Woah! Today was our last day at El 20. What a trip and what a feeling full of emotions.
After a week living in the community surrounded with all these amazing people, I honestly feel that I don’t want to go, that somehow I need to stay here and keep doing what we’re doing to improve the lives of people who have become almost like a family for me. I knew since the beginning that with each new day, the visit was approaching to an end but in the same way as time passed by, I felt more at home.
I woke up at 7:30 am to prepare my stuff. I sat down in my hammock just to contemplate the room and the team that was packing everything. Some of the girls were already packing their hammocks, Flor was finishing taking her shower, and Adrián was still sleeping. Refusing in a way the idea that this was our last day sleeping at Hilda’s big room of eight hammocks I slowly started to put everything into my bags.
We had our last meal at Doña Rosa’s place with “Chilindrinas” which is a tortilla made also with beans and sour cream, red salsa and lettuce on top. She also made us hand made tortillas, coffee and fruit water. Everything was delicious as always.
After taking a shower, cleaning la Casita for one last time and walking through the community holding hands all the time with my ultimate favourites Jaime and Yocelin to say goodbye to all the familiar faces that crossed by, Chicharrín arrived ready to take us to our next destination. We said goodbye for the last time already in the van in front of Ofelia´s house and as soon as the van started moving, Jaime and Rodi started chasing us screaming and with their hands waving goodbye.
Two hours went by and we arrived two the magical mystical lagoon of seven colors: Bacalar. The weather was so nice and the water so clear as a reward for the last day’s intense work. In a huge “palapa” we enjoyed micheladas, aguachile and a seafood grill, and after few minutes of digestion (or should I say mal del puerco?) most of the team was already inside the lagoon jumping around the freshwater. We had the perfect conditions to enjoy one of the team’s best quality time; all of us with the stomach full of good food and the heart full of love and appreciation.
We headed to Chetumal’s airport not before shooting some videos with Antti and going to the city center to try “Marquesitas”. There, we waited for almost half an hour and luckily for us, when we hopped the plane there were enough seats to be one person in each row of three.
Time passed by with most of us sleeping and before we even realized we were already landing in Mexico City’s airport. It feels good to be back.
by Aura
Action Lab Mexico 