Before traveling to El Salvador I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was kind of expecting it to be like Mexico which in a way it was but at the same time it was quite different . The biggest difference was it is a whole lot cleaner then the place I had been in Mexico (TJ, Ensenada, San Felipe). The people are also very nice and make you feel welcome. It ended up being nice then I expected.

The city that we stayed in was Zacatecoluca which according to Wikipedia is the manufacturing center of El Salvador. Wikipedia also mentions that it has a population of around 62,000 people which is a little surprising to me since Round Rock is about the same size. While there we traveled to a beach area near San Luis La Herradura and also went to the large cite of San Salvador.

Safety

Going to El Salvador I was a little concerned because I had read and heard that it is not safest place to go. Specifically it was not good to go out at night. After being there for a couple of days I realized that these types of concerns are the type that you can apply to any city in any country. Any city has it’s share of bad people and these bad people often do more bad things at night. This applies to where we stayed but not anymore then I would apply it to downtown Los Angeles here in the states. The overall rule of thumb is be aware of your surroundings and you will not be taken advantage of.

It is always better to hang out with someone who is familiar with the area that you are in as they are going to know the good places and he places you should stay away from. That is what we did and I would recommend that to anyone going anywhere in the world. That is just the wise thing to do. In my opinion the general concern about safety in El Salvador is overblown which is really disappointing. All the people that I came in contact with where all really nice and always seemed to try to make me as comfortable as possible. After being these a few days I felt as comfortable as I did traveling in Mexico at night.

Exploring

After my safety concerns were diminished Elsy and I began to venture out on our own. Several times we walked down into the heart of the  city where the street vendors were in order to do some shopping. We frequented the Pollo Campero that was in town for better then KFC fried chicken and air conditioning. At the grocery store I was able to find Red Bulls and Coco Pebbles cereal so I was in heaven. I even picked up a cool hammock that is now suspended on my back porch.

By the end of the week we secured a truck and had true freedom to go where we wanted. We visited Elsy’s uncle in the country and looked at some property that her dad had left her and her brothers. I definitely felt more comfortable driving in El Salvador then I ever felt in Mexico. People there are trying to get where they are going like everyone else in the world but they will still take the time to let you know when traffic is clear and it is safe to go.

Overall Experience

Overall I liked el Salvador. If I compare it to my first driving trip in Mexico it is pretty comparable. I was scared out of my wits end the first time I drove in Mexico and didn’t have the best time. That initial fear quickly went away and for the 6 years years that Elsy and I lived in California we probably went back to Mexico at least 3 times a year. I think I could put El Salvador in the same category.

There were some things that were less enjoyable about the trip but in my opinion that is due to me being born and raised in the US. Also, these things can easily be acquired or fixed. Our issue was that this was my first time down there and Elsy’s first time down there with someone who had never been down there before. Due to that there were some things that we did not plan for.

Some of the things we didn’t realize were important (for me anyway) that ended up being important and could have made the trip a little more enjoyable were:

• Hot water
  It is hot down there and because of that people have little need of hot water. It is common to go to a restroom and there is only one knob on the faucet for water (not cold or hot – just “water”). This was the same thing with the house that we stayed in – no hot water. I took a cold shower every day and hated it. Next time we stay in a hotel and the first question I will ask is whether they have hot water in the rooms.
• Air Conditioning
  The other thing that the house we stayed didn’t have was air conditioning. It is not super hot down there but it is humid. A/C would definitely have made it nicer. We had A/C in the car on the final day and it was wonderful.
• A Car
  We only had a car on the last day that we were there. While it was cool to get chauffeured around by family there is something to be said about going where you want to go when you want to go there. After a few days I felt comfortable enough down there that I could have driven us around.
• Internet Access
  I really didn’t miss TV but I sure did miss having access to the internet. I mean with internet access I can watch all the TV I want. The house we stayed at did not have it and I wasn’t going to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars to use the internet on my iPhone while down there. There were internet cafe’s but they usually closed early and I usually prefer to surf at night. That would be the second question that I would ask when l looking for a hotel. This is not an absolute deal breaker but it would make things nicer.

It was a pretty big change for me not having the above items and I believe if I at least had the first one or two items it would have been that much more enjoyable. People down there are not necessarily used to having these things so the fact that they are not readily available is not a big deal to them. But when you are used to having these things and then they are not there it was noticeable to me.

Would I Go Back?

Yes, I would.

Having the items that I mentioned above would make El Salvador an fun place to go. I know that I would have a much better time the second, third, fourth, etc time. I think for the kids to enjoy it I would have to go down there a few times and get into the grove of being there like I did in going to Mexico. Kids can get bored really easy so making sure that there is plenty to do is important to them having a good time.

Final Thoughts

Going to El Salvador was a life changing experience for me. It took me out of my comfort zone and let me see a part of the world that I think most of us forget exists. Seeing people down there go about their lives helped to remind me about what is really important in life and how truly blessed we are in here in the US. Seeing that other people do not have the disposable income that we do here in the states has made me more mindful of how I spend my money. It has made me thankful that I was born and live here in the US and that this is truly a great country.

El Salvador is a great country as well and the people there are really wonderful. They have pride in their land and take good care of it. They are hard working people who look out for each other. I am glad that I had the opportunity to visit.

Our kids are best friends and I can see the boys hanging out in high school and the girls be best friends and talk about boys they like and do everything together like sisters.

They are truly friends that we always wanted to have in California but never had the time to do meet.

This is another thing that we could not have if we did not live here in Texas, not to say that we could not find and make friends in a different place but this is where we belong. This is where we were meant to be.

Life in Texas 2 years and 8 months later is great. We love our house, our life here, the neighborhood, the friends we’ve made, the things we’ve done and experienced.

My 3rd child was born here. My kids have made friends here as well as my parents, my husband and I. We are plugged in a church and we feel like family. The city of Round Rock Texas is a city made just for us. When we first came here things were a little hard but we found the church, made friends and started growing here after being planted.

I still drive thru county roads just to see the cows and the open fields and that same feeling I had when I did that the first time is still there. I love it here.

Life in Texas 2 years and 8 month later is truly great!

He tries to engage children his own age and older with play and is not afraid of strangers as much.  He does not like me to leave him at school but once he is there he enjoys himself. School teaches them to share and work with peers as group. It teaches them to resolve conflict and deal with situations that are not comfortable or even a little scary. It builds there self esteem and problem solving skills.

My 2 year old learned something about himself. He learned that he enjoys playing with dirt. He has lots and lots of fun doing that. I would have never let him do that but seeing at school and how much he enjoys himself I am ok with that. I don’t care if there clothes gets dirty with dirt or paint or food from cooking as long as they are discovering, having fun, and learning as they go.

For me it is a financial stretch for them to be in Preschool but it is worth it. There will be better of when they go to school and when things get difficult as adults. They will have learned valuable lessons very young.

My 2 year old gets really exited about going to school. I think he misses going on the other days that we are at home. He does not say much but I can tell he just wants to go when he sees everyone getting ready in the morning.

My 4 year old always asks to stay with me in the class I assist instead of going to his classroom. I tell my husband jokingly that he has Mammasitis. But once he is in his classroom with his friends and forgets all about me until he sees me at the playground.

I really do like working at the church. It gives me a little adult interaction that I need even if it is 4 hours twice a week in the center of a class full of 3 year olds.

Her costume is very colorful unlike the pastel colors that most fairy costumes come in, this one I believe goes better with her personality.

Now my 4 year old is very out spoken about his likes and dislikes. The problem with that is that one week he wants to be a knight, another week he wants to be a clone from star wars, he sees the spider man costume his brother has and thinks he would like to be spider man instead.

He was very strong on the knight costume and I thought for sure it was a done deal. I bought the material for his outfit, bought a swore, a shield and needed only the helmet and now he is saying he wants something else. I think that I will make his costume and hope that ones he puts it on he will be happy.

Either way I know he will be happy with whatever is given to him the day off Halloween. He just gets so exited and for him this is a hard decision to make. He is a very grateful and happy child and I do want him to be happy.  But with that, if I find something that is just a “got to have” I may buy something different for him.

For them three Halloween is not even about the candy, well maybe it is for my little girl, but it is mostly about dressing up and the experience of walking down the street and seeing all the parents with their children out on the street that night.

Do you pop over-the-counter painkillers on a regular basis to alleviate afternoon tension headaches?  Do you run to the medicine cabinet after working out in search of relief from muscle soreness? Does your morning routine include guzzling several cups of coffee?

Symptoms such as headaches, back pain, muscle soreness, fatigue and restlessness are messages from your body screaming that something is amiss.  If you’re relying on drugs to cover up symptoms, you’re ignoring your own inner wisdom, disrespecting your body and sabotaging your health goals.

Never discontinue the use of prescription medication without consulting the doctor who prescribed it.  However, you may choose to clean your cabinets of over-the-counter painkillers and commit to addressing the cause of your health ailments- rather than merely masking symptoms.  You may also want to consider all-natural alternatives, such as nutritional supplements.  Ask your chiropractor to assist you in this endeavor.

In addition to taking a hard look at your use of medication, consider any reliance on nicotine, caffeine, alcohol or "recreational" drugs.

If you need help breaking a substance addiction, ask your chiropractor for a referral to treatment program in the community.  For information on the misuse of antibiotic drugs, check out Beyond Antibiotics by Michael A. Schmidt (North Atlantic Books)

Challenge for this week- reconsider you use of unnecessary medication and reliance on drugs

For Easter, she had a really good time.  The kids partied all day long.  Doing different activities and I know she enjoyed that.  She loves to color and to paint and any type of craft that you have her do.  She always tries her best.  She is starting to cut with scissors and that makes her very happy.

I am so proud of her.

Emotional Stress- the hallmark of today’s society- is linked with a myriad of ailments, including vertebral subluxation, heart disease, stroke, cancer, infertility, headaches, depression and insomnia.

This week, start stamping out stress by re-evaluating your daily schedule.  Get creative.  Free up some time by organizing a school carpool with similarly harried parents.  Consider swapping babysitting time with a neighbor or hiring a local teenager to take over some household chores.

Next, make a list of three obligations you can cancel or delegate to others this week.  For many, learning to turn down requests is difficult.  Here are a few tips to help you say "NO".

-Wait 24 hours before responding to a substantial request for your time

-Repeat to yourself over and over again, "It’s ok to say ‘no’ to stress-inducing commitments that will interfere with my well-being".

-Refuse to give in when pushy persuaders become crusaders for your time

-Create a "saying no script" you are comfortable with.  Explain that you are focusing on boosting your level of health, and that means carving out additional time for yourself to prevent stress.

-Use the "broken record" technique with those who pester you repeatedly.  This means responding to each attempt to change your mind with an identical script.

After you’ve carved out more time in your routine, investigate stress-reduction techniques, and choose one to practice for at least 15 minutes, three time per week.  Techniques to consider include yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, t’ai chi, biofeedback, writing in a journal/blog or engaging in a hobby or craft you enjoy.

If you need help choosing a stress-reduction technique, ask your chiropractor for advice.  Doctors of chiropractic can help you choose the right technique for your lifestyle and provide referrals for related courses in the community.  The Moms Network (www.momsnetwork.com) and the At Home Dad Network (www.athomedad.com) provide winning time-management suggestions for stay-at-home parents.  For more information on the saying "no" effectively, check out Conversationally Speaking by Alan Garner (Lowell House) or How to Say No Without Feeling Guilty by Patti Breitman (Doubleday).

Challenge for this week- reconsider your schedule and adopt a stress-reduction regime.

Good Luck!

Doctors of chiropractic believe that the spine is the foundation of health.  Unfortunately, even many so-called "holistic" health strategists often overlook this vital key to wellness.  That is why it is so important to start with a chiropractic checkup.

Chiropractic care focuses on detecting and correcting dysfunctional regions in the spine called vertebral subluxations- a condition that occurs when motion is restricted or spinal bones (vertebrae) are out of alignment.  Vertebral subluxations are associated with a myriad of health issues, such as headaches, back pain, neck pain, ear infections, and carpal tunnel syndrome among other things.  Chiropractors eliminate vertebral subluxations with adjustments (gentle maneuvers to the spine).  Scientific studies show that chiropractic adjustments effectively correct and prevent vertebral subluxations and the conditions associated with them.