Living within the community

Good afternoon everyone! My name is Trinity, y mi nombre is Cristian. Today we were the Líderes del Día and we are excited to share with you our experience with the community of Cañada de las Palmas.

I’m Trinity and I’ll share my experience in the community first:

Walking into the home of Josie was familiar, it was safe. She had the hugest smile on her face ready to present me with fresh brewed coffee. I expected to be doing chores and garden work all day, however, me and Josie ended up talking about my education, family and future and how it compared to her children the entire time. She mentioned her children’s summer lifestyles, they’re always outside in the mountains and water for the summer, while she works in the community and is a homemaker. I could see my family in that same family dynamic.  

As for me, Cristian:

 When I first saw my host, she had a smile that made her face look like my mothers. It made me feel welcomed and like I was already part of their family. As we walked to her house she made jokes about us being American but being so grateful for having us in her house. The way she was being so lively with us and not being shy about us being there. Despite having to translate some of the conversation our host had with my other Glimpsers, the majority of the time they didn’t have to speak Spanish. They were able to communicate past the language barriers with facial expressions, dances, and hugs. When we sat down and drank coffee it didn’t feel like an interview, rather it felt like I was talking to another member of my family.  

Even with our households having strong  differences in routine we were able to use music and dancing to unite as one body. After getting to know our hosts we all gathered together as one big family in their community house and shared a big buffet cooked and curated by the amazing community as a way to welcome and embrace us. 

Throughout the day we analyzed the question: “What would a daily routine look like for members of this community? How does it compare to your own?” At our nightly meeting as a group we came to the concussion that our routines are different through environment and activity. Back at home we wouldn’t be climbing waterfalls as children. 

We had a fun and productive day.

Big Love, Trinity and Cristian