Mom's Visit

My mom came to visit me for almost a week. I was excited about her coming because to have someone else from home witness a little of what’s going on down here is nice. When I go home, someone else will be able to vouch for the way things are here, and maybe it won’t feel so much like it never happened, which has been the case in the past.

My mother is wonderful and made time in her busy schedule to come visit me in a country not on the top of her list during rainy season. I am grateful she loves me the way she does.

With my mom, I was a tourist for a week. She was surprised about all the things I have not done in this tourist place I live in. I have not been living the tourist life. With my mom, I had the pleasure of experiencing city tours, shopping splurges, hotels, and desserts among other things I would never have arranged or tasted if it weren’t for the week of tourism. Thanks, Mom!

An added bonus to getting to see my mom was the preparation practice for me. See, I am learning Spanish and hoping to use it to coordinate or lead group trips in the future. The experience of planning an agenda, researching and booking hotels and tours, and thinking about logistics like money exchange was excellent practice. These types of things don’t make me blink twice in the U.S., but in Central America, things are a little different, and it was a test of my flexibility as well as language skills to be mom’s tour guide and interpreter.

Mom is now home. I will go home in 10 days, and she promised to have an American Apple Pie awaiting me upon my return!