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Preparing for this trip has been a daunting task. To get ready, I’ve been focusing on educating myself. Through many hours of reading and conversation, I’ve realized that my previous way of thinking must be dismantled. It was either too simplistic or full of preconceived notions founded on incorrect information. The past few weeks have been a difficult but good process of reshaping the way I think so that I can start to understand the nuance and complexity of the border crisis. I do not doubt that this will be an ongoing process and my mind will be changed many more times before we return home. Ultimately, this is a good thing and I welcome the opportunity to humbly learn from others. 

This has not stopped me from being apprehensive, though. If I had to put a name to my whirlwind of emotions surrounding our impending departure I’d have to go with cautiously eager. I am eager because I want to be a part of work that will help people. I hope this will be the first of many opportunities for me to work in a humanitarian setting. There is also a strong desire to learn. There is so much about the emotional toll and local environment that I won’t be able to understand until I am in the midst of it. I am cautious because it is all very new and intimidating. I understand that no matter how much I have read or discussed with past team members, very little will be what I expect. I suspect emotions will be running high both within our team and in the community of Eagle Pass. I remind myself that things will likely not go according to plan. I am determined to remain flexible through it all. Cool heads, positive communications, and teamwork will hopefully get us through any hiccups without too much difficulty.

As I double and triple-check my packing list I remind myself that plans aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Staying malleable will be essential during this trip. Remaining open to opportunities to learn and grow in the moment will be more productive than anything I could have ever prepared for.

Kaitlyn

As I begin preparing for this trip to Texas, I feel less anxious than during our May trip in terms of packing supplies and what to expect generally. Though our team for this trip consists of multiple returning members, many new lessons will be learned, and experiences gained. Instead of assisting with search and recovery efforts, we will assist Texas State University and other organizations with excavations at a cemetery. This new path causes both anxiety and anticipation. We are traveling to Eagle Pass, Texas, where currently a large number of migrants are passing through. The crisis along the border is ever-changing, and even though we were in Texas in May, the situation is going to be very different. It is difficult to fully prepare for what we may encounter when we arrive. Still, I welcome the opportunity to assist in any way possible. The ability to apply what I am learning in school to a humanitarian cause as significant as this is unparalleled.

I am looking forward to working with new organizations during our time in Eagle Pass. Learning new perspectives from these organizations and how they function differently from us in this environment will be interesting. Though I have some understanding of what is happening in this area, it is very little compared to those we will be working with. These perspectives are valuable as they provide insight into all areas of the crisis we are facing and other groups motivations we may not have thought of in the past. I am also looking forward to seeing how our team functions in this new situation. We all have strengths that will allow us to work well as a group and with members of other teams. We have previously been in situations together where we have had to be flexible and adaptable, which will be crucial on this trip.

Though I will face anxieties and challenges on this trip, it is nothing compared to what the migrants are facing. I have been very fortunate throughout my life and will never understand what those who make this journey are going through. I hope to offer any assistance I can and bring back my experiences to share with those who may be unaware or naïve of the crisis at the border.

Jordan

As I prepare for my third trip to Texas, I find myself just as excited as I was for the previous trips. I’ll be working with Jordan and Izzy again, as well as our rookie, Kaitlyn. I’m looking forward to all of us working together because we all get along really well and have great chemistry. Jordan, Izzy, and I learned how to work together as a cohesive, functional team on our last trip, and I’m ready to test our abilities in a different environment and embrace Kaitlyn into the Beyond Borders team, too.

However, this trip also makes me nervous because we don’t really know what we are walking into. We won’t be returning to Falfurrias; instead, we’re going to Eagle Pass, Texas to work with Texas State University and other professional organizations. We’ll only be about a mile from the Texas-Mexico border in an area with an extremely high amount of migrants crossing the border. Eagle Pass is currently inundated with migrants and medicolegal professionals, so we’ll be entering the eye of the storm.

I’m intrigued that we will have an opportunity to participate in a different type of work than what we’ve done on our previous trips. Instead of line searches on ranchland, we’ll get to learn and utilize forensic archeology skills on this trip while we work to repatriate migrants who unfortunately perished to their homes and loved ones. We also get to work with the Texas State students and faculty as well as other medicolegal professionals. It’s always nerve-racking meeting new people and trying to make different methods and practices flow seamlessly, but I’m up for the challenge. I’m really excited because Deputy White and Eddie will be there, too! I can’t wait to see them again and hear what they’ve been up to since I last saw them.

The weather in Eagle Pass looks like it’ll vary from a little chilly in the 40s to the 70s and sunny, which is a welcome change from the extremely hot and humid weather we had on the last trip in May, but also a lot better than the weather we have in Indy. I’ve already started packing, and I’m hoping I have everything I need without my bag being too heavy (I usually end up cutting it pretty close to the 50lbs cut-off because I’m a chronic over-packer). Everything is currently scattered across the living room floor, and my dog keeps trying to blend into it, in hopes that I’ll pack her too. Unfortunately, she’s too big and fluffy to be packed, but it’s a valiant effort!

Olivia