I have this realization several times a day….
Like the time there was a frog in my backpack.
Or like the time I rode in the back of a truck with 16 people.
When i look around and I see rainforest-esque trees and mountains everywhere.
And when I can’t understand the sermon at church because it is in spanish.
I have definitely had to learn a new normal. Where starbucks is replaced with instant coffee, Wendy’s with tacos and my car is replaced by taxis, combis and walking. Where it is perfectly acceptable to wash your laundry in a bucket and take 3 showers a day just to wash off the sweat. Where bug bites, malaria medication and “how much does your pack weigh?” are appropriate conversation starters.
I have many times wanted to opt out of something, sit in the background or shy away from an opportunity. Like learning skits– I am not an actor. I would rather be behind the scenes, putting the drama together. But here, I have had to be part of the action. Or swimming in the Agua Azul waterfalls, experiencing something new instead of just staying dry because it was cold.
More new experiences are on the horizon as my team leaves for a village outside Palenque for a week. We will travel with Team BOLD and work with a local church, in a small village with very little electricity. So look for an update on the adventure next week!
