I’ve discovered that the daily challenge of trying to understand what people are saying (even the ones speaking some form of English) and trying to be understood can be exhausting. In addition, and in the midst of finalizing group projects, and studying for exams, and trying to prepare/apply for an internship that will start almost the second I step off the plane back home…I realized I was coming down with homesickness. I found myself longing for familiar faces, places and things.
One of the best things about this experience has been the people I’ve met, in particular, the Red House Crew. We decided to have a “family dinner” this past Sunday night. I think we were all feeling a bit of burnout from exams and paper writing and I suspect I wasn’t the only one thinking about “home”. So we decided to do a Mexican feast after all the exams were done and as the new session of classes was starting.
We hunted the stores and found everything we could for tacos, quesadillas, nachos, guacamole, salsa, black beans, and of course, margaritas. Someone put on Buena Vista Social Club (which is actually Cuban) and we chopped, and cooked, and laughed, and ate together. Some of us even danced. By the end of the evening spirits were lifted and we were all feeling well-fed and recharged. As we’ve done before, we acknowledged the blessing of having each other–our own mutli-cultural family, to share these experiences in our home away from home.
