Day 1 – we travel!

February 19, 2010.

And we’re here!!!!! Five am had never come so quickly. After days of packing, weeks of preparation and months of anticipation the time had finally come. Myself and tree other girls would be flying to Mexico to spend 5 weeks as members of an education non-profit organization called Quest Internacional. During our stay we will be exploring the Mexican culture, learning about international development, human rights, social justice, poverty, education, health care, infrastructure and more.

Four of us girls met at the Toronto airport to board our 9 am flight to Mexico City where we would then check our luggage, go through security, board the plane, , watch the in-flight movie, try the breakfast, almost throw up from turbulence, get off the plane, pick up our luggage, pass through customs, find a bus, take the bus, unload the bus and take a taxi to the Abbey in the next town over where we would meet the remaining 22 members of our Quest group.

Not always fun and not always easy, but we made it through the first task of our journey with no bumps, bruises or tears! We sat on a coach bus watching “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” in Spanish of course while my body decided to have an allergic reaction to everything in Mexico causing me to cough, sneeze, weeze and what looked like constant crying for the hour and a half bus trip. This years journey from the airport to the Abbey was different. Last year everything was new and there were noises and colours and people and this year everything was the same but we remembered it and it was familiar and we weren’t afraid. We were thrilled.

Once arriving to the Abbey we met the rest of this year’s fabulous group consisting of students in developmental service work, social service work, child and youth work, photo journalism and the groups new facilitator Neil.

The sisters had prepared a light dinner of tortilla-like casserole, salad, bananas and of course SUGAR BUNS. After dinner the three other students travelled with and one who we met, all of whom participated in Quest's Mexico journey last year, met privately with Quest Founder and Loyalist professor Gary Warren to discuss our schedules. As students, professionals and as individuals we have important roles to fulfill. We must learn, we must listen, observe, digest, encourage and share. Every day is a journey, a journey in which we grow from the experiences and encounters of the world around us.

Every day I will be posting photos, news articles, short video clips and personal blogs of our journey in Mexico. I invite you as friends, family and strangers to read, ask questions, leave comments and be part of my Mexico Quest, 2010.