Molly Wilson

I was sitting in my bed the last Sunday of the trip talking with my mom before I started my work for the day.

“You sound happy,” she said.
“I am”
Standing by Scott talking about my fourth move in as many days he asked: “With everything we talked about before the trip, how are you doing so well?” “I don’t know”
–––

Outside of the Doña María Duran Dulces tipícos I talked to Nataly. We’re waiting for the other people in our team to take photos and talk about our source María Duran being at the shop today. We’ve already spotted her mom.

“Go inside and talk to her. She speaks English.”
I take a deep breath to calm my anxiety and walk in.

“Hi, I’m Molly Wilson. I’m doing a story about your shop for a magazine. I don’t know if María told you.”

“Yes, she did. How can I help you?” she answered.
The nerves subsided and we start talking. When María comes out I’m completely comfortable. At Bethel, I know the spaces. I’ve done tons of interviews by myself.
In Guatemala... not so much.

Going up to the matriarch of a family on one of her busiest workdays isn’t something I thought I could do five minutes before I did it. I needed the push of someone older and more experienced than me.

Guatemala changed me because now I have more examples like this of how I am capable of doing hard journalistic things.

–––

After three hours at Colegio Angelitos de Dios my team sat in a café. I was drinking an Iced Latte scrolling through my photos from the day.

Because I wasn’t the main reporter I acted as a backup photographer standing on the second-level balcony of the school to take wide shots of students coming in for their first day.

“No Way! Look at this! It’s Jakeline and Kevin!”

I had captured them walking into school before we knew that she would be the main character of the story. And it was one of the only good wide shots I’d taken.

It was a God moment

–––

Scott sat on the ledge by the window in my new casita. Majo was on a couch and I was sitting on the stairs that go down into the living room. This would be quick and I knew it.

“We need a quarantine Casita and emptying this one is going to be the easiest. Molly, I know you’ve moved a lot. You can say ‘no.’” he said.

I said, “It’s okay I’ll be out by the meeting.”

I went back upstairs put on some music and started packing all the clothes, toiletries and equipment I had just unpacked the day before.

It took five maybe 10 minutes. I stripped the clothes from the hangers and shoved them into my suitcase not bothering to fold anything. Bathroom bags on top just like two days ago. Equipment in the camera bag. Everything else is in my backpack.

Majo walked in, “You’re done already,” she said.

“Yeah, I’m good at this by now.”

I walked over to my new house hoping that this would be a place I can settle into.

It made me so grateful for my Twin XL waiting for me in Lissner Hall, the place I’m calling home this year. Somewhere I move out of when I’m ready.