Alliance for Catholic Education
At the end of our first year of teaching, my housemate Marie Doyle (ACE 28) and I decided that the next year we would go on a trip together for spring break. This trip would be a celebration of our two years in ACE and a way to continue spending time in community while we kept exploring Texas.
After much anticipation, spring break had finally arrived. I rushed home on Friday afternoon to pack into Marie’s Yaris. Having recently taken a road trip to New Orleans, we quickly settled into our road trip routine. Marie starts off the drive, I navigate, and Pat Slattery (another roommate and a member of ACE 29) provides the entertainment.
After nine long hours in the car, we finally arrived at our destination, the ACE house in Brownsville, Texas. We drove into such a dense fog that all we could see were the huge windmills along the road. Despite it being two in the morning, we were happily greeted by Michael Averill of ACE 29. A huge thank you to the RGV community for allowing us to stay in your home!
The next morning the dense fog had lifted, and we were able to take in the sights of the valley. Though we had not left Texas, it certainly felt like we had crossed state lines. The long, palm tree lined roads of the valley were very different from the huge freeways of Dallas.
We had one goal for our trip: relaxation. The first thing we did was head to the beach. We found plenty of sunshine on South Padre Island, where we spent the first two days of our trip. We soaked in the sun and swam in the ocean. We even challenged a group to a soccer match, but sadly we lost.
After relaxing on the beach, we were ready to explore the valley. A bucket list item for our community has been to visit Mexico. On Monday we drove down to the border to cross into Nuevo Progresso, Tamaulipas. After a half an hour drive from Brownsville and a short walk across a bridge, we found ourselves in Mexico. We spent a couple of hours wandering through the local stands on the streets browsing the handmade jewelry, crafts, and clothing. Our relaxation continued with a stop in a nail salon for a pedicure.
On our drive back from Mexico we stopped at a Mexican restaurant and ate some delicious tacos, enchiladas, and lonches.
We spent our final day of the trip exploring Brownsville. We stopped by Guadalupe Regional Middle School for a tour of Michael’s classroom and a geography lesson!
Our week in the valley was full of great food, music, and friendship. On the drive home, I was full of gratitude for the friendships ACE has brought me and the opportunity to live in a state with so much to explore!