Greyhound #4: Shreveport, LA

This is definitely one of the craziest parts of the trip. Katie and I arrived in Shreveport around 6:30AM and Katie's awesome phone needed to be charged. We walked into the station and found the charging station along the wall so that she could plug her phone in. Little did we know that we were about to have a very interesting conversation with the next two characters in our story. Katie was wearing a New Mexico State hoodie, even though we didn't necessarily want people to know where we were from. Keep in mind that we have been on the bus for almost a full day at this point. We are gross and still in sweats and so tired because we were fast asleep before we stopped in Shreveport. All of a sudden, this guy (later, we would find out his name was Michael) said, "Y'all are from New Mexico?" We looked up and said yes and he goes, "I f***ing hate that state." This is the conversation that followed:

Me: Why?!

Michael: It's so ugly! It's brown and flat and ugly.

Me: It's beautiful!

As we talked, we found out he had spent a year in Socorro, NM.

Me and Katie: Well that's why you don't think it's beautiful!

Me: The sunsets are so pretty and the mountains turn the most beautiful colors!

We continued to argue about the beauty of New Mexico. At this point, another guy had joined in the conversation (I'm pretty sure his name was Shawn). Anyways, Michael just kept asking questions and the weirdest thing was that most of them were directed at me. Where are you going? Why are you going there? Where are you from in NM? How old are you? What are you majoring in? Then it got really interesting...

Michael: So you're like hispanic right?

Me: Um yea (with a very shocked look on my face).

Michael: But only half. Because you act like a white girl but you look hispanic.

Me: (look at Katie thinking, "Is this guy for real?") Yea.

Michael: So your mom is hispanic and your dad is white?

Me: (laughing) No, it's actually the opposite.

Michael: So what's your last name? Mendoza or something?

-At this point, all of us laughed. I knew that was the one question I would not answer. The sweatshirt I was wearing had my first name on it so I definitely didn't want anyone except Katie knowing my last name.-

Michael: What? That's a popular name!

Katie: No, Gonzales is a popular hispanic last name! I don't know anyone with the last name "Mendoza".

Michael: Ok, so what is your last name?

Me: (laughed nervously, but didn't say anything)

Then, I'm pretty sure Shawn changed the subject and I don't remember much after that. Michael introduced himself to me when we went to get back on the bus. I just got back on the bus, not believing what had just happened, when Katie told me that Michael had a tattoo of baby feet on his neck with a name next to it. Katie couldn't believe he was talking me up when he had a baby. I never spoke to Michael again, but Shawn has at least two more stories in our journey.

Moral of the Story: Be smart when talking to characters in a bus station...you never know what they'll try to get out of you.

Greyhound #3: Sweetwater to Dallas, TX

After hitting Big Spring, we continued on toward Sweetwater, TX which is actually where my grandparents live! It was so weird driving through the town and not stopping to see them, but it was 11PM and we stopped for about two seconds when no one was at the bus stop. Before we got there, we passed my grandparents church (shout out to Lamar Street Baptist Church) and we passed the Dairy Queen my Grandpa always takes us to for treats. We even passed the hospital my brother had to visit years ago when he was infected by poison ivy and his eye swelled shut. Oh the memories. Anyways, once we hit Abilene, we changed bus drivers and drove straight through to Fort Worth over the next 4 hours. I was so excited to see the bright lights of Dallas when we finally got there! And then it was time to transfer buses. Katie and I got off the bus, grabbed our bags, and went to the bathroom. It was there that we met another character. Let's call her Shirley. Shirley was probably younger than she looked, and she looked to be about 55 or 60. Most of her top teeth were missing and her blonde hair was stringy and thin. she was wearing a dirty long sleeve shirt, jeans, and a vest and I think something was wrong with her mentally/physically because she kept rocking back and forth on her feet and she was holding onto her left wrist with her right hand and her left palm was turned up. Katie went to the bathroom while I stayed with our bags and Shirley was almost crying as she asked us for money. She told us that she had no money and she just needed a little bit so she could get some food. Unfortunately, I had just given all of my change to a Salvation Army red kettle outside of a Las Cruces Wal-Mart, so all I had for the trip was my debit card. I had absolutely nothing to give her. It was my turn to go to the bathroom since Katie got out and Shirley continued to talk to Katie. When I got out, I fully intended to buy her a sandwich from the shop, but when we left the bathroom, we found out our bus was loading. Katie and I had to run to the terminal and out to the platform. We were at the end of the line, but we made it, checked our bags, and boarded the bus. We sat right behind the bus driver and fell asleep as soon as we were on the road. It was about 3AM and we were exhausted and just happy to be on the bus.

Moral of the Story: Always take the time to help others out in every situation, unless your means of transportation is about to leave you behind in a big city. Then, I'm gonna go ahead and say that it's safe to just catch the bus. :)

P.S. I had to take the picture through the bus window and it was far away so I had to zoom in...not the clearest picture, but I liked taking these at the stations that had them.

Greyhound #2: Big Spring, TX

When you do not take an express bus, you make a lot of stops in small towns on your route to pick people up or drop them off or whatever. Katie and I did not take an express bus, so we stopped in Pecos, TX and Midland and Big Spring and Sweetwater and Abilene until our driver who got on in Abilene said we wouldn't stop again till Fort Worth. Anyways, by the time we got to Big Spring, Katie and I had fallen asleep, but were woken up when the bright overhead lights came on and the bus driver shouted where we were over the PA system. We woke up and after everyone got off the bus for their smoke break, we stood up and stretched for a bit. We had no intentions of getting off because it was 10PM in a sketchy part of a small town and also because of the truck in the picture. It's not a great picture because I took it with my phone through the bus window, but this truck had a sign on the side of it that listed different food products for sale and a single flashing yellow light. Oh yea, and if you wanted to order food, you had to go into the truck where there were no lights. Are you kidding me? I believe that is the definition of sketch! On top of that, the truck operator had a PA system of his own and was shouting, "Hamburgers! Hot dogs! Tacos! Burritos!" over it. The whole thing was so ridiculous and I was so tired that all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. Finally, everyone got back on the bus and we were off to Sweetwater.

Moral of the story: Avoid sketchy trucks that try to sell you food. Especially at 10 o'clock at night.

Greyhound #1: El Paso and Border Patrol

Recently, I had the pleasure and honor of being in a dear friend's wedding in South Carolina. How I got there was a totally different story. My friend Katie and I decided to take a Greyhound bus to South Carolina because it was by far the cheapest route. The bus was $189 for a round-trip from ElPaso, TX to Charleston, SC while everything else was $400 and up...including the train. So on Wednesday, December 15, we departed from El Paso on the bus heading to Charleston. These next few blog posts are about all of the crazy characters we met and events that took place on the 2-day bus ride there and 2-day bus ride back.

We left El Paso at 12:40PM on the 15th and it was a trip from the beginning. Katie and I got our tickets then headed into the terminal to wait for our bus. Keep in mind that we were both in sweats with our hair all wet because we had just showered. All of a sudden, this guy starts hollering at us. "Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey!" We ignored him until he came over to us. "Hey, so, uh, we just were wonderin' if we could take a pitcha' with y'all because we just wanna have some proof that we know some models." Katie and I looked at each other and I wanted to roll my eyes so badly. I mean, we seriously looked like crap and this guy is saying we're models? Please! So I laughed and told him no thanks, then he says, "Come on girl! We need the curls!" I laughed again and said no thanks, then we decided to go back out to the parking lot and wait in our friend Tori's car. Our bus finally got there and we loaded our luggage underneath then got on the bus. By the time we got on the bus, everyone had taken their seats and there were no double seats left. So Katie and I made our way to the back looking for some seats and a guy asked us if we wanted to sit. We got excited until we realized that he was moving over so that one of us could sit there. I didn't think it was a big deal, but I wasn't thinking about the fact that we would have to sleep next to these people we didn't know. Don't worry though...Katie was thinking about it. There was one girl sitting in the 3-seater in the back so we decided to just sit with her because at least we'd be together. However, she told Katie she was waiting for someone. This is how the conversation went.

Katie: Hey, we were just wondering if the two of us could sit back here with you.

Girl: Oh uh well I'm waiting for someone. Uh, I think he's in the front.

Katie: In the very front seat on the right?

Girl: Oh yea tha's him. You can send him back here.

Katie: Ok, what's his name?

Girl: Psh, I dunno.

Katie: (makes her way to the front) Hey there's a girl in the back who says she's waiting for you.

-Guy looks to the back. Girl in the back waves and yells, "Heeeeyyyy!"-

Guy: (turns to Katie) Don't touch my s***. (Heads to the back to sit with the girl)

So finally, Katie and I are able to sit in the front together and relax. Our bus driver then began to make his announcements which included announcing that there would be no smoking, no drinking, and no sex on the bus. Definitely a good way to start the trip.

Now for the next part, I have to give a bit of a back story. While I was packing, I decided to lock my suitcases while on the bus. I already had 2 luggage locks, but I didn't have keys for them. So my roommate, Olivia, and I looked up how to pick a luggage lock on the internet. We made a makeshift key out of a paperclip and I decided to use it on my backpack that I would be carrying onto the bus. I bought 2 locks with keys from the store for my other 2 bags. As we're heading east in the bus, we were stopped by border patrol. Two officers came on the bus. Apparently a lady in the back of the bus got up because one of the officers firmly yelled, "Sit down ma'am! Everyone remain in your seats." They walked through the bus, got off, then came back on and asked to see everyone's ID's and tickets. Unfortunately, I had decided to take a nap before we were stopped and stuck my wallet with my ID and my tickets in my backpack, which I locked and was planning to unlock with the makeshift paperclip key. Of course, for the first time on the trip, the makeshift key decided not to work, preventing me from opening my backpack so I could present my ID and ticket to the border patrol officer. I looked up at the officer in front of me and asked if he had anything that could pick a lock.

Border Patrol Officer (BPO): Why would you need to pick a lock?

Me: Well, I don't have a key for my luggage lock on this bag so my roommate and I looked up how to pick a lock on the internet last night...

BPO: (looks at me questionably)

Me: Ok this is coming out poorly. My wallet with my ID and tickets is in the bag which I locked with a luggage lock. My other 2 bags have locks with keys, but I needed one more lock for this bag and this lock was on another bag and I didn't have a key for it. So I picked the lock with a paperclip and put it on this bag and it has been working all day until this point.

BPO: (looks at my luggage tag) And your wallet is in here?

Me: Yes.

BPO: (takes out his knife and pops the lock off my bag)

Needless to say, the lock was broken after this and I did not lock this bag again. After this happened, I was able to get my wallet out and prove that I was who I was and show him my tickets. After that, Katie and I could not stop laughing.

Moral of the story: Sometimes I'm smart and sometimes, I don't quite think things through...it's generally better to be smart.

This is only within the first few hours of the trip. I'll try to keep the other stories short, but be prepared for some interesting and entertaining stories and maybe a few pictures!

Just remember to stay smart and don't lock your luggage when you don't have a key!

Hello, my friend

Oh my! As of today, I have neglected this thing for 4 months! I guess part of it is because I don't feel like I have anything noteworthy to write about and also, this is the first chance I've had to just relax for the past 4 months. This semester has been crazy, exhausting, quick, hard, busy, and full of ups and downs. As of Wednesday afternoon, all that was finished, and now, I officially have one semester of college left! I cannot believe it's almost here! This is something I've dreamed about for so long and now I'm actually making plans and getting stuff all figured out! I know that in the end, it'll be really bittersweet, but now, I'm just flat out excited!

The plan is to leave this beautiful place I call home and venture into something totally new - a city. I was born in Plano, moved to a small town in Maryland when I was 6, and moved to Albuquerque when I was 14. After 8 wonderful years in New Mexico, I'm packing up and moving to Dallas. Why? I'm not quite sure. It's a fresh start and it's familiar, but the unfamiliar part is that I'll be on my own. I'm excited to start planning everything over the next six months and pumped to see all that God has in store. He moved me to New Mexico for a reason and has taught me so much in my time here. It is strange to think that in just six months, I will leave the place where I truly grew up - physically, mentally, and spiritually. He has given me a fantastic group of believers as friends who are so passionate for the Word and some of them are already living in Dallas! I'm heading out there for spring break to visit and I cannot wait! I am thrilled to start this new chapter of my life with Jesus leading the way. He truly is my Rock and my Light and I cannot imagine life without Him. I am so thankful for all of the lessons He has taught me and all of blessings He has so graciously given me. His love and mercy and grace have pulled me out of the pit time and time again. He is so good.

I am currently praying for a roommate for when I go out there. I honestly have no problems living by myself in a studio apartment or loft somewhere just outside of the city, but I also know it would be easier financially and socially if I had a roommate. I am just about as social as they come, but it would be great to have someone to go out with. I would love to bring my current roommate with me, but unfortunately, she has one more semester of school left after I graduate. I am dreading leaving her because God placed her in my life at the perfect time and she has truly become one of my best friends. We know each other so well and I'm going to be so sad when I don't live with her anymore. Anyways, if you're reading this, I ask that you would start praying for a roommate for me for Dallas. I want to move at the end of May/beginning of June, so it would be great if I found one before then. I am also super pumped to attend the Village Church in Dallas and to start getting involved there. God is doing great things through the Acts 29 movement and it will be so neat to be able to experience it first hand.

Before any of that happens though, I still have one more semester. I have 3 classes left for my major and the rest are workout classes. I'm taking jazz 2, ballet 2, beginning weight training, and pilates. It's going to be great! But even before that, I have my Christmas break. On Saturday, I'll go to Tuscon with my parents, come back on Sunday, then stay in Las Cruces until Wednesday the 15th. On that day, I will leave for Charleston, South Carolina on a Greyhound bus. I know it's going to be quite an experience, so I'm definitely going to blog about it and post pictures! But get this-!- they have wi-fi on the bus and plugs! At least I can update this thing right from the bus! After 2 days on the bus, I'll arrive in Charleston for my friend Nicole's wedding! I'll get there on Friday morning, get ready, hang out all day, then do the rehearsal and the dinner that night. The wedding will be on Saturday and I am so privileged to be a part of this special occasion. I'll leave Charleston on Sunday night and get back to El Paso around noon on Tuesday. Then, I'll drive back to Las Cruces, pick up some things, and will FINALLY be on my way home to Albuquerque for the break! I'll spend the holidays with my wonderful family, and on New Year's Day, I get to celebrate my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary! Then, after 2 more weeks, school starts again on January 13th. Bleh! I don't even want to think about that right now! I am, however, looking forward to this much needed break from school. I'm excited to talk theology with my mom and football with my dad, to shop with my sister, and to (hopefully) see my brothers and their band perform! It is going to be a jam-packed, but phenomenal, winter break.

Until next time, remember to eat a little something out of all of the food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.