Don't Cry for Me Colombia

It was a sad day leaving Colombia and I was pushing my time to the maximum.

Seconds and minutes were passing and I was shopping or talking to someone or taking my sweet time at breakfast.  I said bye to all the staff as my usual routine. The front desk was the most difficult to leave and the breakfast staff-just adored them. The taxi had come on time as I was prepared to miss my flight. If I did, would it be so bad?  I guess staying at a fantastic hotel helps anyone's interpretation of a city, but this city is spectacular: great shopping, great nightlife , fun and good looking people, great energy, great dancing, excellent food. It's a country that I knew I would love in a continent that ranks in my heart as one of the best. It's a place to visit again and again and enjoy yourself and immerse in the culture.




So happy to make this trip for my 30th birthday.

Eating sushi, Peruvian food, and typical food for breakfast-I did not get a chance to eat at the pricey Mondongo's. It's basically a pricier version of local food you can have half price. The waiters I made friends with were waiting for me, but I just ran out of time. Literally I was going around the hotel saying bye to all the staff- making my usual runs. Going around so fast that I misplaced my Colombia gold leaf necklace I bought in the gift shop- quite expensive. I left on a positive note and was thankful for spending my 30th birthday in Medellin. 

God bless Medellin, Colombia! Te amo!!!

 

God bless Medellin, Colombia! Te amo!!!

 

Girls Girls Girls

When someone speaks about a Colombian woman, their whole face lights up.  They have a certain expression that comes and it involves the word, "Wow." People are mesmerized by their beauty-the curves, the hair, the great skin, and the flawless figures. There is Sophia Vergara, which is the Colombian masterpiece that men swoon over. These girls have such sex appeal, but also a natural beauty.  People often say "Wow these girls must be something special."


With my trip to Medellin, I can say with great confidence that, "Ohhh yes these women have something special." While I have always appreciated beautiful women and complimented them, there is plenty of beautiful to appreciate in Medellin. In this city especially, the women are suppose to be the most beautiful.  Again, when I ask the local women, they don't focus on how "beautiful" they are rather they just are.  They take the time with the makeup, the hair, the shoes, the facials, the tight pants, short skirts, and a colorful wardrobe.  These women definitely have something to be proud about with some serious curves in all the right places. I have never seen a woman fill out jeans like they do. They all have hair down to their butt that is perfectly shiny and natural color. Their fashion seems to come effortlessly with great style from belts to shoes to jewelry to dresses full of color.  It's a little bit of envy, but a whole lot of recognition for what is fact. 


Also, it seems like these girls are smart, confident, strong, And beautiful. This is quite a package and it's evident why men go crazy over these women.  This includes my ex-boyfriend who enjoyed getting me jealous talking about this beautiful Colombian girl-that's a whole other story.  These women are true beauty at their finest and I appreciate this natural beauty, especially when America is filled with superficial beauty. They try to get their hair shiny using a million products, they try to have there butt bigger with pads and implants, bigger breasts, smaller waist with diet products, botox galore, and new clothes to boost confidence and insecurities.  While Colombia girls may also engage in this behavior, most of them don't take the same measure. I see them at 15, 18, 25, 30, 40, and 50. The beauty is genetic and continues as they age. They don't need to try as hard and their natural beauty is tremendously higher.

  God bless these beautiful, nice women!

Is this Heaven?

It turned out the priest wanted to switch seats so I agreed to sit by the window and take in the beauty. My favorite part of the bus is the window and staring out into sky, clouds, mountains, stars, trees, and people engaging in their daily work. Sitting on the bus with my head laying on top of the perfectly cleaned window, I stop for moments and just stare. I say in my head, "Wow this is so beautiful" like ten times over.


The real Costa Rica outside of San Jose is absolutely stunning. It's just God's beauty that is so present in overwhelming ways. The villages, the varying shades of green, the people smiling as the bus passes, the birds, and the way the sun shines on the people. I don't feel my description does any justice to how special it actually is, but I can say it's similar to the feeling of Kerala, India. Kerala is called "God's own Country." The nature is just exploding with God saying, "Don't worry I'm here watching over you."


If Heaven is something like Costa Rica or Kerala, India, I would be 100 percent satisfied. The rich nature and beautiful people would be the perfect fit for me. Heaven is a place where you spend quality time with God and his natural creations. It could be this environment with all those people you are suppose to meet in heaven....


Heaven Is Real. What do you imagine it to be?

God Bless this Family

Riding along I saw this beautiful family in the village. They were just standing around looking like they needed something to do and they invited me to sit with them. All the kids were so kind introducing themselves. One by one they said their hello's and they were so happy to see a new face. As they kept coming, I was counting and counting and counting-there ended up being 9. It's common for Nicaraguan's to have more than 6 children in their family therefore this was not a surprise.

What was a sad surprise was there living conditions living in a small barn with some kind of rectangular cabin on the opposite(cabin is not the correct term, but I do not like continuously using the word shack due to labeling/ discrimination).  The house itself had a wooden fence up like a horse stable and there was a filthy bench outside.

 

Like an off duty social worker, I was just observing my surroundings. Not at any point did I comment on their lack of space or how they get by there, that was not the point of my visit. My visit was to get to know them and be a friendly kind face.

 

Of course, I did praise the mother for her difficult job raising the children without any support or assistance. I shared with her the many mothers I have worked with who had this same problem. Her resilience and strength of self shine through as she was sweeping and then feeding the hens. 

The neighbor from across and her older daughter to see what all the commotion was about. Her older daughter brought over her sumo size baby. I was looking at him trying to figure out if I ever saw a 6 month old baby that big.  As for the 14 year old neighbor, he was just fascinated with me and he asked me all about USA and what it's like. These people just break my heart because they are so wonderful, so curious, and most won't get the chance to travel outside of their country or even their village.  It's not truly being "stuck" when you are in such a beautiful area, city, and country, but they still deserve the right to explore. An American has that opportunity with just money and an American passport-not fair at all. 

I asked him why didn't you smile when you were so happy talking to me. 
 

"I want to look cool for America."
Mission accomplished my friend.... 

When I spoke with the little girls, they were interested in Dora and Disney characters.  The middle age boy talked about how his neighbor has an xbox that he gets to use sometimes. We played some tag for a bit and then I had to stop with the heat and carrying around no water-did I mention how smart I am?

When I'm out on the streets, I like to have something to give them and something that makes the most financial and kid sense is candy. It's something nice to give to kids who are working with their families-form of praise.  I was in luck because all I had were some candies to share with them.  It was something small and they were so thankful.  And when something small comes to American kids, they say "I don't like this flavor can I have a new one?" Not with these children-they are thankful for what they get and they are far from spoiled.
 

It was time for me to depart and continue my bike stops and see the rest of Granada, which was fantastic with the orange, green, and yellow houses. I wish an orange, green, or yellow house could be given to this family.  I know God will take care of them....he always does and always will because they are his people who have truly good hearts and the secret to a good life...  

 

Masaya Volcano

The Masaya Volcano is a fantastic sight that must be seen by every tourist. Sometimes I am disappointed with the quality of what I see or the experience, but this was definitely not the case. 

When I arrived and saw this active volcano, this huge whole in the ground surrounded by all green hills and cliffs, my mouth was wide open. I just could not get over the authenticity and the depth of it. It was just like something you would see in a movie.  I told my taxi drive I was going to go for a walk around(more like a hike). Eagerly, I walked/ran to the other side of the volcano where there was a huge ledge. I just stood there on the rock looking down, imagining lava oozing out of it.  It's amazing when you are sitting on an active volcano because you feel the heat. I could feel it each time my shoe hit the ground and it just made everything more exhilarating and unfearful.

Of course, there was no one that traveled over to this side, which is why I wanted to come over. The peace I enjoy most lied in this area. Under me feet, my shoes were warming up and every few bumps I would feel My spiritual exploration was present as I just sat near the edge of it taking in the beauty. My arms were out, my heart was open, and I thanked God for his natural creations. Even if someone is not religious, there is still a spiritual opportunity. It just involves mindfulness, being present, and taking in the surroundings peacefully. 

After this quite time, I decided to take a run uphill to the top area, which lead to another trail.  There was a family, which was present there with two adorable little boys. They were from Seattle nad they were so friendly and we talked a bit about our travels while staring into Masaya.  On the top, there is a small stable of horses where I chatted up the few guys that were there. They said that business is slow so they could take me for a ride(something to sacrifice because I have a driver waiting-similar to the 5 minutes left on the tour.  Sadly, I had to decline because if the driver saw me on a horse he might just leave without me-ha! 

As I walked back I saw everyone looking at the side. My driver shouts for me to come. I ask him, "What are we looking at? 

"The moon is red."

This was some kind of lunar eclipse where you the moon was bright red. This picture does not do justice to this beautiful experience. 

Mr. Shoe Shine

In front of the Gran white cathedral, I sat and watched this man shining shoes.  He persistently worked shining away and he appeared so determined yet so tired and hungry. He did not have teeth, but he smiled through his eyes. This man truly touched me and I can’t say that about just anyone in this park. He was special and with this kind character I wanted to fill his stomach. When I touched his arm and patted his back, he felt like bones. It was clear he just worked, walked back to the village, and ate ver little. 

 When I came once, he was happy. When I came twice, he was surprised. When I came the next day, we sat down and talked. He shared with me that he lives in a village far away in one of the mountains. I told him where I was from and he looked so happy. It was difficult to understand him, but sometimes the spirit speaks louder than words.

I just felt addicted to his spirit and this interaction specifically was confirmation-I’m in the right place doing the right thing.

Unfortunately, this common job had competition as a few other people were also shining shoes. 

 

This man had these bright, beautiful eyes just staring at me. He was part of God’s kingdom and he would be going to heaven one day.  

 

When it comes to food and sharing, I am definitely not an Angel. As mentioned before I have grown with exposure to cultures, suffering, and with God’s spirit driving me to fill stomachs. In Nicaragua, it’s where my changes were eye opening.  I did not want or need to receive some kind of credit for doing this, but I just had to do it. I had to fill these stomachs to the best of my ability.

This did not just include buying food and giving it away. It included giving away my own food. I would purchase things and rather than eat them I would just hand them off. It was completely strange for me and something only one spirit driving this home.

This happened throughout Nicaragua until I questioned eating myself. How much do I actually need to eat? The meals I don’t eat can’t I just give them away. It was selfless behavior that was happening and I was thankful for the growth. That selfish component with my food and eating everything for me-it diminished. 

It was an eye opening experience into a whole new way to give. Rather than just thinking about what I was eating, I was much more conscious of filling the stomach.

Banana Republic Guesthouse

                                       

                                                                   VIEW

                                       

                                               BALCONY TO DRINK CAFE

                                         

                                                                     SUNSET 

                          

                                     

                                                                 BREAKFAST 

Angry Loser Boards Boat

During the World Cup half-time, I must have went in and out of 5 or 6 places checking the score and making sure I did not miss anything. I ended up by the boats checking the time of departure because one night in Placencia would royally mess up my schedule.  Everything is planned out between the boat times and bus times and missing those times can be a unnecessary headache. I must reiterate that this route from Belmopan(Northern Belize) to Honduras to Roatan Island(Caribbean) is a 3-4 day journey with overland buses, ferries, and boats because I chose to not take any planes within Central America.  Surprisingly, I have no complaints because the adventure and excitement happens traveling overland.  

They were all laughing when they saw me walk into the boat arena. My head was down and I was in complete disappointment.

I walked into their office with the guys sipping on a beer and listening to the radio. 

All dramatic, "How could this happen? I don't understand." 

"What kind of justice is this for South America. Brazil couldn't win it, Colombia couldn't win it-at least give the win to Argentina."

It was intentionally done being over dramatic-that's what makes things the most fun. 

They say, "Don't worry maybe next time."

Pris, "No, what about this time?

They say, "Germany is a solid team and they won it fair."

Pris, "Yeah, yeah that's true."

I think deep down inside I was more disappointed about not moving to Argentina and trying to figure out what was next.

Nah, I really, wanted Argentina to win it because they are just amazing. 

Still pouting like a 10 year old girl, they were still laughing and entertained by my disappointment.  It turned out I was early for the boat and I was totally fine with that.  Mr. Big Belizian teddy bear(looks Spanish and something else) chimed in with our conversation.  He was quiet the whole time just standing there, but he warmed up a bit with me. 

 It's really a mystery because you can never assume someones background rather it's just best to ask.  This man had a whole bunch of money in his hand and not one customer in front of him.  Using my friendly, humorous ways, I joked with him that he had enough money to go to the Caribbean. He replied, "If you plan on coming with me, let's go." Oh I love friendly, teddy bears-they always add a dose of sunshine into my trip. 

                  

After they cheered me up a bit, I was ready to continue the longest journey ever and hopped on the speed boat.  Usually, people sit in the middle seats to avoid the bumps, but I sit right in the front to jump the waves.

 This speed boat was worth the $10 and it was worth the wait.  It was a "Blessed Boat" charging through the water with the waives lightly splashing the sun was peaking through the clouds staring right down at me. In your vision, all you can see is nature while your speeding through tilted slightly into the sky. There is sun and there is light and there are the shades of gray. 

                

It's having those moments with yourself and up above that make traveling alone 100 percent worth it. 

The Mayans are Back

The lovely Francis had recommended the Mayan Cultural to a couple departing from Monkey Bay.  While I thought this was just a museum and a "touristy" stop, I did not demonstrate much interest. It was Sunday and I truly had just one focus: Church.  
In one short hour, the driver and my other friend, "The happy lion-Samba" jump off and give me a big hug and say their good byes. Samba is seriously the happiest and most innocent man with a heart of gold.  

Warning: These people are hard to find so when you see one make sure to spend time with them and give them nice care.  

It is one of those moments where I am watching the bus pull away with both of us waiving until the very end. What's that expression, "Parting is such sweet sorrow." Well, I got news for you- it definitely is!

Of course I had to stop in the center and check it out. I also had to ask the bus arrival time for my second bus departing across the street. The women told me the direct bus would come in 3 hours or the bus that makes unlimited stops comes in an hour.  It was a no brainer- I was staying at the Mayan Centre and taking a look around. Boy am I glad  I did!

It's wonderful how you can just enter into someones creative space and take part in their spirit and creative energy. They make each movement appear to be so simple and so still.  I stood watching from above all the creativity that was placed right in front of me. When one engages in an activity over and over for perhaps a lifetime, it loses it's charm.  To an outsider, that charm still exists and that charm leads to appreciation. When there are these moments of appreciation it also brings participation. I was interested in trying out their natural craft. 

It's important to try out the natural craft of others and show that you are flawed.  This reconfirms to them that they are skilled. 
When you lead a Westernized living, it's good to be humble and show you're imperfect, flawed, and a person who wants to learn. PRIS

With a few minutes of pulling the strings, I was slowly catching on and enjoying it. When they took over, they moved twice as fast. I smiled acknowledging their amazing work. They said they are so used to making all these natural craft items that they could do it blindfolded. I would imagine this to be the case with the mastering of this craft.  

Nevertheless, I was so wrapped up in my time with them that church slipped my mind. I asked where I could find the local service. They pointed me right next door and I had some anxiety because I did not want to be late.  Keep in mind this is a small service in the middle of a small forest- not St. Patrick's Cathedral in a big city.  

I went running down the paved road(ladies laughing and shaking their heads) and I ask the guy selling chickens, "Where is the church?" He points behind him to a small, cute shack in the shape of a cathedral.

Priscilla, "Wow I love this simplicity. This will be great."

Leaving Monkey Bay

It's funny when you stay at a place for a short period of time, you still manage to get yourself connected to the people and place. Of course, this depends on the person, but for someone like me- I connect. 

With such short time, you can be setting yourself up for disaster with deep connections and no time for follow up, continued sessions, or even continued contact. This is difficult for clients, some more than others, and it's just important to be professional and realistic with your goals, building connections for the client, and community supports in place. It is always important to set up boundaries and reminders that your time is short, but to make the most of every day and every moment.  There is always those sad goodbye's and hopes to see one another again. It stings at first, but it gets easier with time for both the therapist and the client. 

This does not always apply to clients rather it applies to a whole community. The guy who works at the local shop, the local family you get to know, your director, the restaurant owner next door, neighborhood kids. As a connect with an organization in one city, I connect with who surrounds it as well. It's a beautiful experience, which takes it's place staying in the heart and then I go onto the next one.  

Working with the whole MG community and with Monkey Bay created more connections and more difficulty saying, "Goodbye." The words we shared were so profound involving how blessed we were to be brought together. One of the Directors, Mrs. Francis who brought the cake, said the nicest things that I am forever thankful and adore her. The same goes for Mrs. R. When people appreciate you and acknowledge your work, your passion, and your existence-it's priceless. That is what the work is about working together and not competing against one another. In US, many people recognize how amazing I work with people and they don't want to give proper recognition because they are jealous and competitive. Don't get me wrong-there are many who give me amazing praise, but there are also those who are envious and want to see me fail.  This was not the case at Monkey Bay or MG Heights or almost never when I am traveling.  It's my own work, my own passion, and I make it happen.  People see it, they are thankful, and we make lives better together.  

Unfortunately, I did not get to say goodbye to my favorite cook. I wrote her a letter and made sure she knew that she was the most amazing cook ever.  Also, I did not get to say my goodbyes to the other director. Another one who was appreciative and amazingly smart creating a wonderful organization 20 years ago.  

Of course, Mrs. Francis had set up the bus for me to leave with my boys. They were going the same direction and I decided I would check out Placencia for a day on the way to Punta Gorda- if the weather would cooperate.  The bus was leaving at 6am sharp and I made sure to get myself out on the bus with 2 buddies from the camp.  The three of us were ready to leave and just pulling away.  There was a knock on the window and I was thinking who could be knocking that be this early. 

It was my Director. 

He smiled brightly and said, "Thank you for your incredible work here." "Please come see us again and we will work something out for you." 

"Bye.", Priscilla is blushing with pink cheeks.

"Okay guys. Vamanos"

And off we went South where they dropped me off at the Mayan Cultural Center.

   

Kindness Home Runs

With the spirit of my higher from above, my kindness and warm nature goes very far with people.
With buses, boats, tourist offices, police officers, civilians, elderly, kids, airport agents, strangers- I make friends with everyone. It's Gods ways of extending me into the lives of others to be kind, acknowledge their being, make them laugh and smile, empower them, challenge them, question them, and believe in them. It's hard to not believe in something so beautiful-people

-PRIS-