soul warming story

We have been away from our home for nine months. In these nine months we have learned how to become a different culture, speak a different language day in and day out, hand wash laundry, cut down a bunch of bananas from a high branch using a machete, and teach first graders how to properly brush their teeth. At the same time, we have struggled. It isnt the beans and tortillas, or even the hot climate that is so hard to get used to. It is the lack of those conversations, the hanging out late with our good friends at the bar moments, the dancing the night away at Mr. Wonderfuls bar parties, or the late night card games at Mom and Dad´s house, or the great home cooked dinners at Mom Cavanagh´s house. Its missing our friends and family that makes the struggles. But tomorrow at noon, we wont be missing two of them so much because they will be here!!! Our dear Christiane and Didier from Montreal, Quebec will be on their way on a jet plane tomorrow and we will be exchanging hugs in less than twenty-four hours! Our friendship is a beautiful story of bad turning to good and if you will just spare me your attention a few minutes longer, I will share it with you.
Last May we took a month to escape the day to day work routine for MEXICO! Mexico brought us the beauty of the ruins, the turquoise sea, the open art markets, and oh yeah, the moment of despair when my backpack with our cameras, my diary, and all the film from the previous two weeks of traveling was robbed. I felt ashamed for not being more careful. I felt taken advantage of. I was mad at myself, at Mexico, and at the man that had distracted me by asking for the time. I entered the bus for the next town in tears. Steve comforted me the best he could but could not distract me from our material losses. At a bus stop, a couple of fellow travelers approached us and shared that their backpack was also stolen in the bus station. I suppose it is an old saying that misery loves company. Stolen backpacks sparked a conversation and a connection that kept us traveling together for the remainder of our trip. So Didier and Christiane, I am sorry that our backpacks got stolen, but really maybe I am glad that they got stolen. If not for that, maybe we never would have spoken to one another and maybe we would have never started the beautiful friendship we share. We would have never taken the eleven hour all night drive adventure to visit you in Montreal and we would never have been so excited to see you arriving in the airport tomorrow. Christiane and Didier, it seems unbelievable that you are coming, you are better friends than we could ever have asked for.