working with the community, understanding new ideas and feeling the energy from the youth, acting as if I could understand Spanish while Salvadorans were pretending to understand my Spanish, tasting and smelling the delicious cuisine, breathing the unhealthy smog, listening to hours of “girl talk” in a van and trying to add my unheard masculine insight, going to the U.S. Embassy and trying to obtain a new passport, and spending hours at El Salvador’s Immigration Office while others were taking a nap or having a cup of coffee (I love naps, and love coffee). Words and pictures aren’t powerful enough to communicate what we have all been through in the past month. I don’t have my journal, camera, IPod, and other material items anymore because they were stolen during last Wednesday’s incident. But, in the end, do these things really matter? No one can steal my memories and feelings; no one will take away what I have learned during this experience.

The rollercoaster hits the brakes suddenly. Everyone is startled and shaken. As everyone on the roller coaster fills with adrenaline and the ride ends, each and every person wants to hop back on and start all over again. That was Project El Salvador 2008.