11/21/2012 - Jessica Sauer

Today we left Casa Azul for our last time. That means that my entry written in the San Pedro Martirs was correct and that before we could even realize it the weeks started to turn into days. This was day 103 and in less than 2 days we will be back in the states preparing for our final transition, life back in the real world. I look back on today and think of all the ways this trip has changed each of us. This afternoon, for the first time in I don’t know how long the group had time to pretty much do whatever we wanted and as we laid on the beach I don’t think 10 minutes went by without one of us complaining about being bored. As most of our days seem to fly by, todays minutes seemed like hours. I couldn’t figure out how laying on the beach was more of a punishment than cleaning or being in a “go, go, go,” mindset, but that is what it had turned into. I talked with Kelly about things I had done in the past that I regret, and the amends I want to make in the future. As I lay here writing this journal, I can hear the deep breathing of the others and I can tell that most of them are sleeping. I look at my watch and it is 8:02 pm. To repeat my quote of the morning: “Returning home is the most difficult part of long distance hiking. You have grown outside the puzzle and your piece no longer fits.” In our case it was a bit more than long distance hiking, but I think the principle will still apply. We have spent the past month in beautiful weather, sleeping in places that I only dreamt about in the past and we are now heading back to the Midwest in the winter. We have spent the past 3 ½ months with this group of eight and we are now heading back to our school of 14,000. This journey has helped each of us grow in so many ways and I hope that each of us continues that growth, rather than transitioning back into our old puzzle pieces. HAPPY THANKSGIVING ECOEE FAMILY!!