An Adventure to Remember

Monday morning we began our final bus ride into our last city, San Luis Potosi.  We hopped off the bus and walked to the public plaza where we were greeted with a huge welcome ceremony with the mayor.  We all lined up in alphabetical order and, one by one, our name was announced with our country and we walked on stage to receive a peace dove given to us by native Mexican children.  After listening to the mayor speak, there was a reception for all of us.  After the reception, we had regional learning where we took a bus tour around the city looking at all of the historic sites of the city.

After regional learning we had our final allocation meeting and were dismissed to meet our host family. For my final week, I was hosted with Dylan from Colorado who I have been traveling with for a year.  We lived with the Torres family with two children Miriam and Manuel.

Tuesday, was an internal day where we began the morning with a presentation about admissions after the semester.  We then spent the rest of the morning playing team-building games and just enjoying one another's company.

After lunch, we transitioned to another facility where we had our final gallery.  Like last semester, gallery was an activity that allowed us to remember all of our experiences and helped us bring the semester to a close.  Before the activities began, letters were read written by the several students that had left us during the semester.  I was immediately overwhelmed with emotions and tears began to roll down my cheeks.  I was hit with the reality that this adventure was nearing its end and it would never be this way again.  Once the letters were read, we traveled from room to room doing activities that had us reminisce.  In one room, we listened to a sound clip of sounds that we have heard throughout the semester.  It's pretty amazing how sound can trigger so many emotions from laughter to tears.  Other rooms gave us a chance to talk with each other, write appreciation notes, and laugh together by playing charades.

After visiting the rooms, we all gathered in one large room where photographs from throughout the semester was hung.  We took time to look at all of the photos as many of us tried to look at the pictures through the tears in our eyes.  At the end of the day, we had one more allocation meeting and were given our final allocation cards.  As I opened my card, tears streamed down my face as I saw that the next family waiting for me was my own family.  As difficult as it to process all the experiences and memories, it helps to close out the semester and prepare us for the next set in our lives.

Wednesday, was a Community Impact day at a low income elementary school.  When we arrived to the school, the children were standing in line, waiting for us with balloons and streamers to welcome us.  We only had a short time at the school, but the children had such a blast playing games with us and having us sign autographs for them.

After visiting the children at school, we had a BTS in a large, outdoor amphitheater.  Although it was hot, it was the best BTS shows.  The audience was full of school children from the surrounding area and there were about 500 people watching the BTS.  The crowd loved the 20-minute show and would not leave until we gave them an encore.  We do not usually perform an encore for a BTS and we did not have one prepared, but because there were so many people cheering for an encore, we quickly put our costumes back on and went on stage to perform another song without rehearsing it.

After the BTS, we had internal time.  Three times during the semester, we were given time to write letters to ourselves.  These letters are one of my favorite activities that we do because it gives me time to reflect on who I was and where I have come since my last letter.  It is a truly humbling time as I read the letters because I am so grateful for the experiences and how they have influenced and changed my life.    

Thursday, was an incredible Community Impact day at a very poor area of the city.  A large group of us spent the day painting and fixing up the playground and many of the buildings.  The area, Los Arbolitos, is one of the most dangerous parts of the city because of the gangs and violence that surrounds the area.  As we were painting, many of the children and residents in the area came out to help us paint.  Many of them were amazed to see a group of diverse people, like UWP, come together and serve the community.  All they had ever been exposed to was the violence and fighting between the gangs of the area.  They had never seen a group of people come together and they were really impacted by our service.

While many cast mates continued painting, some of us got ready for our final BTS for the neighborhood.  It was an incredibly hot performance in the heat of the day, but it was a special day for the residents of Los Arbolitos.

Once we returned we had internal time for Community Impact closeout.  Together, throughout the semester, we have accumulated 17,000 hours of community service at several hundred different organizations.

Friday, was our final Community Impact day, and it will always be one of the most unique and memorable experiences.  I spent the day at a prison for youth aged 18-25.  A small group of us were divided into three groups to facilitate different workshops.  When we arrived, we went through many gates and security to get into the facility.  Many of the youth in the prison had committed serious crimes like rape and murder.  I was quite nervous when we first began, but I was surprised by how interested the youth were in our activities.  I spent the morning teaching three world dance classes to all of the youth.  After our workshops, we had the opportunity to eat lunch with the students and talk with them.  Most of them did not speak English, so it was a great chance to practice my Spanish.  As we were getting ready to leave, the warden asked the youth if anyone would like to share what they learned today.  I was blown away at how many of them wanted to share.  As the first stood up and spoke, he talked about how thankful he was to have us come work with them.  He said, "I now know what my life can be like, thank you."  The next talked about how we opened their eyes to what the world is like. So many of the youth shared how we had changed their perspective and made them feel valued.  I cannot describe the feelings and emotions I had as I listened to those boys and girls.  My heart ached that such intelligent children were locked away, but I was so overjoyed to know that these children had been changed and were really going to make a positive difference when they left the prison.  

Saturday, we had our final two shows.  Our final shows were in one of the most beautiful theaters I have ever performed with Up with People.  We had a short rehearsal, mostly to check sound levels.  As we were all on stage, we heard our Swiss music from our Swiss medley.  We all stood in a circle with our arms around one another and sang all the songs that we had learned during the semester for all the countries that we visited.  It was a special moment and I remember looking around the circle and thinking about how lucky I was to have all these incredible memories with this group of people that I now call family.  It was the beginning of the many tears that would be shed throughout the day.

We then stood in a circle on the stage and listened to all of our production staff share with us how proud they were of us and how much we mean to all of them.  All of the sudden, we heard the song "Voices", our final song of the show, play over the speakers.  Tears immediately filled everyones eyes and we all stood hand-in-hand and sang our final song together.  I took time to look into the faces of each one of my cast mates and could not believe how blessed I was to experience such love and happiness.  

Here we are, and now the now the story is changing.

Can we hear beyond the words they are saying?

Maybe, when all sides can rise above the noises,

We'll listen to the voices of the world.  

After our rehearsal we got ready for our first show and our final greenroom.  We headed down to the basement of the theater and ran through streamers and waving balloons while our "theme" song that we have played many times during the semester to help us get excited.  It was a true celebration of all that we have accomplished during the semester and a celebration for our final performances.  Once the dance party ended, we sat down to listen to our staff.  Just as in our first greenroom, the staff walked around the room with signs about "right now."  Right now...our final audiences were waiting for us, our host families all over the world are missing us, our staff was proud of us, our families at home are excited to have us home, right now...we are ready.  As I sat and thought back to my very first greenroom my first semester, the tears began.  Surrounded by my dearest friends, it was hard to believe this was all coming to and end.  Next, we finished the final pages of "Oh, The Places You'll Go."  We finished our greenroom with an incredibly inspirational speech and said our final Cast A 2013 chant.

I left my heart on the stage as I danced all of my dances for the final time.  I never thought that I would find such joy in dancing and I am truly thankful to have had the opportunity to learn.  As we sang our final song "Voices" on stage, the flags began the processional down the aisles.  Following the flags was our staff.  The staff and the entire audience held up tissues and waved them as we sang the final chorus of the song.  After performing over 80 shows around the world, I felt a sense of peace as I stood on that stage and sang one final time.  With tears in my eyes, a smile on my face, and joy in my heart I finished the song.  It was hard to believe that performing was over for me, but I could not be sad for one second because of all the experiences and opportunities I had been given over the last year.

Sunday morning came quickly as we awoke at 7 am to head on a three hour drive to Guanajuato for host family day.  We spent the day walking around the beautiful city and looking at museums.  Guanajuato is known for their famous mummies.  Before entering the museum, I assumed these mummies would look similar to Egyptian mummies wrapped in cloth.  Wrong.  These "mummies" were actually perfectly preserved human bodies that were dug up from the ground only one hundred years ago.  It was like I was walking through a horror movie with the faces of the mummies frozen in pained expressions behind glass cages.  It was certainly an experience to see these Mexican "mummies."  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner together at a delicious Italian restaurant and then headed back home to pack our bags for the final time.

It's crazy how many extra things you accumulate over six months and how there is never enough room left in your suitcase for your final trip home.  Somehow, I managed to successfully cram it all into my suitcase.

As much as I was dreading it, Monday, my final day as a student in Up with People, had arrived.  I prayed that time would slow just for one day, allowing me more time to be with my family.  We arrived to the facility and began the morning with our last cast meeting.  We tried to recreate our cast photo that was taken during the second week of staging in Florida.  It was fun trying to remember who we stood by, not having any idea we would become a family.  Once we took the recreated picture, we were told to find our pictures on a table that had been matched with someone else and we were supposed to talk about how we thought our partner had changed and grown.  I was very concerned that I might be paired with someone I did not know too well, but I was overwhelmed with excitement to see it was the one person who knew me best, my best friend Brekken.  We found a quiet spot to lay down next to each other and talk about how we have changed.  It was very heartwarming to hear from my best friend how she thought I have changed and to listen to who I have become.

After lunch, we all began getting ready for our final banquet.  All the women and men were in a rush to  look their best for our last night together.  When the time came, we headed to the banquet facility, which was a beautiful outdoor garden covered by a tent.

When we arrived, we found tables with our closest friends and began the unforgettable evening.  The banquet started with dinner and a few superlative awards.  Dinner was filled with laughter and many great stories from the semester.  As dinner came to an end, seven of us made our way to the stage to sing a song that we had been working on for eight weeks.  All I remember as we sang was looking into the faces of my family and seeing tears in their eyes and beautiful smiles on their faces.  When we finished the song, I was amazed to see everyone applauding and giving us a standing ovation.

Once dinner was finished, certificates of completion were given out and we were given time to take pictures before the live band began to play.  It was a special band for the second semester students because the lead singer of the band was one of our cast mates from our first semester.  Everyone had a blast dancing and going crazy to the great music.

And then the time came that I had been dreading-saying goodbye.  We had about 20 minutes to say goodbye before we all had to load the buses for our six-hour drive to the airport in Mexico City.  So much love was felt as we all said our goodbyes.  Tears of joy and thankfulness were cried and hugs of appreciation and gratitude were given.  I never really felt like I said goodbye and I was at peace with it because these 120 individuals from around the world have made such a impact in my life that I will carry them with me wherever I go.  Each one of them has changed me and touch my heart in some way, so no matter where I go in life, they will always be a part of me.

Now that my year as a student of Up with people is complete, I can only look back on the year with gratitude for all that life has blessed me with and thankfulness for each and every person that came into my life and changed me.  I have changed because of my incredible host families, my international family, and my family back home.  I can never put into words the appreciation and love I have for Up with People, but I can honor the program by sharing my memories, stories, and passion with the world through my eyes-eyes that have witnessed unreserved love, cried tears of humility, seen kind hearts, shut out hate, and eyes that have been opened to the world.  Thank you Up with People for letting me see life through new eyes.  Thank you host families, Cast B 2012, Cast A 2013, family, and friends for giving me a reason to see the world in a new way.

My heart belongs with Up with People and I am truly grateful that I have been given the opportunity to work as a Promotions Representative for Up with People for the next year.  Thank you for the adventure, here's to the next adventure on my journey through life.  

The End is Near

From Toluca, leaving at 6am, we traveled a few hours north to Querétaro.  When we first arrived, we had a meet and greet with the Governor.  After lunch, we had several hours for regional learning where we had a walking tour of the beautiful downtown area with many historical buildings and cathedrals.

For the week, I stayed with a cast mate, Barby, who lives in Queretaro and her family.  I was roomed with one of my closest friends, Grant from Colorado, Katy from Wyoming, and Anna from Italy.

Tuesday was a very special day for all of the women in the cast because it was Women's Appreciation Day, which was a project put together by Grant and gave all of the men a chance to appreciate the women.  We arrived early to the facility to decorate and set up.  We all put money in to buy breakfast for the women.  When the women arrived, we escorted them to their seats where they sat down to watch a powerpoint with an appreciation letter written to each one of them by one of the men.  As we served them breakfast and juice, we gave massages to any woman that wanted one.  We then gave the woman a chance to ask the men anything they wanted, which turned out to be pretty funny.  To end the morning, some of the men painted the women's nails and we just took time to enjoy one another's company.

After lunch, we had a laughing session where we looked through pictures and watched videos of funny  moments from the semester.  We also took time to hear funny stories that had not yet been shared with the entire cast.  It was so great to reminisce on memories throughout the semester and to also have time to sit and laugh together.

Wednesday, I was doing promotions with a small group of people.  In the morning we went to a community impact site where we did a radio interview with one of our radio sponsors.  We then went back to the downtown area to pass out fliers and hang up posters.  After lunch, we went to another community impact site for another quick radio interview.

In the afternoon, we had internal time where we talked about life after Up with People.  We were divided into groups, those going on to school, starting work, traveling for a second semester, working for UWP, or unsure.  It was nice to get together with people who would be having similar experiences once we returned home and talk about our concerns.

Thursday, I went to a high school to facilitate workshops with the students.  CONALEP is a private school and it was one of my favorite schools where I have facilitated.  The students were so engaged in the workshops and really interested in learning.  The teachers at the school were so encouraging and inviting to us and made us feel so welcome.  We facilitated three workshops in the morning at the high school and then we transfered to the elementary school.  We only had a short time with the elementary school students, so we played games and answered questions.  As we left the elementary school, the teachers presented us with a box of beautiful home-made cookies as a gift for coming to work with their students.  We headed back to the high school for lunch and then to facilitate one more workshop.  It was such an incredible day with the students and teachers.  I will never forget the gratitude I experienced from the teachers and the students.

After the workshops, we transitioned to a mall where we had a BTS mini show.  It was a unique BTS because we performed right in the middle of an atrium with people watching from all sides.  It was also challenging because we had to change costumes in another part of the mall, so once we finished a song, we had to sprint down the hall and up the stairs to quickly change and run back down.  It was an exhausting, but a very fun BTS.

Friday was another day of facilitating workshops at a high school.  The school was a public school, and in Mexico, the public schools are most often for lower income families.  The students at this school did not speak much English, so it was an awesome opportunity for me to practice my Spanish.  I had a blast interacting with the students and it was a boost of confidence to see the students having fun and understanding what I was saying!

In the afternoon, we had another BTS in the public square in the city center.  We had a great crowd, but it was unbelievably hot to perform outside in the sun.

Saturday was host family day and we all traveld to San Sebastian Bernal to hike the Bernal Peak, which is the third largest rock in the world.  I am not quite sure what the difference is between a rock and a mountain, but Bernal Peak looked like a mountain.  We hiked up to the shoulder of the rock to look out over the beautiful desert.  As we headed back down, I could feel the sun burning and I was drenched with sweat in the heat of the day.  We made it back down to enjoy some delicious homemade tacos from a street vendor.  The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at home and hanging out.

Sunday was our show, which was in an incredibly beautiful auditorium that seats 3200 people.  We had a special rehearsal where we were all put into new positions to just have fun.  I was put into a couple solos, which is not something I am used to doing, but it was a lot of fun and was a good laugh.  We had a great audience and I was even blessed to meet a cast mate that traveled with my parents.  It's always special for me to connect with alumni that traveled with my parents and to share my UWP experience with them.

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.  

Viva Mexico

Our cast's over-night ended at 3 am as we loaded the busses and headed to Frankfurt, Germany for our flight to Mexico.  After a long 14-hour flight, we landed in Mexico City in the late evening.  We took a bus to our first city, Naucalpan, which is a suburb of Mexico City.  I lived in Naucalpan last semester with one of my cast mates families, Dany, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to stay with his family again.  It was a houseful for the week with Sean from Orlando, Raymundo from Mexico, Abby from Colorado, Julia from Germany, Georgie from Minnesota, Dany, and myself.  It was really great because all of us have been traveling together for the past year, so it was a special week to talk about all our memories together.

After a quick night of sleep, we had the opportunity to facilitate workshops in schools on Tuesday.  It was a challenge fighting the jet lag on our first day in a new country, but we made the most of it and had fun interacting with the students.

Wednesday was a full cast set up in the morning at the school where we facilitated workshops.  In the afternoon, we had the Hunger Banquet, which we did last semester in Taiwan.  During the Hunger Banquet, we were all divided into three groups that reflect the distribution of wealth around the world.  The few who were the wealthiest, sat at a beautiful table and were served salad, fruit, chicken, and vegetables.  Those who were middle class, like myself, sat in chairs and had to eat rice out of cups.  Those representing the poorest class, sat in trash on the floor and had to eat rice with their hands and drink dirty water.  The food that we were not able to finish was thrown out right in front of us.  We had to watch the staff dump buckets of rice in the trash and throw all the delicious food that the wealthiest class did not eat.  It was another eye-opening experience which really made me reflect on how blessed I am each day to go to bed with a full stomach.

Thursday was a full cast load-in meaning that the entire cast helped set up our stage for our two shows the following day.  We spent the rest of the afternoon in rehearsal and preparing our Mexican medley.

While we still continued to fight the jet lag, on Friday, we had two shows.  The first show was for all of the students at the school that we had done workshops with and the audience was full of screaming girls.  We end our show with a famous UWP song called, "De que Color es la Piel de Dios," which means "What Color is God's Skin."  As we finished our first show, it was so touching to hear every child in the audience singing the song with us.  I got chills as I heard the children sing, "What color is God's skin?  What color is God's skin?  I said it's black, brown, it's yellow, it is red, it is white.  Everyone's the same in the good Lord's sight."

Saturday was our host family day.  Dany's brother, Armando, who is also our Mexican tour manager, took us all around Mexico City to see the historical sites.  We began the morning by visiting Chapultepec Castle, which overlooks the entire city from a large hill.  Armando did a wonderful job explaining the rich history that has given Mexico its beautiful culture.  After visiting the castle we walked to El Reforma, which is a very famous avenue with many historical monuments.  After exploring the city and having a drink in a cafe, we headed home to have a big dinner full of lots of laughs.

Sunday was another double show day.  By our fourth show, the cast was extremely exhausted and rundown.  During the last show, people were dropping like flies and getting sick.  Having multiple people getting sick during a show creates a lot of excitement and chaos backstage because we are all scrambling to fill soloist and dance spots.  Somehow, we all managed to pull off four successful shows despite the jet lag, exhaustion, and new country transition.