"El avión a Guanajuato, México, aborda en 20 minutos" were the words I heard before my perspective on life changed forever. Growing up, I never knew the difference between a want and a need. I didn't know what it meant to want as my parents always got me everything I asked for. I got it all, whether that was new clothes, shoes, jewelry, or vacations. My biggest concerns were seeing what store I would go into next for my next set of clothes and deciding what ingredients to buy for the following recipe I would make. These things made me happy and were a part of my weekly routine. I lived in a world where my needs and wants were always met, no questions asked. I realize how deeply removed I was from the realities many people face. Visiting Mexico for the first time wasn't just visiting another country and seeing the culture out there but also experiencing a new reality I didn't know existed. I was part of a world where comfort was expected, not earned, and my worries were those of someone who had never faced real hardship.
As soon as I stepped foot out the airport in Mexico I couldnt help but notice how different the air quality was. The air was thicker, had an unpleasant smell to it due to the pollution, and the weather was humid and sticky, nothing compared to back home. The air quality caught me off guard but as I observed the country more I noticed a lot more than just air quality. The buildings were smaller, with almost all of them being colorful but with faded paint, cracked windows, cracks, and overall having the appearance of an abandoned building, except it wasn't abandoned, and there were a lot of people in these buildings work. Stray dogs and cats were at every corner I turned, and the city was just dirty. I was in a world far from the one I had known. There were a lot of people on the street asking for money. The people on the street asking for money ranged from mothers with newborns to disabled people in wheelchairs, elderly, and children on the streets alone without their parents selling things.
One of the people that stood out to me when I saw them selling candy on the side of the road was a pair of siblings. The boy was 11 years old, around my brother's age, and his sister was 8. However, you could see the exhaustion in their faces as if they were 20 years old. The weather was 62 degrees, and I will never forget what the little boy had on. It was a blue shirt with the number 81 on it, and it had holes everywhere. He was wearing blue jeans and grey shoes with holes in them. The little girl was wearing a pink sweater and black leggings that had holes in them, with sandals. Their appearance and clothes were enough to change my perspective, as I was covered up on this cold day, but their story changed me even more. Through hearing their story, I learned that they were working only to survive. Their parents were too poor to take care of them, so they had to sell candy to get money to buy food and water. The boy was carrying the burden of their survival on his small shoulders. As they spoke to me more, I started to realize how different their lives were than mine.
As they spoke, my stomach twisted with a knot. I was stuck in a comparison of the reality they were living with my own. My brother at the same age was so consumed with school work and sports. He was worried about what he was going to eat for dinner or what game to play next. Yet here were these two kids working tirelessly to meet their basic needs- basic needs I had never given a first thought to. I thought of my brother back home, living life carefree and most importantly without having to think about how to get to tomorrow. I was consumed by an overwhelming feeling of guilt. How could I have taken my own life for granted like this? I thought of all the things I had complained about back home. The parents and their children when they would not find an out-fit suitable, or when they were tired of the same things day after day. These children.... their entire world was tied to survival ...and leisure: food, water, an extra day for the family.
Prior to this trip, I would define my hobbies as engaging in activities that would satisfy my desires; baking, shopping and hanging out with friends. However, I came to recognize that not everyone has the privilege of worrying about those types of experiences when in Mexico many, if not most, are only concerned with the daily struggle for the basics. As I returned home and grounded myself in "normalcy," even engaging in more simple acts such as shopping felt like I was given a privilege. This trip taught me what it means to be humble and grateful, and I learned to be grateful for having food, clean water and the option to choose when and how to spend my time with "normalcy." I realized my comfort is not guaranteed and for some, they struggle with oppression and adversity to live another day, thousands every day. After being inspired from my travel to give back, I started to volunteer in my own community. This travel experience was not just a vacation; it was truly a humbling lesson that reminded me that while my world feels like "normalcy", millions of children and adults are still struggling for the basic necessities of life.
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