#mom's coworkers helped her with travel expenses which was a huge blessing
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cultivating-wildflowers · 9 months ago
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alecruzmilano · 8 years ago
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Christmas and New Year's wishes 2016-2017
Merry Christmas Happy New Year! Ale’s Travel Annual Wish. From Laos 2016. Feliz Navidad ! Merry Christmas! As I sit in a coffee shop in Luang Prabang with the immense Mekong river flowing and staring at me, I reflect on my life in the last years and want to express my gratitude, for the care, love, and support from all of you my family, no matter where you are you belong to my “Jia and Pengyou.” Today is December 25th Christmas Day, a day a normal Venezuelan would be at home probably in Caracas. With his/her family and friends eating “hallacas”, “pan de Jamon”, “ensalada de gallina”, listening to “gaitas” , “aguinaldos” and talking, laughing, giggling, sharing non stop with family. However, I am not the typical Venezuelan, so no I am not in Caracas, with family or friends eating all these yummy comfort Christmas foods that are making my mouth water and my heart melt for. Instead, I am in Luang Prabang, Laos (a country in Southeast Asia between Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Myanmar with the immense Mekong river in front of me. I am here for 15 days (5 of those have passed in Vientiane and Vang Vieng the rest are unplanned and unexpected like me!) to explore this beautiful and peaceful country full of kind and happy people and lots of nature. These past 6 years being abroad away from home, has made me realized how much I have to be grateful and thankful for. First of all, now I not only have a biological family, my family is composed of multicultural people: people that have come into my life and stayed and some that have left, but still made a huge impact in me and they will still be part of me forever. From my grandparents Papino, Mamina, Papapa and Mamama who built the roots and foundations of my family and are my inspiration; to my dad, Pacho who is my angel and guide in heaven who always inspired me to travel and teach and my mom Yaya who everyday with her optimism and joyfulness shows me that life is hard but we can hit a homerun even when the pitch is a fast inside curveball (I am a baseball nuts and I love my baseball life metaphor plus I live in Korea where baseball is big!!!!!!.) My sister and brother in law Yayi and Vic, who have raised three amazing kids. Alex for being brave and independent and taking the lead to go study abroad, Ele for being unique and have a strong personality (like her godmother me) and using it to build relationships and help people in missions she goes and of course Guille who only at 5 years old is already a global citizen with an environmentalist mindset and awareness for plants and animals, but also for being a child imaginative creative. Inventive and silly and a sweetie. To my sister Dani for having an attitude of “echo pa’ lante” and always working hard to succeed in life.’ To all my aunts and uncles, cousins and cousin-nieces-nephews you all inspire me in some way or the other. I would love to talk more about how you all inspire me, but let's be honest it will take me an encyclopedia to do so! A few shout outs to my extended and overseas family members, Tim and Agnes for being my “dad and mom” overseas (I know my dad and mom both appreciate it!), Annie Veazey or “Ana Clara” for being my friend my sister and my buddy, I miss you so much every day! Sid for being my completely #1 fan and teacher supporter! The Herding's (Pat and Cas and Mac and Sedona) for just being awesome meeting with me at random hours of day or or night in Seoul, or Kota Kinabalu and hosting me in Dalian for simply being friends and I know I can count on you! Paulita and Adam for being my South American roots in China I am so glad you are happy and enjoying my city and country now. We need to make a trip in Venezuela ASAP! Alice my Italian friend and buddy you are awesome and I know our friendship will continue no matter where we are” Thanks for being fun,trendy, girly and also being straightforward with “guy advice” when needed. Hayley you have shown me a friendship can be built later in life and be as deep and insightful as older friendships. Road tripping with you was awesome cannot wait to see you in a Seoul on January and possibly schedule a Shanghai trip soon!!!! Andrea and Ed you both are one of the newest additions to my family overseas thanks for being fun, caring, supportive and awesome people that you are. Looking. Forward to night outs, camping trips and doing stuff together in a Seoul, my last 6 months there. Kallina, Mark and Bitna to more Latin-Korean nights of cooking eating and dancing (more please of the last one!) Irene thank you for being my facebook confidential conversation person love all your advice and thoughts Thank you for also being just you goofy and funny! Tonya for being an extremely great and awesome teacher to work with and giving me all support and advice I will definitely miss working with you next year! Paula I have come to know you more this first six months of school a day it amazes me of what a professional, friend, coworker and also mom you are! To my China family and friends Sarah, April, Brandi and Family, The Jacobson’s, The Sei’’s, The Ko’s, Megan and Jess (and kiddies) Eli and Jon, The Fisher-Terbrueggeun crew, Paula, Shannon and Jannick, Kimberly, Kara, Veronica, Ana, Dave, Ashton, Nick, Cristian, Ryan and Sherry, Janey, Isa, Stacy, Helen, Kyle, etc. thank you for being in Dalian at the same time as I was and being part of the great experience you are and will be always in my heart. My Indian family Adrienne, Val, Matt and Gail, Tyler, Carmen, and of course Zachy, Fred and Cate thank you for always being there for the advice and the Venezuelan arepas, the trips to yoga house and beers at the pub. My South Korean family. I have known you all the shortest but you all are awesome people to work and live with. I promise to you all family and friends to try and stay more connected with you and reconnect more often in spite of the time differences and distances my Christma New Year’s promise! Second, I am thankful for my health. I have been healthy with no major problems and I hope it stays the same. After my dad past away from brain cancer and seeing him suffer and decline in his health as well as seeing many close friends deal with diseases and health issues. I am thankful I have my health. and promise that I will workout and be active in spite of the cold or busy schedule every day as the new year begins. Third, I am thankful for my job. I am a teacher which is one of the hardest and most stressful professions. (by research yes it is!) and I love what I do I get to impact and influence young children and help them become global citizens. I also am pretty lucky to be an international teacher and be able to teach while I travel. Not many teachers can say they can travel as much as I do, so, I Am pretty lucky and blessed and thankful for this opportunity. I promise to you all to keep the travel bug and wanderlust for as long as I can. To keep you up to date on best destinations, cheapest / expensive countries. Easy / harder travel destinations, best beaches, jungles, cities,international cuisine, etc. By the way, did you Know that next school year 2017-2018 I will be living to Dongguang, Guangdong province south China to teach PreK4 in International School of Dongguan?! Yes! I am pumped and stoked to be back in China where it all began! For all that these 6 years have made me and brought to me I am expressing my gratitude today. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year 2017 and Happy Holidays! May the holiday spirit and New Year bring you lots of joy, love, health, wealth, travel, peace, light, and all the good things that you and I wish for. Feliz Navidad Merry Christmas Feliz Año Nuevo Happy New Year! Love, smiles, oh, laughter, health, peace, hopes and dreams may they always be in our lives! Ale ❤️⭐️☀️
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