How many roads must a man walk down

It only took us an hour drive to get from San Vicente to Costa del Sol. I have been here an entire month and had no idea that the beach was that close. That’s the greatest thing about being in this tiny country. Everything is so close! And when I find out next week where my permanent home will be for the next 2 years- I don’t have to be sad about being far from my dear friends I’ve made, because you can’t ever really be too far away in El Salvador.

I really enjoyed the beach! Well... of course I did! It was the beach! And we basically had the beach to ourselves because it’s “winter” and people don’t come to the beach as much in the winter. But it was still plenty hot and the water was warm. Why do they even bother calling it winter... it’s NOT cold! So we rented a really nice because house that we comfortably fit 20 people into and each only had to pay 20 bucks for it. and 5 dollars for a round trip ride... not bad for what we got. If you go see the pics i put on facebook, you will see it was very nice! It made me miss home...being in a comfy bed, with air conditioning, and showers.... It’s funny. I don’t miss these things too much when I am living without them every day. I miss them once I am reminded that I don’t have them. Does that make sense? I am extremely surprised how quickly I got used to ice cold bucket baths. Haha... i used to be so picky about having my shower water be warm enough. And I don’t think I will ever complain about having to do laundry ever again.

So yea, the one night in a luxurious home was magnificent. It was a great birthday with great friends... Lots of fun. Can’t wait to do it again.

Got back yesterday so tired. Slept early and still this morning I felt tired- my Spanish teacher let me skip class today. That was nice. Especially because I really don’t feel like I want them or need them. I know my Spanish is far from perfect. But I have no problem communicating or understanding... and I can learn a lot more on my own or just talking to people. I am so amazed at how quickly I picked up with where I left off with my Spanish from last summer and how much I have improved. This is exactly what I wanted and what I felt I needed to gain fluency. After 2 more years of this I will sound pretty good I think, if this is how I sound after a month. I’m even picking up of the rural accent- and i like it!

I spent some extra time getting to know my family tonight. They are very different from my Santa Clara family. Cristina and Samuel are the parents names. And they live with their two children Erica, 12, and Edenielson, 9. They left their children here with their grandma to go to the United States for 3-4 years. They lived in Maryland, and came back just about 2 years ago. I am fascinated with the immigration issue and how this need/desire to go to the United States touches every single family, person you meet in this country. They shared their border-crossing story with me. I am pretty tired right now and am not sure I will do it justice- but on with it anyway, right.

Samuel went first. He paid guides to take him of course. There’s not one guide that take you the whole way, I learned. They have different guides for separate stretches of the journey. He was guided up to the Arizona border. He said that he walked through the desert in Arizona for 9 days. What the!?!?! That’s hardcore. For some reason I just thought everyone went “mojado.” But this is how badly people want to come work in my country. They will suffer and go by train for hours, by foot across countries, and walk through desert for days with hardly any food or water- to work a labor intensive job and earn what I consider a very meager wage. To be in the country that I had the privilege of being born in. I am glad I am in El Salvador, and getting to see the other side. Changes the way I think about the people that I worked with in restaurants and the children immigrants and immigrant students i had. I can’t say it’s for the better or worse. Just see them in a new light.

Christina went the easier way- by train, then mojado across the rio grande river. Definitely no desert walk. She even passed through Houston on her way to Maryland. Makes me wonder, how many times did I pass immigrants fresh out of the river in my hometown. She went to be with her husband, he had to have surgery on his back because he hurt himself while working on one of his construction jobs. She went to work in a factory that packaged pistachio nuts like the bag my grandma sent me said. They sent a lot of money back to loved ones, and to take care of their kids. Finally when the US economy started getting worse and Sam couldnt find any more jobs, they decided to fly back home and be with their kids again. Ummm, but if they had been making great money there, would they have just left their kids on their own in El Sal for good? I hope not. So they came back and used all the money they saved to repair their home, build on it and make it nicer. Now they live off of everything they make here... Their life is not easy here... but life isn’t easy anywhere. They seem to always have great attitudes about it all.

Ok that’s all i can give tonight- i’m too sleepy now...

Paz. AMor.

p.s. i hate when i have to pee really bad at night and i have to get out of my mosquito net cage and go to the latrine outside in the dark. sometimes i don’t make it happen. lol.