Good to be Back

From Naucalpan, we went to visit the pyramids in Teotihuacan.  Although this was my third time seeing the ancient ruins, I have never lost the thrill of climbing the third largest pyramid in the world and looking out across the open fields imagining what life was like during that point of history.  It was so freeing to feel the wind graze my face as I stood at the top of the pyramid. It was another memorable experience in Teotihuacan. 

This week was a very special week because from Naucalpan, we headed back to Toluca, my favorite city in Mexico.  It is my favorite city because I met the kindest people in Toluca and because I got to stay with my host mom again with whom I I have kept in very close contact. Ever since I found out we would be visiting Toluca again, I have been looking forward to this city the most. My host mom, Jahzeel, is a cousin of one of my cast mates, Miguel, who is from Toluca.  

When we arrived to Toluca, we were greeted by a  potluck party with our host families.  I could barely contain my excitement because I was so eager to see my mom again.  I walked, rather quickly, around the room trying to find her until she jumped out from where she was hiding behind two people.  It was so wonderful to hug her once more.  The last thing I said to her six months ago as we were crying and hugging one final time was that I promised her I would come back to see her again.  I could not have been more blessed to see her so soon.  

That evening Jahzeel took me out for dinner and then we headed back home.  We sat at the table once we arrived home and talked about our lives.  It was like no time had passed between two best friends. 

Tuesday we had a culture fair at a school that many cast mates host siblings attended.  We spent the morning teaching them about where we were from.  In the afternoon we had our BTS, which is a Backing Track Show.  A BTS is a 20-minute mini show with some of the highlight songs and dances from around the world.  We rehearsed for an hour and then performed for the entire student body at the elementary school.  

That evening, I went home with Miguel's family, with whom I am also very close.  Miguel's mother, Martha, and his aunt, Karla, are very special to me like Jahzeel.  He was hosting 8 people at his house and we all got together for a party.  As we were enjoying pizza and tequila, a private mariachi band surprised us and we continued the night dancing and singing with the band.  It was one of those nights I never wanted to end because I was surrounded by so many people that I loved.  

The next day I was signed out for set up to help set up the stage for our show the next day.  The theater was gorgeous and very spacious.  It was one of the biggest auditoriums in which we have performed.  I have a great admiration for all of the students who set up our stage because even after a year of being on stage, I still do not know how to hook up the lights or which cable gets connected where.   

Thursday we had our first show in Toluca in the beautiful theater.  We had a huge audience and it was a phenomenal show.  Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong, but we stuck together and put on a great show.  At one point during the second song, the sound went out, and without missing a beat, we all continued to perform and sing twice as loud.  We also had someone cut their foot right before he had to sing, so we were all running around backstage taking care of his foot, cleaning up the blood, and helping our vocal instructor change in 30 seconds to go on and sing the song for him.  It's shows like this that are special to me because it reminds me that we work as a family and perform as a team.   

Friday was another BTS at a university in a poorer community outside of Toluca.  After a two hour bus ride, we had very little time to rehearse and prepare, so we had to warm up in the bus.  Our dance intern led the warm up, which was hysterical.  We stretched our legs on the seats in front of us  and stretched our back on the seats behind us.  There was not much else we could do to stretch on a bus other than toe raises or eyebrow raises.   

The BTS was great and the students really loved the mini show.  We took pictures with the students after the show and I do not think my mouth has ever hurt so much from smiling before.   

Once we arrived back to our facility we had a cast meeting. We began our cast meeting by playing a giant game of musical chairs, which was a blast.  I should have guessed that playing musical chairs with people my age who make the game way more intense, but it was a blast.  In our cast meeting we talked about the stages of loss.  As our semester comes to an end, there are a lot of emotions that are felt and expressed.  There are five stages-denial, depression, anger, bargaining, and acceptance.  Personally, I have been jumping between acceptance and bargaining.  I am so excited for the next chapter in my life and moving on to something new, but I have been bargaining with that excitement and not allowing myself to experience the pain of not seeing this family every day or not being with the people I have traveled the world with for the last year if my life.   

Friday night my host mom took us out to a club with Miguel and I and his roommates.  We also saw many other cast mates at the club.  It was a fun night of being able to step away from the UWP life and let loose.  

Saturday was a special show in the public plaza in downtown Toluca.  It was an outdoor show, so our massive stage was constructed at one end of the plaza with tents behind it for us to use.  It started raining as we were finishing rehearsals, but that did not stop us from putting on an awesome show for 5000 people watching.   

Sunday was host family day and Jahzeel took me to the town where her parents live.  They own a beautiful hotel in a very touristy area.  After spending some time with them, we went to Miguel's summer home which is also in the same town.  We spent the afternoon swimming in the pool, eating and drinking, laughing, riding horses, getting massages, and just enjoying such wonderful company.  It was another one of those perfect days that I will never forget.  As we were  getting ready to leave, we all sat on the wall that overlooks the golf course, we sat next to one another with our arms around each other.  We could not believe how lucky we were to share such a beautiful memory together.  

It truly was a perfect week and I felt like I had come back home because my Toluca family is so dear to my heart.  It was even harder to leave a second time, but I promised Jahzeel and Miguel's family that it would not be long again before I would be back to see them.