We Missed the Bus

So….there has been this ongoing joke among some of my friends and I that I have this floating sign above my head that says “CRAZY STUFF HAPPENS HERE!” And I’ve always laughed it off, thinking it’s not true at all. But these past few days have made me question that particular belief.

It all started when I decided to bring my entire room with me to Bolivia. Okay, not really, but I brought a lot. I mean, I’m packing for nine months! This resulted in two huge suitcases and, well, a whole lot of carry-ons. And one of those carry-ons happened to be a giant duffel bag, which was probably close to two million pounds and about three times the size of me.

Somehow I got by with it. The airlines just had me drop it off before I got on the plane and then I’d pick it up after I got off. I just had to take a break every few steps while walking through the airport so I could breathe and stuff. Well, long story short, in Orlando I was told to pick it up at baggage claim in Peru, but at Peru I was told several times it was going all the way to Santa Cruz. But low and behold when we got to Santa Cruz it was not there. And so I filled out paperwork and blah blah blah and eventually my bag showed up but they required me to go back to the airport because I had to be there when it went through customs.

OKAY. So fast forward to this past Sunday. Everyone got to go ahead and leave Santa Cruz and head to the orphanage, except I had to stay behind because I had yet to get my suitcase. And Andrew stayed with me. What a trooper.

So basically the plan was for Andrew and I to head straight to the airport, pick up my bag, then head back to the hotel where we would meet Omar, one of Miguel’s friends. Omar would then take a taxi with us to the bus station where we would buy tickets and take an overnight bus to Trinidad. Then the next morning we would meet with Steve, a pilot from GMI, who would fly us in his adorable little five-passenger plane to Rurrenabaque where we would meet Miguel who would drive us to the orphanage.

And that’s exactly how it went. HA! JOKES.

It went a little more like this:

Andrew and I caught a bus to the airport and got my bag. That actually ended up going pretty smoothly. Then we caught a bus back, hung out around town for a bit, and then went to the hotel to get our stuff together so we could meet Omar. Keep in mind our rooms are literally four flights of stairs above the lobby. Andrew and I should probably get about five and a half awards for the amount of stuff we carried down all those stairs in one single trip. Like, I’m talking if you put all the stuff you own together with all the stuff in the world it might just about equal all that we carried. Impressive, I know.

We met with Omar who got a taxi to take all our stuff and us to the bus station. Now I’m going to try to explain this bus station to you. Just imagine a really giant building and stuff it with tons of people. Okay now make it super late at night and make everyone speak a foreign language. Also make sure people are screaming and babies are crying and everywhere you turn someone is trying to sell you something. Basically thank God Omar was there because otherwise we probably would have taken a bus to Madagascar.

So Omar helped us buy our tickets and the people at the counter told us to wait at the sign that said 30. They said a bus was already there and not to get on that one but the bus that came afterward.

So we stood around, waiting for our bus that was supposed to leave at ten. Omar only speaks Spanish so we tried to make conversation and were actually pretty successful. And by we I mean Andrew. Oh also, I had to use the bathroom and so we walked over to this little place and I paid for using the bathroom for the first time in my life and that was pretty exciting.

Time was passing and we were still waiting around for the second bus.

Time was passing and we were still waiting around for the second bus.

Time was passing and we were still waiting around for the second bus.

Pretty soon it was 9:50. Then 10:00. Then 10:15.

And then lights started going off. We looked around, and low and behold the people were gone. The gates started closing and Omar went running into the bus station, frantically asking people where our bus was.

Yeah. We missed the bus.

Okay so now we like freaked out for a few minutes and then Omar came up with the genius (I mean that sincerely) idea of flagging down a taxi and chasing down the bus.

So I don’t know if you have ever been in Santa Cruz in a taxi, racing down the highway, running red lights and swerving cars and motorcycles, but if not you should try it. It’s rather exhilarating.

Like that’s one of the more interesting things I’ve done.

We passed a whole lot of things but not a whole lot of buses. And those we passed weren’t ours. I don’t know who gave up first, Omar or the taxi driver. But I’m assuming it was the taxi driver. He pulled over and we paid him and got out.

Okay so now we are stranded on the side of the road by a toll booth. No bus. No taxi. We found a dog. That’s about it.

Andrew and I stood around for about thirty minutes while Omar talked to the toll people and looked desperately down the road, hoping to see our bus coming. But it didn’t.  Poor guy. He felt awful and it wasn’t his fault at all.

So then we waited for a taxi that was going in the other direction to take us back where we started.

We waited.

And we waited.

And after waiting some more we realized no taxis were coming. So we caught a taxi going the opposite direction and got a hotel for the night. Then the next morning we went back to the bus station and bought tickets for that night instead.

We spent the day with Omar and his family. We shopped around downtown for a motor and Andrew told me a whole bunch of stuff about cars. Basically the motor and transmission do some stuff that makes something happen with a piston and an axel that makes the wheels turn or something. I’m thinking about going into auto mechanics.

Well, in the midst of all this Miguel contacted us and told us that instead of taking the bus that night we should take a plane to Trinidad ASAP. See, here’s the thing. We could have potentially flown straight into Rurrenabaque where the orphanage was, but all our stuff was in Trinidad. Because although the bus didn’t have us on it, it had all our stuff.

Cute.

So basically we bought two tickets each. And used none of them.

We paid a whole lot of money to inconveniently ship our stuff to Trinidad.

So then we said goodbye to Omar and his family (who are so very wonderful) and caught a plane to Trinidad where we met with Steve who is a pilot for GMI. We went to the bus station and got our stuff and then ate pizza downtown. Afterward we each took a motorcycle taxi (so cool) back to the hotel where we stayed for the night.

So I kid you not, at night I’m pretty sure that hotel turned into a full on marketplace. There was so much talking and screaming and banging outside my room that I’m pretty sure I slept a solid two hours. But all the bug bites I woke up to made that seem not so bad.

And then this morning Steve flew us in a five-passenger plane to Rurrenabaque. The awesome news is we turned the five-passenger plane into a six-passenger as a few other missionaries came with us as well. We basically played the game how much stuff and how many people can we fit into this plane? We won.

 It was the coolest flight I’ve ever been on.

And, well, then we landed and Miguel came to pick us up in the orphanage’s new truck thanks to an extremely generous church. And now Andrew and I are sitting at Narguilla’s drinking a coke and a fruit smoothie. And the goal is to be at the orphanage in the next thirty minutes or so.

But you know, at this rate, we might get there next month.

Cheers to adventure.

A New Perspective

I’m at a coffee shop with Andrew in Santa Cruz. Everyone else has already headed to the orphanage, but since my darling suitcase got lost somewhere in the land of Peru, I had to stay so I can pick it up at the airport today since I have to be there when it goes through customs. And Andrew stayed as well because as much as I’d love to navigate the streets of Santa Cruz by myself, I really wouldn’t love that at all.

We are taking an all night bus tonight to Trinidad, and then getting picked up by a little five-passenger plane tomorrow (how exciting is that?!) that will take us to Rurrenabaque where we will get picked up once more and taken to the orphanage (oh my goodness yay!).

I am so excited to see all those beautiful kids. I can’t even explain it. I have been missing them from the moment I left Familia Feliz four months ago.

It has been a really great couple of days. We have mainly just hung out in town and at the hotel where we are staying. Saturday morning we caught a bus to church, which ended up being a whole lot bigger than I expected! It was a large building and it was packed. During the service, someone up front called us all out as the volunteers from Familia Feliz, so we stood up and everyone waved at us with giant smiles. Precious.

After the service we headed back to the hotel and had lunch on the roof. So fun. We ate a scrumptious meal of PB&J’s, popcorn, and a giant pineapple we bought the day before that a lady was selling on the street.

Then we took naps in enos. And, more importantly, I got to Facetime Ben, Sarah, and Miranda who were hanging in Asheville and then Mom, Dad, and Jace on their way home from Spartanburg! It was so very exciting to see all those wonderful, familiar faces.

Saturday night we ate out. And we walked downtown and looked at millions of puppies and birds and rabbits being sold in stores (Okay, probably not millions. But a lot. Also they were so cute.).

And then this morning I took my last hot shower. Should I repeat that? This morning I took my last hot shower. Not gonna lie. I’m a little worried about the ice cold shower thing. That’s going to build a whole lot of character.

And then everyone left but Andrew and I, so we went to the airport, got my bag, and now we are at this adorable little coffee shop writing.

Oh, just got informed there’s no electricity or water at the orphanage right now. Looks like I won’t be getting a cold shower after all. Or a shower. Suhweet.

I am truly so thankful to be here. I love the streets and the language and the cultural differences and similarities and the people I am meeting. I love catching taxis and buses and eating meals on the rooftop. I love realizing how many people are in this world and how small I am. I'm excited for a new perspective. 

So It Begins

July 24

(Hi. Just pretend it's Friday when I wrote this. Cheers to no WiFi.)

And we’re off! I’m currently writing from a hotel in Santa Cruz, Bolivia where I am staying with a few of the other student missionaries. We just finished sitting on the tip top of the roof watching the sunset, freaking each other out by talking about all the bugs we are about to encounter, and praying together. It’s like we are family and it’s day two.

The trip here was rather eventful. I left from Asheville at 7 am. My sister got up at 3:40 in the morning to make me a giant breakfast so I could have one last meal at home. It consisted of fruit salad and sweet potato fries and tofu with basically the garden in it. Best sister award? I think so.

My family drove me to the airport and my little brother told me the whole way that he didn’t want me to leave. Savana sang super loud songs in my ear that she made up as she went, declaring how much I’d miss it, which, of course, I already do. Mom and Dad sat in the front, trying to make normal conversation, which was to no avail as Savana persisted to sing.

And then we got to the airport, and it still hasn’t hit me that I won’t see my family for such a long time. Saying goodbye was incredibly sad and shocking and unreal and I am convinced I have the greatest family in the world and am already so very excited to see them again.

And then of course there were lots of plane rides. As in five. I flew from Asheville to Charlotte to Orlando (where I met with Andrew and Courtney and Dani which was oh so exciting) to Peru to La Paz, Bolivia and then to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where I still am now.

Let’s just say we arrived in Santa Cruz at 5am…the next day. So it was almost 24 hours of straight flying and layovers and oh my goodness wow everyone here speaks Spanish and I definitely don’t.

After we arrived in Santa Cruz, Miguel, the orphanage director, picked us up at the airport and we took a taxi to the hotel. Then I got to knock on the door and wake up Candace! Ahh yay!! She’s here!

And then that day (Thursday) was filled with catching taxis and buses and getting driven all around town and hopping out here and there to sign papers and give fingerprints and do this and that so we can apply for a year-long visa. Honestly I don’t know what I did or what I signed but, you know, I’m assuming it’s all good.

We were all so exhausted from getting virtually no sleep that we pretty much fell asleep everywhere and in every position. And I am not kidding. At one point I was lying against Dani’s shoulder almost asleep but then she fell asleep and her head hit mine so hard that I’m surprised we are still alive.

 We went to the mall for lunch and I felt like I was back in America. I mean, there was a Starbucks. Stephanie where are you?

And then we drove around some more and did some more visa stuff. And then we got back to the hotel and ordered pizza and ate it around 9 pm, which felt like Thursday of next week because it seemed like the longest day in the world as it pretty much began when I took off from Asheville. Also eating pizza at 9 pm is not wise. I don’t recommend it. But it tasted great.

And then we woke up around 5 am this morning so we could make it to the hospital by 6 so we could be first in line when it opened at 7. And hey, we were. We had to get our health cleared and all that jazz so we can be approved to chill in this country for a little while.

When the nurse took my blood pressure, the lady who was writing down the information asked Miguel something, looking straight at me. After he responded, I asked him what she said. She asked if you have a fungus on your face he said. So basically if you know me you know my face is red like….all the time. And here? Well, not so common. I mean it’s one thing to be white as snow, but another to also have tomatoes on your cheeks. So basically everyone here will just assume my face has a fungus on it. And I mean it’s totally cool. Cuz that’s attractive.

And then I got my blood drawn for the first time. Which I guess is strange as I’m twenty. But I was rather terrified. And the nurse seriously spent a few minutes trying to find a vein in my arm. I was almost worried I didn’t have one. But after he hit my arm a few times and I clenched and stuff apparently he saw something because he got it the first time. Glad he found it, cuz I sure didn’t. Oh also it didn’t hurt at all, so glad I could look like a baby.

And then we left the hospital and? Application process complete. Check. So we went out to eat and hung around town and shopped for souvenirs and food for tomorrow. The shopping consisted of Daniella, Andrew, Courtney, and I standing around in the market talking about what we wanted to eat, and an hour later actually getting it. Good at having a ball? Totally. Good with making group decisions? Not so much. (Candace was already on her way to the orphanage. Lucky duck.)

And then we went up to the roof and watched the city.

We played card games and took pictures and laughed at who knows what.

We took rooftop selfies (which were fails) and ate chocolate covered coffee beans (thanks Savana) and talked about our summers at camp.

And then we climbed even higher on the roof and prayed as it was Sabbath and we have oh so much to be thankful for.

And my goodness, I have never in my life been so incredibly excited for what lies ahead.

The Same Arms

I have a whole lot of stuff to do. I’m currently sitting on my bed with my adorable new kitten, not doing it. But hey, I won’t be able to procrastinate in my house for a year, so I’m going to enjoy every last minute of it.

This past month has flown by. I spent it working at Camp Nosoca; it was my very first summer camp experience and it did not disappoint.

Slip ‘n slides, root beer floats, singing in the chapel late into the night, bonfires and smores, pool parties, worship around the lake, dropping lunch to belt out the theme song in the cafeteria, little children holding my hand and telling me I remind them of their mom, belaying children on the rock wall hour after hour, sitting on my bed with my cabin late into the night talking about God.

Staying up late in the cafeteria with my friends, laughing with each other and talking about everything under the sun.

Sneaking into the kitchen to grab just one more cup of sweet tea.

Getting up an hour early to go tubing on the lake when the sun has barely risen.

I spent a month living in a cabin in the woods, hanging out with precious children and seeing glimpses of God everywhere I looked.

And now I’m home. I’m home with my family and I’m trying to enjoy every last minute with them before my plane takes off.

Even though I have no idea when my plane takes off. We can’t buy the tickets until our visas come in, which they haven’t yet. So….cheers to the unexpected.

This past week I felt overwhelmed. No matter how many shopping trips I took, I somehow still had so much to buy and I needed to write a million thank you notes and, well, I had to go to the doctor yet again. Also my room looked like a hurricane paid a lengthy visit.

I was in this funk and I just couldn’t seem to get out of it. I felt frustrated and anxious and, well, more worried than excited about this next year of my life.

But, looking back, I just assume it is totally normal to second guess yourself when you are about to say goodbye to life as you know it and board a plane to a random jungle to teach in a language you can’t speak for a year.

On Sunday, when I left camp, I had to say the much dreaded goodbye to my friends. I have moved several times, but it didn’t quite compare. This time I am not just going to a new state, but what seems like an entirely new world far away from my friends, and they’ll keep living their lives right here, far away from me. 

Needless to say, I spent the majority of the day crying.

But Sunday made me recognize more than ever that I have the most caring, sincere, genuine friends in the world.  I spent the entire day looking around me thinking oh my goodness I love you so much and I’m so thankful I get to live my life knowing you and depending on you and laughing with you and how am I going to go a year without you?

I’m experiencing what people mean when they say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

I just cannot put into words how much my friends mean to me. I cannot imagine what life would be without them. The same people that can make me laugh until I can't breathe are the ones to pick me up and brush me off when life knocks me down. They're the ones who put up with my stories that I, somehow, always find a way to tell them more than one time. And? Well they aren't usually worth repeating. My friends mean the world to me and I love them.

So even though the goodbyes were hard? It left me incredibly thankful for the people in my life. I have people who support me in my every adventure. I have people who know me well and love me anyway.

It left me amazed and thankful for the beautiful people I know. 

It left me comforted by the reality that even though leaving Bolivia will be hard, I have a wonderful life to come back to.

And so today, as I feel overwhelmed with all I have to do, I’ll take a step back and look at life from a bit better perspective.

I am so thankful that even though choosing to take this year off school has been an incredibly hard and stressful decision, I have friends and family who support me in it.

I am so thankful that even though I had a huge amount of money to raise and it seemed impossible, I have such generous people in my life that, wait for it... I have raised it! (AAHH!!!)

I am so thankful that, even though it’s stressful not to know when I’m leaving, it means I have a few more days at home with the people who mean most to me. The hardest goodbye is yet to come.

I am so thankful that I got to take a month out of my busy summer full of shopping and packing and fundraising to walk dirt roads and sleep under the starry sky, getting to know little campers who touched my life.

And I am so thankful that the same arms it breaks my heart to say goodbye to will be the ones to welcome me home.