Day 22: back in action

After a brief intermission thanks to a (pre-job-quitting-no-income-coming) vacation to Mexico, I am back in the States and #30DaysOnFire is back in action.

After taking a day to recover from Montezuma's revenge (whoever said "revenge is sweet" was most definitely not talking about this), I'm ready to get back in the swing of things. Back on track. Back to normal. (Hear that, intenstines? Let's get back to normal...)

But first - before I get back to igniting my soul and all that - the trip: It was incredible. My sister was the perfect host and every day was full of immeasurable joy and unforgettable memories (yes, even the days we were stuck in the Airbnb with "revenge" being served at both ends).

Obsessed with this moped we passed in Tulum.

Something memorable happened even before reaching the golden coasts of Tulum, though. When it was time to leave for the airport, I spent the obligatory five minutes debating which mode of transportation to utilize. (MARTA pros: cheap, cons: once I sat next to a man with an uncovered box of rats, so there's that; UBER cons: expensive, pros: no rats. Decision made.) I lugged my luggage (did you know that's actually the origin of the word? Meaning "something to be lugged about"? #FunFact) to the front of the aparment complex and waited for my driver, Ana in a Rav4, to arrive.

She pulled up and I got in. In very broke English, she confirmed I was heading to the airport, and we took off.

Her GPS was giving directions in Spanish, so I asked if Spanish was her first language. When she nodded, I told her I was headed to Mexico to see my sister, a Spanish major fluent in all things Espanol. She smiled and nodded, thus beginning some pleasant - although a bit fragmented - conversation. Me helping her with her English words, and her teaching me a few Spanish phrases for my trip.

"You know, Carolina," she said, "It can be - how do you say - fearful driving Uber here. Especially for me - I don't speak very good English. Not everyone is nice when I can't communicate the way they want me to." She told me she had lived here with her husband for five years, working every day to make a living and also earn citizenship. But that she was sometimes scared, uncomfortable in a country obsessed with drawing lines and building walls.

I did my best to encourage her, to tell her she was good at her job and deserved happiness and success. But my English words weren't resonating, I could tell she didn't understand exactly what I was trying to say. And I wanted so badly to encourage her, to prove to her that she was wanted, welcomed, and worthy.

So I texted my sister, the one fluent in Spanish. I told her what I wanted to say to Ana, and she responded with a Spanish translation for me to recite to my driver.

When we arrived at the airport, my driver turned around to thank me for my patience and kindness. Wow, I thought, I wasn't really all that exceptionally nice. I was just a decent, respectable passenger and gracious human being. I can't imagine what she's experienced by comparison if this is so surprising to her.

Then, before climbing out of the car, I read her my statement - translated by my sister. I was so nervous, and my Spanish was surely terrible, but figured if it went horribly I could hop out of the car, board my plane, and never see this woman again. Worth a shot.

She was so incredibly moved. She showed me the chills on her arm and the tears in her eyes. And it made me so, so happy, too. I don't know if she was moved by the sentiment of the message itself, or just that someone had gone to the effort to communicate with her in a way that made her feel safe, confident, and appreciated. Whatever it was, I am so glad I went for it.

We so often pass these opportunities by. Every day, we have the power to see the people around us - or not to. To treat the drivers, cashiers, janitors, and fast food window workers with respect and dignity. It takes minimal effort on our parts, but can make a huge difference for them.

One of my favorite authors, Brene Brown, says that especially in the age of cell phones it's even easier to ignore the people around us. Read the excerpt from her book Daring Greatly below. You won't regret it.