because im happy!

i find myself frequently smiling at little things. i realized that being here, and having a dream come true, was exactly what i needed (and some r&r). i really feel called to be a mom, and right now, im fulfilling that call to 34 nine-eleven year old boys. making the decision of which section would be mine for the year was extremely difficult.

i had great experiences in all the sections, all in different areas, so it wasn't just comparing things. it was weighing pros and cons. i even told one other volunteer who was having trouble to write 

down on paper the pros and cons of the two sections she wanted, and to look at what was more important. she said if she were to do that, the decision was very easy. thanks mom for the advice - still use it when making tough decisions ☺️ 

the kids here range in age from one and a half to seventeen years of age. i got to work in kinder (the one to five year olds), and it was so fun but i was reminded that i do not have as much patience as i wish i did. i also worked with the older girls, and they were fun to joke with, but there are 90+ women in there and, while i like a challenge, the idea of creating and maintaining solid relationships with that many girls seemed like a challenge too large for one year (dear kw peeps, i know that if your dreams dont scare you, they arent big enough. however, i didnt want to take childrens' lives and relationships into a challenge i couldnt reach). i also will be leading the edge program, which is an extra religious class/gathering for older children who want to be there. therefore, i will be seeing these older girls every week (: 

today was a special day for the años de servicios (the children of the house who graduated from the high school and in turn, give back a year of service, or two if they want to go to university). they all (75 kids) got to have the day off. that left the employees and volunteers of all sections to work. there are about 20 employees here, and 9 volunteers, so we are all exhausted. we also got to serve a dinner to them as a thank you for all their hard work whenever we need them. this did mean that i got to wake up at 5:45 and make sure the kids got up, and work all the meals, help with homework, and work until they go to sleep at 7:30 tonight. i do love doing it, and after 5 days of this last week, im quite conditioned for it - doesnt make it less tiring though (: 

i love being here and seeing all 500+ kids every day. i feel a different happiness than ive felt in a long time, and while i experience struggles here, i am overall sooo excited for my year (: 

for all who read this - what more do you want to know? ☺️

important life lessons

things ive learned in the last couple days:

- what lice looks like

- how to remove lice with my fingers

- how long it takes to remove lice with my fingers

- there is a wrong way to sweep (if youd like a demonstration, just watch me sweep normally)

- hand washing clothes is hard. like. pretty difficult. especially when little kids can do it way faster and you can feel their judgy eyes watching you horribly butcher the art that is hand washing clothes. (i actually like doing laundry, but if i ever think its annoying, ill cut off my hand because im still not handwashing) 

- i have more patience for 14 less-than-5-year olds than i thought i did

- picking a section to have for the next year is way harder than i thought it'd be

- im old because my back hurts with everything i do, and none of the kids believe me when i respond that i have no kids. the young ones all think im married and have my own kids 'en mi casa' (: sorry kids! kinda wish i did, but very glad i dont, or i wouldnt be here! 

ive already started planning my return to the states for my summer break. so far it includes (maybe in this order, maybe not?):

- buffalo wild wings

- a pedicure

and thats as far as ive gotten. i cant think much past those two (;

monday i get my first break and im so excited! one, to sleep. two, to open my 2nd envelope with messages from my loved ones back home. 

(on a walk with some goofballs)

(emily and i taking our anti-parasite medication. it was precisely as delicious as it sounds) 

(the kinder section 'flying' into the farming fields this afternoon) 

here in miacatlan!!!

(: so many emotions that ive been feeling lately. 

sunday, emily, kim, julia, and i went to the movie theater in cuernavaca. we didnt know what we were going to see, but knew we wanted to go see a movie - it only costs 40 pesos, which is less than $3. (: after looking at the list of movies that were playing, we blindly chose one with a long name, and hoped for the best. it was unbroken, directed by angelina jolie. it was fascinating. so good. it really put things into perspective for me.

if you dont know the story line, an olympic runner from the 40s got in a plane crash during ww2, and was stranded in the middle of the ocean for 47 days. he experienced so much - witnessed so much death, and nearly died himself, before being taken as a POW in japan for years. it was absolutely emotional, and angelina did a wonderful job. i highly recommend everyone go see it - its worth the high US price. promise (:

i figued that if louis zamperini could survive all that and still be positive day after day - never giving up, i can definitely survive ANYTHING. and i also have no reason to complain about anything. i didnt almost get eaten by a shark today, i didnt get sunburnt by having exposed skin on a raft in the middle of the ocean for 16+ hours, and i have more than enough safe water to drink. 

last night, i got a little emotional. i was so unsure of what id be doing today when starting our rotations, and ive been missing home. (i really didnt think thatd happen so quickly since ive been wanting to come back here for soooo long!) but im missing american food, and understanding whats going on in a conversation. i have enough spanish to get by, but not for long. already made 80 notecards of verbs with emily today - goal is 500 by the end of the week (: 

i knew coming into this that it would be a job, a very fun one, but it wouldnt be easy. i feel like i have higher emotions due to so many uncertainties right now. my spanish needs improvement. i havent done laundry in almost 2 weeks. i dont think i like beans anymore - im doomed. we are doing rotations of sections right now to decide which section of kids we will take care of for the year. 

i had the section of 9-11 year old boys today, and it was so fun. i got to their section at 5:55 to be there for the (what i thought was a) 6am wakeup, but when i walked up, i could hear so much commotion from the boys in the shower. i was in awe of how much energy they had at 6 am, but they go to bed at like 7:30-8, so i understand. wish i could go to bed that early ):  

getting them dressed and ready for school was so intriguing to watch. i knew i liked to dawdle when getting dressed, but these boys take it to a new level. some were doing some of their chores at the same time (washing their floor), but it still managed to take nearly an hour and a half to get ~35 boys showered, dressed, finished with chores, and out the door for breakfast. i guess i cant be too surprised - just a change from the very quick lifestyle im used to. 

while they were in school, we went to our first junta, or staff meeting. i was so excited because i got to finally don the nph polo and be a part of the team ive wanted to be with for years. it went a little long, i was a little lost since everyone was speaking in pretty quick spanish. and the room was cold, so paired with my early morning wakeup call, staying awake was a bit of a challenge.

(standing in the patio in my polo)

(dont know why, just love this photo. better idea of my polo logo) 

after lunch with my section again, we just hung out in the section room. i was kind of confused, like, do we just sit here? one of the ladies who also works in the section said 'yup! just hang out and play with them until their next activity'. yet again, a challenge im willing to accept, i just know its going to take a while to get used to it. i even got my new polo full of hair gel. thats what i get for working with little mexican boys, who could bounce stuff off their gelled hair. 

(stealing my phone and taking selfies)

after the kids went to bed, i was walking back to volunteer housing, and saw the library was open (womanned by another volunteer), so i stopped in to grab some easy reads in spanish (i got a magic treehouse book!!! so pumped!!) as i was in there, i saw a kid ive known for a few years who is the godson of one of my good friends. he pulled out a book in english and asked me to read it to him. 

as i was sitting there reading it, and kind of feeling foolish because i was getting into reading and mildly acting things out, i got a little sad. this boy is probably 13 years old, and i dont know how often he'd been read to like this. like he just picked a book and read it to him. if i can be that same light to more kids this year, ill feel like ive done something. the kids may not remember, but i know i wont forget sitting with kids in my lap reading books. 

im so constantly reminded how simple life is here. i mean, ive known it, but to just stop and read a book, or go on a walk, hit around a volleyball? priceless and irreplaceable. one of my friends reminded me that everytime he saw me in the states, i was glued to my phone and the internet. guilty. my facebook and pinterest are individually proof enough, and collectively, embarrassingly high (i should be famous for my pinterest..)

well, i should hit the hay now. almost 11 and i get to be up before 6 again tomorrow (: thanks for reading, and thanks for the constant prayers and support! i am missing everyone from home, so please send me a photo of whats going on in your life! (: anna.hanson26@gmail.com

buenas noches a todos! 

(the very beginning of my wall - still in progress. thanks to everyone for the kind words - theyre my inspiration right now!)

we dont need water...

without internet for a few days, and in the states, its the end of the world. here? i put the phone and ipad down and do other things. kind of a weird feeling but very liberating and basic. 

we finished language school on friday, so we didnt have anything to do after! no tarea, no studying (i continue to study, but because i want to, not because i have to). so what did i do? anyone who knows me would probably think: anna in mexico in january. probably needs some sun! so i put on my swimsuit and laid out for a few hours (: sooo wonderful. 

our water also just stopped working a little before i laid out, but didnt entirely think about how i wouldnt be able to shower after laying out. emily and haley had gone to figure out who could fix it and it was supposed to be done working with time for me to shower before going to salsa dance classes at 730. it wasnt, so i called the volunteers who live across the street, asking if we could use their shower really quickly. they, of course, said yes. such angels they are (: 

i thought to myself 'ill just put a t over my swimsuit, put my shorts that i sleep in on (which arent super short by any means, but too short to be appropriate in mexico) because its a friday afternoon, im just going across the street' and as i open the door from the street to their housing courtyard area, i make eye contact with a cook, see multiple people setting up for a party that was gonna be held soon. reeeeal cool. so i panic and just run into the volunteer housing. of course there are a lot of people there, who see me in my shorts and probably thought one of the following: a) stupid american, bringing your short shorts here b) ouch! my eyes! your legs are sooo white and blinding! 

when we returned from dancing that night, we learned we still didnt have water and it probably wouldnt be working for the whole weekend. major buzzkill. it later was fixed, then stopped working on sunday morning after emily and i had showered before church, but then kim came out saying there was no water at all! so she and caroline trekked over to casa nolan (where the cuernavaca volunteers live) with less than an hour to shower and get to mass. such a roller coaster of emotions with our water. but it now works, we can flush our toilet, we can wash our hands and dishes, we can shower ourselves.

how thankful i am for, and how much i miss, just being able to turn on a sink, have water, and be able to brush my teeth and not have to think about it. this weekend i was challenged to think about how to complete very basic tasks in a different way. good for my brain. 

saturday was another chill and relaxing day (: laid out until a little before lunch. got to shower ☺️ then after lunch, a few of us went to walmart (boo - but if its all they have down here, i guesssss ill go there), bought some snacks, laundry baskets for our dirty clothes when we move to miaca (: the best part of the experience was trying to fit on the bus to go home. the baskets didnt fit well (: yet again, looked like the silly americans. meh. no me importa (i dont care). 

later that night i got to meet Father Larry from kansas city who was visiting for a few days. such a fun man, and it was nice to speak english again (: 

sunday was one of my favorite days here so far. we woke up and went to breakfast, mass, then when we came out, i expected to see little treats like they have every week (yogurt, fruit, juice, etc.), but there was nothing ): i was kind of bummed, then saw long tables set up near a few grills and got SO excited! hamburgers! since the kids are starting their 2nd semester tomorrow, they got to hang out, play volleyball, and just have a fiesta before they have to get back to school and studying. i love watching them genuinely enjoy themselves and each other's company. i got to sit and relax, talk to a few kids (: goof around. exactly like how i want my sundays to be when i grow up. (age is just a number) 

(pepe y yo!)

(i dont know what to do with my hands)

(volleyball)

(how many bottles of coke and bags of cheetos does it take to feed 175 people?) 

(my godson grilling!!)

(the kids waiting for food) 

and we got to watch the superbowl yesterday! i was very excited to get a slice of home! we ordered a pizza, had some beer, and watched football. good ol' fashioned american, i mean mexican? sunday! (: 

(definitely not a buffalo wild wings, but it did have the game, food/drink, and good company) 

(one power strip plugged into another. i have a bad feeling about this...) 

tomorrow we move into miacatlan! so excited to finally get started!! i wont be as easily accessible as i have been these last two weeks, but i should still get internet at night (: we will be doing rotations and going through the sections who need volunteers for the week, so i anticipate being exhausted (: at least then i feel like i did something that day (: 

by doing what you love, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others

today was, surprisingly, the first day i got sick from the bus ride to school. i have no idea why today was any different than all the other days we've been tousled around for a half hour as we fly down the streets (amost literally flying - we've gotten some air at times...). 

school was alright. its frustrating at times, since we're trying to learn/review the whole spanish language in two weeks. on top of that, what makes sense to me doesn't always make sense to the rest of the class, and vice versa. it gets a bit draining at times, but at the same time i'm very thankful to have a school to help teach me these things, and i'm not just let loose in mexico to figure it out the hard way (i'd cry). 

today after class, a few of us stopped by the home in miacatlán (which is where 6/7 of us will be this year). it was absolutely wonderful to see a bunch of the other kids i've bonded with that i haven't seen this last week and a half. 

the energy in this home is infectious. i cant wait to spend my year there. the kids are by far the most patient i've ever met. when's the last time someone didn't understand what you were saying, and they tried for 10 minutes to figure it out and help you? never? yeah, me neither before here. i'd usually give up - heck, i even give up now sometimes! 

they're the most loving children ever. they've been dealt some of the worst hands i could imagine. some have been sexually abused, some have witnessed one parent murder the other one in front of their eyes, some just have mental or physical disabilities and their families don't want to or can't take care of them for various reasons. some have families outside the house, and some don't, but all have a new family here at nuestros pequeños hermanos. 

spend your life doing strange things with weird people.

i was going through my phone on the bus this morning. i take a lot of photos when im in the moment, and delete the bad ones later. i came across a lot of good photos that i havent posted yet, so i figured id just post them (:

(at the airport - mexico, here i come!)

(our tacos the first day - i was late back to class, but it was so worth it. they were delicious!)

(one of the corners in the centro. i just love this pic for some reason) 

(2 volunteers enjoying a glass of vino - konstantin y amanda) 

(people ask to take pictures with darrell all the time. you mean its not normal to see a 6'6 guy walking around mexico??) 

(stones in the streets of tepotzlán, where we climbed the mountain) 

(fun art made out of seeds in tepotzlán) 

(what most of our climb looked like in tepotzlán)

(the end is in sight!!!!)

(the amazing view from where we were) 

(because itd be weird if we looked good after hiking for an hour) 

(part of the cathedral, near the entrance. very beautiful place) 

(beautiful trees in their gardens) 

(beautiful buildings also) 

(the delicious eggs we made yesterday. guess i can cook) 

(my very quick drawing of poor pepito. he looks perfect to me! his smile looks familiar...)

(our neighbors. literally the cutest. especially when mojo protects the puppy)

(the minnesota mug that the school has! small world!) 

(one of todays treasures was a little toy car! other tesoros (treasures) included stickers and toothpaste!!) 

okay so this isnt a picture from my trip, however, my friend and fellow volunteer reminds me so much of my sister, and its caused me to miss her so much lately! i am so proud of her, and so excited that we're both broadening our horizons and stepping outside our comfort zones in countries that speak different languages. i do but dont love that we're half a world apart, but so thankful for current technology that allows us to stay connected (: only 11 months until i get to see her again in person! 

your life is a result of the choices you make

yesterday, emily, kim and i went to get vegetables to add to our 3 dozen eggs that the house gave us when we moved in. we bought a bunch of vegetables for 41 pesos, which equates to $2.81. amazing. this morning we made a delicious breakfast, and off to school we went (: 

our homework for the weekend was to come up with steps for a treasure hunt around the school. i hid the new bottle of bright pink nail polish i recently purchased for like a dollar (i feel a new collection of nail polish coming on??), and my clues included the pool, jumping, and giving compliments to receive the 'tesoro' (treasure). i later found out that when id run past the class next to me, they'd been talking about ghosts, and they thought i had just seen one haha

in the next class, we read a mini comic book, and one of our classmates had a lot of difficulty reading the name Régulo. we all were crying we were laughing so hard - teacher included. mustve been something in the coffee (because we cant drink the water). 

i was so excited to get my homework done today becuase i heard my godson, who has been in el salvador since i got here, was coming home at 5pm tonight. i did my homework on the bus so i could spend all night talking to him and catching up (: as we were walking back from lunch around 3, a van pulled in and out got my ahijado (godson). i ran up to him and hugged him, and we both said how much we missed each other. last year, when we visited cuernava, he had been gone from the home for the few hours that we were there ): i was SO sad and upset to have missed him!

i got to talk with him more after dinner. he told me about his recent trip to el salvador for NPH - all the cool things he learned, great people he met, etc. i cant wait to sit and talk with him more this week!!

(mi ahijado y yo) 

our neighbors got a puppy so we've been playing with allll the dogs lately. one of our neighbors have Polo and were dogsitting Pato. the others have Mojo and no-name yet. we call him abuelito - which means little grandpa (:  

(abuelito y mojo)