Sunday, 30 June 2013 - It was quite painful to get up this morning. The fact that I went to Couleur Café the night before my big departure to see my friends one last time, may not have been my best idea ever. I did enjoy every minute of it and it was worth the suffering. It felt good to see everyone again. This past week I spent every day running around town just to get everything ready and in the evenings I enjoyed the company of family and friends.
Suddenly the week came at its end. Sunday morning 5AM I hear the alarm clock. A refreshing shower, a quick look to see whether I packed everything, still trying to stuff as much as possible into my hand luggage. An empty room ... I thought it would feel strange. I don't have the feeling though that I'm really leaving everything behind. I always said that I would leave this place one day. This is just the next step. No time to stand still or look back. I always rejected the idea that every single person has to follow the same road on their way to fulfillment and happiness. I'll look for it elsewhere ...
Travel Itinerary
For many of you it remains quite unclear where I'm actually headed. Therefore, I decided to give a short overview of the different stops on the way. Sunday morning I departed from Brussels Midi, took a train to Paris from where I flew to Mexico City. I'll be staying here with a couple of friends before I take a bus to Xalapa, Veracruz, a small city in the Gulf of Mexico. Here, I'll be visiting my host family from four years back. I'm planning on spending a month with them. My host mom, Conchita, has arranged for me to work at a local school for kids with Down-syndrome. After a month I'll continue my travels to Granada, Nicaragua - my final destination ... for now.
I came to Central America to get some experience with development cooperation, more specifically in the field of education. It is not just a way to do something meaningful for others, it also offers me the chance to learn. I therefore consider this experience as a great added value to my future. At the moment I'm working with La Esperanza Granada on their educational projects. It is my intention to spend at least a couple of months participating in the everyday activities of the NGO and to help dedicate the funds that we raised (currently €5725) to decent and sustainable projects. All information concerning these projects will be put on this blog, so stay tuned!
First Stop: Mexico D.F.
On Sunday 30 June 2013, I took the TGV from Brussels to Paris. At the Charles de Gaulle Airport I spent about five hours waiting to get on the Boeing 747 that would take me to Mexico - very impressive how such a heavyweight is able to take off into the air. After an 11hour flight, I arrived at Mexico D.F. and took a cab to Huixcuilucan where I would spend a couple of days with friends before continuing my trip. First it's time to recover a bit. As soon as I get to Xalapa, I'll bring you some more news. Till then ...
