Safe and Sound with a Happy Heart

I’m here. Finally. And feeling really good. I had the best send-off from the airport. The guy at Continental’s check-in must have thought I was 12 or could see that I’d been crying because he gave my parents special passes to be able to take me to my gate. I got into Houston around 6:00 a.m. and took a quick cat nap on the benches. When I uncurled myself, I found a familiar face from Facebook. Pete, another new volunteer, was on the same flight as me. Turns out he was a freshman at Mead High School when I taught dance team there (I am so old). I was greeted at the airport by the volunteer coordinator Lauren and outgoing volunteer Anna who was on my Olimpiadas team last year. When I got to the Ranch, I got a huge hug from Marie (the new volunteer I met in Portland a few weeks ago) and instantly felt a million times better.

I had just enough time to get settled before mass. All the new volunteers are in the dorm in the volunteer house for a month until more rooms clear out. Walking into mass was like coming home. I don’t know what it is about having kids remember my name that fills just fills my heart up! It was so great to walk into the church and hear, "Kimmie! Kimmie!" I had hugs and kisses and great conversations where I got to tell my kids the news that I would be here for a year. My godson was a little timid with me - I think he's at that age where I'm now embarrassing. The best part was being escorted by the hand out of the church by one of my favorite older boys.

I was really excited to see Bryan (one of the originators of my Geisha nickname). When I told him I would be staying for a year, he asked, "En mi hogar?" All the kids are divided up into hogars by age and gender, and each volunteer is assigned one. It's kind of like your home base - these are the kids you eat dinner with, help with their homework, play with on weekends. So I was disappointed to find out that there are only 3 hogars open in Buen Pastor (the boys' house), and those will go to the 3 new guy volunteers. I really didn't want to be in Talita Kumi (the girls' house), but they really don't have anybody right now. There are a few girls who still hold grudges against me after being disciplined in school by me when I was a visitor. After a good long talk with Lauren, I felt a lot better. I've learned that that is a completely normal experience. She also assured me that I would be with older kids since I'll be working with the Montessori munchkins all day. It sounds like these girls need some solid women in their lives, so this could be a really good thing. I'm not the same person I was when I taught dance team and it was such a disaster. This is going to be okay.

Last night, I sat around visiting in the volunteer house with outgoing, current, and new volunteers. Honestly, I was a little apprehensive about what my reception here would be like, but everyone is pretty much amazing. The Pacific Northwest is well represented here. Turns out there's another Whitworth grad in the bunch, and we had a great visit (he was there WAY after me). I'm also not the oldest one!! There is another 29 year-old (I turn 29 Tuesday, but I've started saying 29 already since I guess it's a forgone conclusion) and a 30 year-old too. I love the girls I'm staying with in the dorm; there are three of us with long dark hair, so it's going to be like my bathroom times three (for anyone who's had the pleasure of sharing my bathroom). The married couple here has a kitten. His name is Arca after the hogar he was found in, and I'm going to make him my boyfriend for the year. I'm pretty excited for our Fourth of July party today, too!

So, I realize I'm only on day two, but I'm trying really hard to enjoy the moment (making you proud, Mom!). Because things are really good today, and that's what matters.