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.