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A Different Door

by Josephine :: Monday October 10, 2005

As of this past weekend, I can no longer say that I have never been to Mexico! Along with the expertise and company of Señora Ortiz, a group of seven Thacher kids drove down to Ensenada, Baja, Mexico to visit and work at an orphanage-Puerta de Esperanza-for a weekend.

We left on Friday morning, missing classes for the day and making our way south. When we arrived at our destination at around 5:00 PM, we unloaded the car and went directly to the kids. For three hours, we did nothing more than play soccer and otherwise interact with them.

The next morning involved more play, although this time less soccer and more interaction. We brought out the donations of the Thacher School—markers, colored pencils, stuffed animals, playing cards, and an ungodly amount of tennis balls. As James and I were bringing out the goods, we were accosted by 20 toy-hungry 9-year-olds. As Señora Ortiz put it, “Nos soltaron” (“We were jumped”).

On Sunday, as we drove down the long dirt path from the orphanage back to the main road, Señora Ortiz asked us to think about the experience we’d just had. My thoughts revolved more around the country of Mexico than around the orphanage itself; this experience really opened my eyes. In the matter of a day’s car trip, I saw first- hand the drastic contrast between the economic conditions of Mexico and the United States. More importantly, I saw how these dissimilar situations manifested themselves in the people and the landscape. Needless to say, my trip to Baja was fun, fulfilling, and entirely mind-opening.

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