Wendy and I (Merritt's parents, we're the ones from Asheville, North Carolina) also made the trek to Houston. We went a couple days early and enjoyed the Texas hospitality. Lots to do there but it sprawls like Los Angeles and believe me, if you don't have a car you may as well be in the Mojave! Everything is big and spread out Texas-style.
We were absolutely delighted to finally meet Gennifre and the other teachers Emily, Thea and Cara. Energetic, authentic, animated and inspiring. These are the kind of role models we seek for our girls and are excited to be a part of this adventure. We also were amused by the laughing and giggling and immediate cohesion that seemed to be taking place. The walk to Fuddruckers was a gem. The parents got a chance to converse and get to know each other as well as the teachers. The girls were so enthusiastic by the time we were half way there, they had us speed walking to keep up with them. The morning departure was quite early with the first group departing at 6:30AM and the 2nd group departing at 7:00AM. Wendy and I took advantage of the 7:00AM shuttle to get to the airport as we had a 10:15AM departure. We assumed the girls would get let off at Concourse E and we would be let off at our Concurse and have plenty of time to cruise to their gate for a last minute goodbye. As luck would have it, our gate was at the end of Concourse A- the opposite end of Houston International! Houston International was of course built to Texas-style dimensions so there was no way to get to their gate. So we had to be content with the anemic goodbye as Merritt departed the bus. Oh well.
As I'm sure the rest of you did, we got home and waited on the phone call on Monday that wasn't to come. We knew the plane landed safely so we weren't worried but still wanted to hear that voice. But alas we had to wait till the next day. Unfortunately the designated phone Merritt was to call malfunctioned right at the time it turned out she called! All we got was a voice mail, but it was welcome anyway! The other frustration was there was so much static on the line I couldn't make out anything she said with the exception of the words "I love you guys". I guess those were the most important ones anyway other than "I'm alright" but I already knew that was the case.
Did anyone else have transmission quality problems? We'd love to hear anything your girls had to say about the trip, Guatemala City, the trek to Earth Lodge, lunch, dinner, etc!
Thanks
Cam and Wendy
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Hi Cam and Wendy, I was so happy to read your post about Houston. We really wish we could have been there too. Now you can visualize everyone when you hear about them in the posts and know who they are in the pictures! We did get a call from Olivia the morning after they arrived and it sounded like she was next door. Very different from what you described. But it seems like the same amount of information was conveyed. Olivia said it was hot and humid. The lodge has 3 dogs. The sleeping bag has not been used yet. Told me to tell her friends and brother that she LOVES them very much and then she had to go...! But you are right. They are safe, well taken care of and embarking on an adventure of a lifetime. Looking forward to chatting with you throughout the semester. Regards, Shirley (I love the name Merritt!)
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