February 1-7

This week was the full of last minute preparations for the VOSH trip to Mexico. In addition to packing for myself, I had many things to do for the group. As President, I worked with the other council members to plan and lead an informational meeting Tuesday night. We also sorted and divided supplies that we would need for the mission. There were almost 3,000 pairs of glasses, and 60 gallon ziploc bags full of drops and medications that we would need to pack in our luggage to take to the clinic in Mexico. I also found a chiropractor in Bloomington that I liked to help me out with some neck stiffness I had been having trouble with. Meanwhile, Nick made plans with friends to host a Superbowl party at our house while I was gone. Mid-week Nick and I took a break to cuddle with our pups on the couch and watch a movie. As the trip drew closer, we realized that the weather would be less than ideal on Saturday when I was scheduled to fly out of Indianapolis. I made the decision to get a hotel room Friday night along with fellow VOSH members Candice Olund and Kathryn Mar Jip. Nick and Candice’s boyfriend Thai drove us to the hotel Friday night, and the roads were already starting to become snow-covered and slick. Saturday morning my flight left at 6:20 am and I was glad we hadn’t drove to the airport that morning because windy conditions and 4-6 inches of snow made for poor road conditions. I managed to make it to all of my flight connections, despite having a schedule through Chicago and Dallas before landing in Leon, Mexico. Saturday afternoon we set up the clinic in Silao and then checked into our hotel in Guanajuato and went out for dinner. Sunday morning was the start of our five day campaign that would have us seeing 2,800 patients and providing glasses to nearly all of them. We did manage to see Sunday’s patients quickly enough to head to downtown Guanajuato and watch the Superbowl at a bar in Spanish. Unfortunately the Colts lost to the Saints, but I had a good time in Mexico, and Nick’s Superbowl party at our house in Bloomington was a big success with a good group of friends and lots of food.