What I Learned in Bolivia Part 2

This is the second part to a two part summary of what I learned in Bolivia. The pictures I've included really don't have anything to do with anything, but they are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

6.     Space and Independence. This is a lesson that isn’t as easy to admit. I wanted to believe that I could be flexible and merge into a new culture with minor difficulties (I can imagine many of you shaking your head at me and my over confidence. I know, don’t worry. I learned my lesson). I discovered while I tend to go with the flow, my easy going-ness has a limit. If I don’t feel like I have a choice in the activity that is planned or in my participation, I get resentful and cranky. Likewise, if I don’t have space I feel comfortable in and that I can retreat to to recharge, frustration builds, and I get more and more unhappy.

7.     Small things can add up to big things. While I was living with another family, there were things that were different, but I always told myself it was ok, it wasn’t a big deal and I needed to be open and learn from them. This is a good attitude but only to a point. By my second month in Santa Cruz, I had accepted so many small things and hadn’t put up any boundaries to protect who I was. I began to loose myself. On the surface I was fine, but underneath, there was a lot of tension and frustration.

 

8.     Love boldly, in spite of the future. Talita Cumi is a children’s home with a limited budget and they rely heavily on financial and volunteer support. There are many white people that come through, helping for a while and then going back home to the States. Working there isn’t easy, and staff changes are inevitable and more frequent than anyone wants. Yet, every day, when I walked in the door, I was greeted with a kiss and a hug. Sometimes as I would walk across the patio, a smiling face would shout out from the boys house “Alyson! Juegamos Uno?” “Alyson! Can we play Uno?” They knew I would leave them, yet they loved me anyway. They didn’t put up barriers. Instead they accepted me while I was there and sent me on my way with a hug and a prayer.

9.     Comfort food. Crummy days are inevitable but I quickly learned nothing can turn them around faster than a stash of comfort food from home. During the three months I was in Bolivia, some of my favorite people from home sent me: homemade cookies (that was my Grandma, isn’t she great?), cheetos, and earl grey tea. Plus, I still have the huge jar of peanut butter that was probably the best going away gift I got. I’ve been rationing it carefully so I don’t run out too quickly.

10.     Tangible life skills. In addition to life lessons, I learned life skills, new things that I can do that were completely foreign to me before. I can now:

a.     Create jewelry

b.     Cook empanadas

c.     Seal the empanadas closed with a pretty fancy braid on top

d.     Pound masaca (mixture of fried bananas and cheese that squeeks between your teeth when you bite it) Though I probably won’t use this skill since I don’t think masaca is very good. If it really sounds good to you, I’ll make it sometime, but otherwise, I think I’ve eaten my last bit of this stuff.

e.     Paint silk scarves

f.      Maintain a conversation in Spanish that includes more than my favorite food and where I’m from

g.     Hail a taxi, bus or trufi from the side of the road and haggle the price if the driver tries to give me the ‘gringo’ (white person) rate.