THE BIG PARTY!

Mayra was set to pick me up at 9. It was 9:30 of course before she got there. She still discussed "dinner at La Ceiba" as if she hadn't been the one to ruin the surprise for me. We made our way to Iván's and were the second ones there. Quinantzin was the only other person there! What an anti-climactic, ruined surprise guys! Thanks, really!

I walk into the house and there was the larger than life Radamés. Alma had cut her face out of a picture and added it on top as well as a personal Spanglish message. I had expected the man. And I had assumed she would do something semi-sweet with it, but I wasn't really ready for that. We got some quick pictures and then I made Mayra take me back home to change clothes.

It was such a hot night, that I was already starting to sweat through my new top, and I had only been there five minutes. I was chugging cold water and not doing any activity, so I decided I needed to put on something a little more "sweat friendly." I used the white skirt (and not being able to sit down on anything outside) as my excuse to most, instead of hitting them with the too-honest, "I'm sweating like a man already and I don't like the way this outfit looks with sweat rings, lines, and puddles!"

Departure Depression Hits

Saturday morning, I got up before 10 to make sure I didn't miss Alma. However, I couldn't find her. It had already been the hottest I'd ever been for like months leading up to then, so I was well-versed at staying in my room with the air on and listening to hear who was coming and going. I didn't think she had anything to do or anywhere to be, and I also didn't think she would leave without saying goodbye to me, but she was nowhere to be found. I did get a little worried.

Finally around 1, I heard her and Mamá Alma come in. Alma came upstairs and told me that there was a crowd downstairs and to join them if I wanted, so I did. Shania and Neyva were there as well as Mayra, Quinantzin and Elvira.

We all chatted and it was as if Alma wouldn't be leaving within the hour...

Alma came down with too much luggage (and too many pairs of shoes), and Shania and Neyva went to work. Fresh back from a year in the US, they took out several pairs of jeans as well as shoes. They put a carry-on sized suitcase inside the big suitcase so she would have something to fill up for the return home. They got it all worked out and convinced her that she wouldn't need all those shoes or jeans since she'd want to buy lots of other things; this was not an easy feat!

She said her goodbyes to everyone and Mayra and her gang left. That just left Shania, Neyva and me. I didn't realize that Shania was no longer going to Mochis with Alma, so we discussed that and the plan (maybe "tacos for dinner" with Quinantzin and Mayra?). Then she asked me what I was going to do all afternoon. I responded, "I guess I'll just sit here and cry."

Of course I was being funny, but it made me break down. So Alma and I hugged. And cried. And hugged some more. I gave her advice for the US. She wished me well in my return. It was awful.

Then out they went. She and her mom hit the road to Mochis and Shania and Neyva went back home. About 20 minutes later, Mayra called me to see if I wanted to go eat lunch with her and Quinantzin, since she knew I was sad. I told her no thanks, and she could certainly hear it in my voice that I was crying. Thankfully, she realized I just needed to be a lone and cry it out.

Cry it out I did. I sobbed for a good hour. Then I got a cold washcloth and attempted to "cool away" the damage. Good thing I had hours before the big surprise.

Friday- preparation for depression

Alma took off work Friday, but spent her whole day running around. I think she actually ended up working quite a bit, too! She had deliberately told everyone she was going to Los Mochis on Friday night to catch her flight on Saturday so she would have time alone on Friday night. Alone, though, of course meant time with the 4 amigas (Johana, Ocyé, and Karina).

Alma came to pick me up later in the afternoon (5ish?) and we ran by Centro de Idiomas to pick up her last check before she left. From there, we were dropping in on a quick dinner at Italiannis for some Inglés en Primaria teachers that were moving or leaving for a year on some sort of exchange. I had just eaten there earlier in the week with Shania (I totally forgot that night when filling in the events for this week- one of Shania's friends from "grad school" had a birthday and we went to eat with them. It was good food, but too much both in quantity and in price.).

In complete Mexican style, they told the waiter it was my birthday, so they sang "Hoppy Beerthday to Jew," while serving me free bread pudding. I had to admit that it was to die for.

Anyway, back to Alma's last night! So she and I made it to Italiannis. It was Alma's last night, but it was also the last time I would see some of these teachers. The English Program paid for the meal (so I probably should've enjoyed some of it), and we chatted. The girls were planning on a Girls Night In, and we committed to going, but of course, the true intentions were never there...

I got one last picture with Imelda:

After that, Alma and I left to run an errand. We had to go pick something up for my "surprise" party on Saturday. It was the larger-than-life size Radamés, the politician who had run unsuccessfully for something while I was there.

From there, she dropped me off at home, while running the poster man to Iván's house- keeping the "secret" from me. Everyone still thought I didn't know. Yeah right. Terrible secret keepers.

Once she got back (almost an hour later), we waited on the girls to come pick us up and we went for some late-night tacos. I must admit they were good. I was trying to be a little healthy to prepare for re-entry into the US, but I also figured, "Who knows how long it'll be until I'm here agin, so I should eat everything I can that I don't get at home." That definitely included late-night red meat packed tacos.

We had a fun time and I was super-sad when I realized it was time to go home and that I might not see those girls again. We got back to the house and all teared up a bit, and then they went on their merry ways. Alma went to her room to get in bed so she could be well rested for the US. She had been told that her days would be long and to be ready to work once she arrived. I'd never seen her choose sleep over fun before, but she definitely did this time.