Today was one of the most memorable days that I’ve experienced so far on our trip. We walked along the border in the desert. There, we saw a couple of border patrol officers, and deep down, I had fear of them coming up to us and ending our journey. With each step we took, I’d hear someone in our group complaining about the heat, or us carrying the gallons of water for potential migrants, and that caused me to think about the thousands of undocumented migrants who have had to walk in the heat for hours or days with no water or food. Meanwhile, we couldn’t even last for 20 minutes. Unlike them, we had the privilege of getting back in the car and listening to music without the fear of dying in the desert, leaving behind friends or family members who may be relying on us.
One of my big takeaways from the trip was how the border patrol purposely cut holes in or poison the water left for migrants who are coming here for a better life. Them doing this conveys how heartless and cruel some of us could be to helpless people who just want what we want: to be happy.