Procrastinating...

Hey Yall. I know it has been a while but it has been super busy here. On average we have to write about 5 papers a week on readings and I am not talking short one papers here... just a 4-5 page thesis paper is all... It's a little overwhelming however when we get down to Nogales in March it will be more out in the community rather than book work so thats good. I can't believe we go down in 2 weeks! Whoa! Where did the time go?

On that note let me update you... the Saturday after Valentines we went to go pick up trash in the desert where migrants have left clothes, trash, toothbrushes, bottles, water, backpacks, make-up and so much more. It was really overwhelming at how much stuff was left in these deserts... It's just crazy... As we were there, a group of 40 migrants got picked up by border patrol. They were all lined up and were getting orders in english when the border patrol is suppose to be bilingual... it was such a demeaning thing to do. But I guess that is their job... to make people not want to come into this country, that is of course why they are building another cement wall 5 feet behind the existing one on the US side. It's rediculous.

So, after that it was back to the grind of reading and getting papers done on time and be able to at least try to hold a discussion in class on what our paper topic was for the day... oh what fun... this past weekend we did go out and blow off some steam. It seems, however, that even though this is a college town and we are but blocks from the U of A, anyone under 21 can't do anything but go bowling. Oh joy. We found this out the hard way. We all got ready to go out dancing and come to find out all the clubs are 21+... what? why? Whatever... so we just went down to the U and walked around, then came back and watched a movie. It was a good night overall. Saturday was a wonderful day though... it was the day of crashing parties. We seriously found a way to get invited to 2 parties. It was awesome. Haley came back and told us there was this BBQ that we should try to get invited to and so we went walking down the street and did get an invite but said we might stop in on our way back... now we all know that we were going no where so we just walked down to 4th Ave and turned around and sure enough we got another invite... holler. So, we went in, had a beer and hung out with some cool peeps for about a half hour to an hour. It was a good time. After dinner we heard about this "bangin' party" and ended up going. We did get invited through a friend of a friend so when we arrived it was like hey! we were invited i swear. It ended up being a really fun time and we hung out with a lot of the staff here at Borderlinks. It was really funny and awkward at first but as the night wore on it went away. I met some really cool people here in Tucson and have some connections with more things going on here. They have this game they play which is to climb the wall... which is the side of their house, a brick wall, from one end of the porch to the next. It looks and sounds crazy but it is awesome. I really want to get into rock climbing because of it.. It was totally just you and the wall I got halfway to the corner and kept falling off... I would get closer and closer each time to it but then my spiderman abilities would stop short. We all needed that night. It was a good time.
So, now its back to the grind until this weekend when we just let go b/c we are all so tired of reading... I need to go read some espanol so.. Until next time.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Tonight I held a social for the Borderlinks crew... Anne and I made BINGO cards, had prizes (and everyone won b/c thats the best way to play VALENTINE'S BINGO), put up a bannor, made cupcakes with homemade PINK frosting, and had a good time. I love this day and I really don't know why but I find that even though it is a corprate love day, I like to share my love around. I don't expect anything in return other than a thank you. Everyone enjoyed the cupcakes so I'm happy. Today I was a little grumpy/stresses/overwhelmed but then I took a walk to the library and made my cupcakes and everything was better... oh i had a couple bowls of ice cream too... but all in all it was a wonderful day full of love and laughter. I got the best Valentine's from everyone and they are just so cute. I love kids Valentine's cards... one just tells it like it is... Its a SNOOPY Valentine and on the outside you help woodstock fly home in a little game and when you open it up you see SNOOPY and Woodstock in Woodstocks home (that you just helped him find) looking at eachother and smiling. On the other side is a big heart that says "Friends are wHat tuRn ValeNtine'S Days into HAPPY ValentiNe's Days!" How true that is. That is why I love this day so much. I have the best friends. Thank you. Thank you for blessing my life and being my friend. Also, my sister sent one out via email that made my night. She's such a nerd but I love her for it. And here it is for ya'll to enjoy it too....
Happy Valentine's Day friends! Hope you had a good day. Until next time....

dazed and confused

Tonight I went to this presentation on Nicarauga from these folks that were with Witness for Peace in the 1980s and were able to take pictures and get testimony's from the locals that were living through the warfare and everything. It really paralleled with what we are learning here on the Border. Some things that stuck out to me tonight was this girl that had her arm blown off by a hand granade said something along the lines of: I wish when you grew up you didn't learn your country was perfect. And it's true... I mean, US History makes us look so good in everything. And maybe it seemed good at the time... but look at what we do... most countries hate us and want to take us down. We can't be the bully much longer. Another thing was that the people of Nicarauga didn't blame the contraband for their actions b/c they understood they were puppets for the US but they do blame the people. The pictures were amazing....some were straight out of a postcard it seemed... and the pictures of the people... you could tell they had a story and were living such hell. Babies with their limbs amputated because of an attack on their house. It was just so sad. I can't even imagine. Some of the pictures were of the kids drawing what happened to them and it's just so crazy. There was this one that had the house... her brothers were holding the doors shut and the contraband were throwing granades in the windows and shooting through the house while the girl, her sister (like 9 months), and her dad were all on the floor shot. Her dad and sister died soon after and she had to go to an orphanage. I just don't understand how the US can be backing stuff like this. It makes me so conflicted. One part of me is proud to be an American and greatful for all of the things that I have but on the other side, I don't want to say that I am American in fear of what may happen to me and I wish that I could move out of the country and become a citizen of somewhere else. But then again... how easy is it for us, US citizens to migrate to where ever we want whenever we want, while for others it is such a life altering and life long task. That goes under the list of things I'm greatful for. It's so easy crossing the border going out of the country but coming back into we have such closed doors. Such a double standard. Oh well... it's not going to be solved over night... oh that was another thing... one of the last things that was said was by a kid who, 15 years after the peace agreement, had blown off his hands and some of his arms and an eye b/c of a type of granade. He said something along the lines of: war cannot be stopped over night like it starts... he said more but i can't remember it all... I will get back to that... but these kids who are younger than me are making these statements that educated adults make... but then again, they are educated adults, they see what we read about....

Well, I need to get to bed.... I HAVE to read a 315pg book and write a paper on it by friday... plus all the other homework I have so I need my rest.... Much Love! Until next time...

first day of classes...eve...

Tomorrow we start our classes... never have I been excited to what the semester holds for me... okay let me rephrase that... never in the past few years have I been excited. This week down in Mexico opened my eyes to a lot of things that I just want to learn more about. I want to learn why this happened and why it has become what it is and how I, a 20 year old, can help. Haley has a shirt that says "Young People Have Power" and I am now starting to believe that. So many people have told us that they are so glad to have us studying this issue and that it is us, our generation that can make change. So here I sit on the most comfortable couch here at the Casa anxiously awaiting my first liberation theology class that starts tomorrow. My semester offically begins... here I go to never be the same and to never look back from what I am learning...
Until next time amigos....

muy consada....

Here I sit in our living room with Tori, Jenni, Tina and some peeps from another delgation after one of the most exhausting weeks ever in my life. If any of you wondered if I droped off the side earth, I didn't. We went on our first site trip to Nogales, Altar, Sasabe, Sonora: Mexico. Let me just say that I had no idea what I was getting myself into...but I am sooo glad that I came. I am learning so much that I was so naive to. Being in Mexico and talking with families that are directly affected with migration and how they are just normal people with families and homes just trying to make a better life for themselves. What I have learned from these amazing people is that they don't want to come but it is a necessity to come to work and be exploited for who they are. They go through shit to come here...Coyotes take advantage of them with $$, assulting them, and beating them. It is sooo crazy. I just can't even explain it...
On this trip I have learned so much about different non-profits that I want to look more into... like Witness for Peace, No More Deaths, and the Jesuit Volunteer Core. I don't know what I really want to do with my life anymore but I know that I just want to help break the image of migrants as dirty and horrible. I have an oppertunity to go to India after I graduate and now it isn't a thought of not going. I just want to get out there and learn as much as I can to help people out. I don't care about money anymore, I just want to work non-profit or volunteer as much as I can. God will provide for me as long as my heart is in the right place.
I 'm going to leave you with two thoughts that were written on the border wall... BORDERS ARE SCARS ON THE EARTH and WALLS ARE BRIDGES TURNED ON THEIR SIDE.
Until next time amigos.

My trip over...

My trip over here was pretty entertaining I have to say... If I was to watch that day over again it would probablly crack me up but durring that day with my emotions high it was just one thing after another... I finally got time to reflect on my flight and here it is...
So here I am about 24,000 miles in the sky in seat 20D with my juice and snackbox averaging about 600+ calories and only a few hours into my new adventure. As a friend once told me "your life is never boring" and how true that is. Let's start at the begining shall we?
I was told that my dad would be picking me up around 12:30pm... he called at 12:20 letting me know that he had just left. Okay, calm down it will be okay, you will get to the airport in time, I told myself. (And we did, but I always get stressed about that and I was already a little tense.) I did not get my bording pass at home on the internet so we have a little of a mad dash to the airport so I can get all of that squared away. We get there and get my 2 (count them TWO) bags checked and I am on my way to the security check point with my book and my purse. "Crap! My book!" I say as I walk quickly toward the xray machine for baggage only to see my backpack slind on down to the plane. Well, hell. As I said before, my emotions are high and this was the straw that broke the camels back. (Now, I had to read this book before I arrived yesterday and I was only on page 20... so I read a lot this weekend) The flood gates opened, there I was walking to the security check point bawling and dad trying to calm me down. Everything that I had been feeling poured out into a 10 minute breakdown. Thankfully, dad did the right thing and just hugged me.
As I gain my composure and get into the line for security (which had moved while I was crying, so instead of being out of the way I was totally IN the way). I get through with no problems, find my gate and start to board the plane in Section C, except I had to go BACK to security. WHAT? WHY? It was all I could do to not start crying again. So it turns out that I had the "terrorist mark" of the SSSS on the bottom of my ticket and they do that to ALL one ways... (I've learned this from prevous encounters). So becasue I might be a terrorist, I had to get the pat down... awesome. I had to take my shoes off again, put my purse through the xray again, walk through again, then they tell me to go in and get my pat down - so I go in, oh ma'am you have to wait for someone- so I go out, oh ma'am someone is there now so you can go back in- so I go back in. They do indeed find out that I am not in fact a terrorist and have nothing on me- but I have to say I do look a bit suspicous.
Anyway, now that I held up the plane I try to find a seat. It's a full flight so I'm walking towards the back. I find a seat and my converstation goes like this: "Is this seat taken?" "No, would you like it?" " May I?" " Could you sit up there instead? I'll buy you a drink for your inconvience." "Don't Bother." What a Jerk! If I was in my right mind I would have just sat there and pissed him off but I really didn't want to deal with that. So, I went to a different seat. This conversation went like this: "Excuse me, is anyone sitting there?" "No, it's all yours- here let me slide over so you can just sit in this seat." "Thanks." Much better... I'm glad I didn't sit in the first one!
Now, here I sit in 20D with no book, 600+ calorie snack pack and 6 hours to go... and this is only the begining...

So, there you have it... my adventure begins... Until next time friends.

...a bref overview...

So... just a little/ a lottle about where I am...
I am currently in Tucson, AZ where I will be for a total of about 7 weeks taking classes and getting oriented with everything and getting prepared for our trip to the border, the last 2 weeks will be wrapping up the semester. We have 2 one week trips where we go and learn more about a different border town and just see more of what we are learning. The rest of the semester about 8 weeks, we will be in Nogalas, Sonora, Mexico; Where we will be living in homestays and continuing our classes in a less structural way. We are what they call an experiental program so it is more geared toward our experiences rather than lectures and the "conventional learning". So it shall be interesting to stay tuned.
My living quarters... First let me say that i can get used to 70 degree weather in "winter". The sun is always shining and if there is a cloud in the sky they consider that weather.
Okay, where I am living... It is a house about a mile away from the U of AZ and when we walked around it seems like a cool town. We have a kitchen, bathrooms, a classroom in the basement, and dorms with a living area. Our dorms consist of cubicals with beds, dressers and shelves for 2-3 people. There are 8 females on this trip and only one male. Coming from a women's college, I'm used to the women. The cubicals can't be larger than 6 feet wide by 10 feet long maybe. They are pritty small and my room has a bunk with a twin. Cozy quarters that's for sure. When I will go back to my what I thought was a tiny room I will be living in luxury. These cubicals have no "roof" or top on them so you can hear EVERYTHING that is going on... we do have screens that are arched over the top bunks so that no one can peer in over the top... why anyone would who knows but there are a lot of "delegations" that come through that are just for a week or more and they range in age from HS to College... so who knows...
Enough about that for now... there will be plenty more... I actually arrived to Tucson on Friday and stayed with my cousin Norita and her husband Bill for the weekend. They have an awesome house with lots of citrus trees.. there was a grapefruit tree, orange tree, lemon tree, a lemon orange tree and a couple more... it's pritty cool.. they have a side room that is a B&B too. In the 3 days that I was there, 2 different costomers where in and out of there and in between we painted and made it look different. That was fun. Also, while I would take some walks around the neighborhood with Tio Mike and Chica his dog, we heard some havalinas... which are wild pigs... i wanted to see one but not up close... I still have time to see some... AND I saw a cactus that was chomped at by a guela monster... SO COOL! I really want to see one of those! That's about all I did that weekend... it was nice to relax and get used to the time change.

First day!

So...today is the first day of Borderlinks... it's a lot of orientation and getting to know people. Everyone seems cool... not to many adventures yet... but I'm sure we will find some... we did go walking around town some... got some cat calls... found the libary... big party girl. Holler. Off to bed it is for me... early wake up. oof. Until next time friends....