Love from the Border: Gorditas with Carmen

Carmen does it best

Love it! :)

Chef Lilly! and Creeper McCreepin

Making the meat for the gorditas!

My favorite cooking pal :)

This past Friday we had our community night that involved Mexican food. In other words, it was a good time. Carmen taught the four of us how to make her gorditas! Those things are just...sinful. For those who are not familiar with gorditas, they are basically like little tacos...that are fat. They become this way because you just keep stuffing lettuce, meat, potatoes, tomatoes, and cheese in them until they're full. To top it off, you have Mexican rice (which is really easy to make) and chile pods. So bad for your heart, but so good for your soul!

Carmen is such a wonderful, selfless woman. Hands down one of my most favorite people in the whole world. Carmen has voiced many times that she thinks of us as her four daughters. Here are some other warm and unforgettable statements that she expressed to us while we were cooking together:

"I'm going to miss our friendship. It's been a beautiful experience."

"I hope you return to El Paso in the near future. Or, you could just stay here...forever..."

"My home is your home. I will cook for you when you visit me at my house in Juarez."

"I hope you keep your friendship after border servant. I'm very proud of you and all of the work that you have put in this summer. You are all going to do amazing and great things in your lives."

Carmen is a very expressive, deep, and emotional woman. Although, let's be real, that is how a lot of Latino people are-they speak from the soul, and with so much passion in their voice. It's absolutely beautiful how expressive people in the Latino community are. They are very relational and personable, and bend over backwards to make family comfortable. I just love all of their kind hearts!

It was impossible not to cry when Carmen said those loving words, and it did not help that she gave me a huge hug. I am going to miss her so incredibly much. She has made such a lasting impact on me this summer. Before I came here, I use to have a hard time not turning into a negative Nancy when I was exhausted from my days at school. I tried my hardest to stay positive and not completely worn out, but somedays it got to be too much. After meeting Carmen, she became my example of what it means to work hard and never stop fighting. Her determination to help others and to work 50 hours a week is admirable. I will always think of her when I am feeling too tired, and remind myself that there are people like Carmen who never stop going even when they reach their limit. Carmen has opened my soul to being more personable and spritely in uncomfortable situations. She has also made me realize that you do not need to speak the same language as a friend in order to have a strong human connection. We barely speak to each other, but we still smile, hug, and make a point to let the other know that we love and care for them. It's a beautiful connection that I have not felt or shared with many people in the past.

I hope to be able to visit Carmen in Juarez, especially since she's invited me over multiple times now and has offered to cook me any meal and food item that I want. Like all Latino families, she is very hospitable. Carmen will always be one of my role models, heroes, and friends. There will never be a border separating us.

(P.S. Erika, if you're reading this, don't forget to send me the recipe for the gorditas. I'm totally making those little guys in the near future :))