Camping is even better when you do it with the ones you love!

One of my favorite stories I want to tell about is an experience with a camping trip my school and I took many years ago. My friends and I loved splash days, sharing unforgettable memories made us closer, but what was the importance of going to this camping? To learn how to follow the path that God has been always illuminating for us in our lives.

Well, we are going to Monte Sion, a hill of Jerusalem on the outskirts of Ciudad Vieja. I remember how it looked like, tall big trees with very light green leaves, filling around the woods of the huge field covered of fresh grass. In the middle of the field, there was a place pretty big with seats in the corners, and it looked like Mundo E but a little bit smaller. We used to meet everyone there in every morning and afternoon to hear the plans for each day. Behind this, is my favorite place, where every night we used to get there and start a bonfire.  We sat on the up seats made of concrete and rocks, and in front of us there is a beautiful view of Lake Amatitlan. It has been my favorite place since I was little, this is where we share our deep bad secrets, and where our humiliations are erased, where nothing else matters more than God’s love.

The first day was where we started to unpack our things in the hut and then, we went to the dining hall to eat lunch, and later, very excited we went for a walk in the edges of the lake, we found a few people enjoying the day too. The other main walk took us to a sheltered little beach where peace was disturbed by some kids on dirt bikes. That was unfortunately, because apart from the noise it was a lovely spot.

Later on, we went back to Monte Sion as dirty little pigs covered of mud. Taking advantage of it the director said that we should play a big game tonight, as we were organized in groups it was easier to play it. The game consisted on finding the clues that may be hidden in huts, trees, or walls. Once you find de clue you have to answer the question with the bible, the more clues you solve the closer you are to win. It was pretty fun, this was another activity we really enjoyed.

We came back to the hut very late, but my friends and I weren’t that exhausted as we imagined, we party all night, rolling in the floor with the sleeping bags, making movements as if we are big worms, jumping in the beds and singing like crazy until we finally slept at 2:30 a.m.

We all got up early at six o’clock the following morning. It was time to run, and to warm up. I just loved morning activities, it sounds ridiculous waking up early and everyone is half asleep but you are the only one with cheers to make exercises.  Later on, we again ate breakfast, and then we did the activities for this day: swimming pool, splash day, and gala evening at night. My group and I went to the dining room, waiting outside and making rows, I remember we were supposed to dress like heroes, and have your own partner. Byron, the boy who asked me to be his partner is the one I had a crush on him since fifth grade, he has green beautiful eyes, a bright half tan skin, brown hair and he is pretty taller than me. What else could happen that day? Of course I was very happy and enjoying these days.

After de dinner, we went to my favorite place again, our teachers told us to write a list about everything that has bothered us, everything that made us feel miserable, moments in which we could stand a situation, like death. The director started to play a song with the guitar on his hand, playing in front of the bonfire, and that really made us feel sad, as I told you, we shared our deep secrets, our problems, and we prayed. The director said: “Once you have wrote the list, let’s think about the people who loves you and accepts you just the way you are, and let’s throw to the fire, this list of trash that let us down. We may start everyday with a positive thinking, and enjoy every little thing that life give us”. Byron just hugged me and everyone cried together, and then we magically felt alive, as if someone in the sky is always protecting us, no matter what happens.

In the end it became a life-changing experience. The camping is always enjoyable, happily and unforgettable when you are spending the time with the ones you love! 

It was just a windy day in China.

Finally the vacations I had anticipated all summer arrived: the trip to Los Angeles, California and the trip to China, for two months!

A day after, I had spent an entire weekend with my family, visiting shopping malls, restaurants, and museums. It was a bright day, wind was blowing softly, the birds were singing, I can tell it was a fresh weekend, we go for a walk, and I was wearing a tank top with blue jeans and very colorful sneakers. Suddenly the sky turned dark, the clouds were gray as if they were dead, and we didn’t expect it was about to rain. We were confused but nothing ruined our weekend, in fact, we still enjoyed it.

My parents send me to a camping trip. They told me that every year during vacations, groups of high school students from almost all the countries in the world get together (before Christmas time) in a specific country, this time was in China, 2007. Every camping lasted two weeks.

I was there, with my friend Annie, we came from Guatemala and when we get there we knew that it was the same as a camping trip, what makes it hugely different was that we all were living in a hotel near the university and that every day every morning and every noon we have to get there to learn something, I think it was like going to school in vacations but more exciting, there were a lot of activities, including dancing and I really loved being there.

During these two weeks of December I was spending a nice time with people of different countries, we met each others, and most of us used English to communicate between us. In the ends of November, I turned twelve and for me it was hard to understand and to be understood, knowing other two more languages. It was hard but at least I have learned a lot, people around me were speaking French, Russian, German, and other more languages of the world, and I was impressed, in fact, I was excited to hear them speak even though I didn’t get what they were saying and they were very kind to teach me some words. Every group has a teacher and my teacher used to speak with me English or Mandarin, it was easy to me to understand. The hopes to learn more about traditions, culture, manners and people of several countries was the reason Annie and I came to this camping.

We enjoyed every day of these two weeks. It wasn’t cold as I imagined it would be before coming to China, but there was a day that really changed my mind completely and the weather changed so constantly and so awfully. One December morning breeze brushed my long, black hair as we were going out of the hotel, it was very cold, the wind was blowing so fast and so strong that we couldn't even walk, even though the sun was smiling warmly on us, there were students all over, trotting around to keep themselves warm but we were too cold to care about everything.

We finally got there, eat some food and drink two cups of warm jasmine tea, and I can’t believe it! We all still were in bad moods because of the weather. I was expecting that this would be a normal and special day as the past few days because we still have places to go and the weather wasn’t too good, it was horrible. Our teachers called up us to get outside, and it was dancing time for the girls and for the boys I can’t remember pretty well what they choose, but it may have been 

kung fu lessons or gym.

In that moment, some of us like to think about a warmly weather when it comes a cold weather like this day and some of us simply don’t care about it. Me, I like to think positive. This day was pretty long, it was an intense practicing day. At noon, I was tired while Annie was in a normal status and I didn’t know why. I really thanked the weather to be like that cold because it refreshed me after practicing so much, it taught me that no matter what happens, you will always find the positive side of a bad situation.  

My Forever & Ever Friend, Jenny.

My Forever & Ever Friend, Jenny.

I can tell she is one of the most wonderful girls in this world. When I first met her, she was like a sparkle on my way, and then she shined on me since then. She has brown dark hair, chinese beautiful eyes, bright skin and rosy cheeks. She has been and still being my ticket to the gates of happiness. I just met her, one Saturday afternoon, I went to her house and I recently got my new Nintendo DS, I wanted to share it with Jenny.  We spend a lot of time together, knowing each other’s life. We became so closed, we are very different but that made us more like sisters. She has a splendid personality that makes her unique and a very special human being.  

She was born in 1996 in Guatemala City, she was a very naughty infant, and indeed she loves to do mischief when she was a little girl. There were stories she told me that made me change the impression of her when she was just a little girl.

I was eight years old, while Jenny was seven years old. She went back to her house from school. She told Susana, “Mom I don’t want to go to school”, and then Susana asked her several times… “Are you sure, Jenny?”, Jenny was pretty sure about it, so her mother said “Ok”, Jenny was impressed about what her mother told her, however she was happy. The next day she didn’t come to school, she went with her mother to the supermarket to buy some tomatoes, Jenny didn’t know what was happening but she still didn’t care about it. Lately, they stopped at the street and her mother said to her, “Ok Jenny let’s grab these tomatoes and start to work, so you can win some money by doing juggling”. She was surprised, all she wanted to do was to cry and to go to school and study hard. That day she learned a big lesson and she was thanking her parents for giving her a home and the necessary things to live with.

The winter came by, Jenny and her family was dining, Jenny was only three years old and that night she didn’t want to eat, her father Miguel, put her with the baby chair on top of the table and he said “If you don’t finish your food you can’t get down from the table”. Confused, she started to cry until she was tired, later on, she decided to eat the broccoli and her father get down jenny from the table. It was pretty funny, this was another lesson she learned, and as everybody she needed to learn to eat healthy too.                                                                                                    

While Jenny was finishing telling me funny stories, I figured after all that Jenny’s attitude toward her parents was pretty respectful and I have learned a lot being with her.

There was a night she came to my house, we were making cookies, watching a horror movie film, actually we spend the Fridays nights dancing and partying, we always pass the best moments together. I still remember almost every morning her sweet, passion fruit and flowers smell of the teddy bear she gave me.

I remember a night of those days, we were making facial masks with slices of cucumber in both eyes, the music was sounding, our souls were dancing, and the melody was bouncing in our minds. She wanted to see herself with the mask, I took a picture and she laughed, we totally forgot to erase that picture. One day she went to school, and some group of girl friends came toward her and asked for the cell phone to listen to music. Jenny had totally confidence on them, but they saw the picture and they published it on facebook (it was two years ago) we got a big problem in the school and everybody commented about her on that picture, I was feeling guilty, Jenny was feeling angry, horrible, destroyed and completely sad, but I helped her out because I should have to. I have to admit that I hate bullying, I just can’t understand why people can act interested toward someone, and can’t act like a normal human being, sometimes you just need a true friend, who can understand you.

After a week, we hang out with some friends, suddenly she pulls me to the left and she thanked me about our friendship and she told me “I enjoy spending time with you. When I am with most people, I have to be careful of what I say or do, because they get offended or hostile. You don’t really judge me or anything. You just listen to what I have to say, around you, I feel like I can really be myself”. 

Personal Rituals: My Pinky Blanket as My Favorite Ritual

                At every morning, I wake up and then I stand up with the right foot, I know that sounds a little silly but some people think this can help you to have a good day and, well is also a part of my daily routine. I keep walking onto get to a white, huge door of my bathroom. Every morning has a cold climate that’s why I wash my face softly and slowly with warm water, that’s an advice Isa gave me because it also makes you feel warm and comfortable so you can start an awesome day without complaining about the climate. What makes me more confident, comfortable and fresh everyday is spraying perfume on my chest, neck, the sides of my neck, and on my wrists.

                After finishing my morning routines, I go down to my dining room and before I start my breakfast, I check carefully inside my backpack the stuff and things I have to bring just to see if everything is alright, and ready.  After this, I start my breakfast and while my brother and I are eating, my mother likes to take some of her free time to tell us a story, an advice, or some good news to wake up us a little bit more.

                I go to school, as soon as I am inside the class, I start to prepare my books for every class. For me, time usually passes very but very slowly until it is recess time, my favorite part of the day, I am always in really good moods all day long, I really like to be happy with everyone because I like to have a good time with everyone, and my friends, they make me feel like crazy mostly when they start to talk about jokes and everything! Just the fact that this is kind of funny and interesting. After school, I come back home tired, when I need to do homework or study and I am about to sleep, I like to prepare a cup of coffee with milk and white chocolate so it keeps me active until night comes.

And for the night, I have to have my favorite thing otherwise I will freak out, literally. Let’s start at the beginning of my story. When I was a baby in the paradise, where I only knew how to swim, eat and sleep, inside my mother’s belly. My parents went to shop to a baby store where they bought a baby pink, soft and smooth blanket. When they came back home, they put the blanket on my brown and big cradle. Once my mom has given birth and I was born, I started to sleep every night with this blanket because it brings me sweet dreams and I feel much protected.

                When the years passed by, I kept sleeping with this baby pink blanket. Sometimes when I don’t have it is because the employee of my house took my blanket to wash it, I have to wait at least one night so it can totally dry. Sometimes when I don’t have my blanket, I dream nightmares that’s why this blanket is very special for me, this protects me since I was a little baby. My blanket is like an amulet for me, is very special because it remembers me much about my infancy and the love my parents have for me the entire life.