Week One.

 Today marks a week of living in San Benito, Texas.  Papi, Annelisa and I began our journey on July 21^st.  It took us about 10 hours to get to Orange County. Fun.  Then it took Papi and I another 4 hours to get to Indio.  Yay for taking 14 hours to drive 450 miles!  On the way down we got to say goodbye to Mya and Coco who drove and waited for hours while we were in traffic.  They are the best.  We arrived to the Guilin residence at about 10:30p.m. and Tia Tete had dinner waiting for us!  We were in dead stopped traffic in Palm Springs at 9pm due the highway being closed.  Who does that?

We then made it through Arizona and New Mexico in one day.  Speed limit is faster on the 10.  The scenery changes to nothing, to rocks, to nothing.  We ended up staying at Las Cruces after looking for a steak house for Papi.  Next stop Texas.  Texas is a whole lot of nothing.  However, the speed limit is 80, which was nice.  Baby Baluga took it well (that’s the Honda’s new name; thanks to Mya and Coco).  Baby Baluga also was a trooper because he was packed full of stuff. I have no idea how we fit it all.  We fit it all in the Fit!  Way to be Mami and Momma.  We dropped down after San Antonio and actually saw trees!   That was a nice little stretch. We were planning on going to my new little home, but then realized we didn’t have a bed, and we were pretty tired from driving 14 hours.  So we stayed at yet another hotel in the valley and slept in!  We had 99¢ breakfast burritos from the gas station, which they call tacos here because the distinction from a taco and burrito is the fold not the size.  Interesting. But tasty. 

We made it home around noon.  Met the wonderful landlady Maria, met the goats, saw what how much love was needed for the house and went to find a mattress.  Papi was trying to convince me to get the comfy expensive bed, I went to for the cheapest mattress instead.  I feel good about it.  Papi made me a bed frame so the scorpions won’t sleep with me in the middle of the night, and with the extra wood I got a bookcase!  Thank you Papi. 

I’ve been in training since Tuesday, which is a lot better than Institute.  It’s weird to be back, and nice to try and make it home here.  I dropped off Papi on Wednesday morning.  Thanks to me and cheaptickets he went from McAllen to Houston to San Diego to San Francisco.  Good flight.  It’s weird to be in a house with no furniture alone.  But Jesus has kept me company.  No, not a man named Jesus, the spirit Jesus; I guess that means the Holy Spirit. Whichever.  I’m not alone. 

We have a great group here.  Friends are easily made, and carpooling is the best! 

I should probably get back to work.  Or fake work.  I’m pretending I don’t have work yet.  That’ll kick me on the 22^nd.

Happy day!  

3 more days.

Change of plans.
Papi and I are leaving the state in three days.  Which gives me three extra day in the beautiful Santa Cruz, CA.  Originally Jorge and I were going to leave today (7/18/11) but after some e-mails and rescheduling of trainings, we get to stay.
Annelisa purchased a car for me.  As in she did all the work, we just gave her the money.  We are now the proud owners of a 2008 Honda Fit. Well, once we get the pink slip under our name.  We're still thinking of a name for him.


I'm not good at this whole blog thing, so Annelisa is going to be my scribe in the future.
But I'll talk about myself for a few more lines.

I'm moving to San Benito, Texas.  According to the reputable wikipedia the town consists of 23,444 people, that is back in the year 2000, not including all the Mexicans who just crossed the border (that's not PC, sorry).  The racial makeup of the city was 76.16% White, 0.32% African American, 0.41% Native America, 0.25% Asian, 20.48% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 86.93% of the population.  If you ask me, it should be more like 90% Hispanic, 10% other.  But I was only there for 5 days.

Enough about the city, let me tell you about my future home. I will be living with Annelisa who will join my in August and be my stay at home mom.  She will tend to the chickens, kittens, and garden, make me food, pack my lunch, clean my house, wash my clothes, etc.  All in exchange for a home in Texas.  I will also be living with Sarah, who I met at Institute and is an absolute joy.  We are naming our house the Chicken Ranch after the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (imdb it, it's supposed to be a good one, I mean, with Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds you can't lose).

Next in the life of Ceci is what I am going to be doing in San Benito, Texas.  I will be teaching 5th grade Math.  I know it comes as no surprise since you all know I am a math genius.  But really, Institute did me well, since I did all 4 math lesson plans for the third grade.  I am actually kind of excited to teach math,  first I gotta learn it, then I'll try and make it fun and interesting for 5th graders.  Wish me luck.

I don't know what else to write about.  I'm going to try to get better at this whole writing about myself thing.  That's a lie, I'm just going to have Annelisa write for me.

See ya'll in Texas.
(That was a joke, I don't say ya'll, nor will I start to)

Peace and love.
-Ceci