this blog is nothing to the experiences I have had in El Paso

I learned so much this summer, more than I think I realize. I have seen for myself what happens along the border. Of course some of it comes from the media but a lot of it comes from talking directly to the people here and seeing things for myself. I can’t believe the 2 months have come to an end. I participated in protests, such as protesting Border Patrol for their abuses against immigrants like Sergio Adrian Hernandez and Ezequiel Hernandez; protesting Obama’s decision to send the National Guard to the border; and of course, protesting SB 1070 (and celebrating  the judge’s decision last week). It was great to see how readily many members from the Border Network gathered to execute the protests. It was a lot of fun making posters too; it put my creativity to good use. Every poster I made I knew had to send a message that many people would see and that gave me a great thrill.

The latter half of my internship I spent helping a coworker on a civil engagement project with regards to the upcoming election. The point of this project was to research figures and make flyers to distribute to the Latino community in an effort to get more people to vote. The intention of this campaign is simply to get people to vote, regardless of any party affiliations. In this way, both Republicans and Democrats will regard the Latino vote as an important ally they need and perhaps then Democrats won’t take the Latino vote for granted and will hold their promises in order to sway those voters. Nonetheless, this project gave me a lot of experience on how to get people to vote and the importance of voting, which I want to continue doing outside of my internship in an effort to get more Latinos nationwide to be more educated on the importance of voting.

When I wasn’t working, the girls and I spent time together either out exploring El Paso or watching movies or Law and Order (or listening to Justin Bieber). We kept busy as often as we could and that made this summer go by super quickly.  Everything is still processing. I have written a lot in my journal and I need to process everything but that will only happen when I’m away from this great border town.  

Busy Busy Busy

A lot has happened since I last posted but I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to write it down. I'll try to do that tomorrow.

My First Official Day in El Paso

I got here yesterday night and everything ran pretty smoothly. My bags were easy to find and so were the taxis. I got into the taxi and my preconceived notions got the better of me and I started preparing myself for the worst. I imagined a kidnapping scene where I would end up in Juarez (and it didn't help that as we were on the highway, there were signs reading "Juarez 1 Mile"). Fifteen or twenty minutes later I finally get to UTEP safe and sound. All throughout the drive I liked what I saw and I knew there was so much to explore and I couldn't wait. I finally stepped into the office where I received my keys and guest ID and was  taken to our suite. IT'S HUGE! It has air conditioning (I was freezing all last night), two bathrooms, and a spacious kitchen with a big fridge. We have a volleyball court right outside where all the buildings meet and there are grills as well. We haven't really seen students around yet because it's a holiday weekend but I'm sure we'll run across a lot of people when classes start. I unpacked last night and settled in. Everything was going great but then personal issues kind of messed up my first night here. 


Sarah and I woke up early today and we went and got breakfast at a restaurant really close to here. We soon found out everything here is really cheap. We walked for a while downtown and then took a bus back. Dimple should be here soon too and then we can all three go and explore some more together. So far El Paso is pretty great :)

Night Before Flight to El Paso

Preparing for this trip has taken quite some time, but I'm finally ready to leave tomorrow morning. I'm all packed except for those things you leave for the last five minutes before you rush out the door. I'm excited, nervous, and impatient for what lies ahead. I know I should probably sleep early but I can never sleep the night before a flight. I just want to fast-forward  a week or two so I can know a lot more than I do now. I have this freak-out feeling inside of me that makes me want to do jumping jacks or go for a run; it's kind of like pent up adrenaline. That's how I always feel about something new ... and I like it :)

Hopefully everything runs smoothly with my flights and I don't get lost finding my way to Miner Village at UTEP (that's where Dimple, Sarah, and I will be staying). I wonder how they're feeling about the trip. Dara is already at Annunciation House and will be living there but we have an extra room in our suite and hopefully we can see her frequently.

Anyway, I have to look up some information for tomorrow's big day and then try to sleep. Until tomorrow night. ¡Chao!