Matt's Story

February vacation, 2004. I spent my first real period of time away from home, away from my family and out of the country. Ten days in Mexico. I expected the sandy beaches, I expected the heat, I expected the beauty, but what I didn’t expect was that this was the most amazing learning experience I could have walked into. From the moment we set foot on Mexican soil we all knew this wasn’t going to be your ordinary tourist-oriented trip.After some hectic traveling through the city with the Global Classroom guide that met us at the airport, we finally met Colin, kayaked to and lived on a deserted island, and spent a day whale watching with local high school students. This was all fun because during the small interaction we had with the local population I had a translator and a whole group of other gringo’s or Americans with me. Then came our homestays. We visited the small fishing village of Agua Verde, 2 hours away from the nearest paved road, on the edge of the Sea of Cortez, and there I was expecting a translator, a nice comfy house, and simple understanding. I, of course, got none of these things. I lived with a family of 3, in a concrete box. They spoke no English, I spoke no Spanish and we had no understanding of each other. Originally I felt out of place, from a whole other world. But then, after dinner, under the feeble light of their single light bulb, my “mother” Laura, pulled from under her bed, a tiny red book and a pad of paper. As soon as I saw these I was overcome with excitement; the Spanish-English dictionary and pad of paper proved to me once and for all that I wasn’t in another world simply on another portion of the original one, and my new family wanted to communicate. The next two hours were spent writing simple questions and answers back and forth until slowly the light above us began to dim. I quickly asked why our single light source was leaving us, not wanting to end the magical experience. She told me through paper, pen, and dictionary, that there was only enough power in their whole community to run one light, for 2 hours, every night. At this, I almost broke down and began to cry. This woman, who I was now living with, and was most happy talking to, could only have her single light bulb on for 2 hours, where back at my house, lights spend the entire day on, and other, more costly electrical equipment is used without a second thought. I was on the verge of tears for this woman and her family, and to my amazement, it dawned on me, as I looked into her eyes, she knew nothing of stereos, big screen TV’s, or video games; and she was thankful just to have her two hours of light and wanted no more. She was happier in her position than I had ever been in mine, and I was the fool feeling sorry for her. How wrong I was. The 3 days spent in this village flew by; we repainted schools, taught games such as duck duck goose, and in turn learned games in Spanish such as cabeza, hombros, piernas, pies (head, shoulders, knees and toes). I went into this town, unsure of myself, unable to speak any Spanish, and rightfully a little scared. Three days later I left the same village, but I was a different person. I could hold a decent conversation with almost anyone in town, I was carefree, playing sports such as volleyball and baseball with the older community and playing red light, green light with the younger community, and most importantly, wanting with all of my aching heart to be able to stay, and live the rest of my life, in the simple happiness of their life, and never have to worry about the constraints or over indulgencies of America again.

Matt Boyd participated in a Global Classroom/Raven Adventures trip in February, 2004.