Well I have been here in Guatemala for about a month and although I was extremely anxious and nervous on the way here and the first few days in this beautiful country I have come to find that I am adjusting quite nicely. More than that, after a month I have realized that I was not the only one that barely made it through that first night in Washington D.C. and hesitated at the gate in Miami, in fact many of my compañeros felt the same way. As I have also noticed, the past month has seemed like a walk in the park compared to those first few sleepless nights.
The first few nights here in Guatemala, I, among the thirty-two volunteers, was emotional, retched with lack of sleep, and thrust into classes about security, interviews in Spanish, and was set up with a roommate named Amanda in a little house in Santa Lucia outside of the Peace Corps Office. Though the influx of new information and people was daunting at first my two items of reassurance were Amanda who, also from Colorado, is one of the soundest and sweetest people I have met, and the Peace Corps Office which in itself radiates tranquility. After a few days living with a family in the town and taking bucket baths in the cold mornings (yes it is actually really cold here) we were moved to our more permanent locations.
I am currently living in a little town outside of Antigua, Guatemala called Pastores which is the boot-making capital of Guatemala and I couldn’t be happier. Handmade cowboy boots are crafted in any number of stores and sold in Pastores, a tradition that originated in pre-colonial times when shepards and caballeros from all over the western part of the country would bring their livestock to graze. From this Mecca originated the idea of constructing boots of the many different leathers and materials available to them. A pair of custom fit, hand-made cowboy boots here costs around 300 Quetzales which equates to around $40. For anyone that knows me, you can understand my excitement amidst all the cowboy boots!
I am fortunate enough to have been set up with an amazing family of five. My host Mom Doña Auri teaches typewriting from the upstairs of their lovely home and her three children (ages 8, 11 and 17) are wonderful to be around and have already made me feel like part of the family. Excitingly enough I am slowly but surely learning to cook (much to the shock of my friends and relatives) and am hoping that by the time I will need to provide for myself I will have an array of recipes to choose from that won’t damage my stomach or budget. Among the various dishes I have learned to make, I am learning to make tortillas (which believe it or not is a very subtle art as mine usually turn out looking more like thick kidneys than the round deliciousness of those more practiced.) I have also learned to make a variety of different types of hot salsa thanks in a large part to my neighbor and fellow PCV Bethany, and roast to my own coffee. I feel this will come in handy seeing as how Guatemala, despite its vast coffee production, exports all of their rich coffee to the United States and imports instant coffee which is what the common family uses on a daily basis. We were divided into groups of four for living circumstances according to Spanish skills and I am very fortunate to have wound up with three absolutely wonderful and intelligent women, Samra, Valerie, and Bethany. The four of us, despite AND because of our differences just mix well. They are sweet, exhilarating, adventurous and always good for a laugh.
So the days here vary according to what we do or what is planned but we are kept constantly busy from 7a.m. to 6p.m. every day with a half day on Sat. and a day of rest on Sunday. Monday mornings we make our way to the Peace Corps Office for classes on Security, Health and our appropriate programs which for me is Healthy Schools. The rest of the days are usually filled with Spanish classes although Thursdays are reserved for more information on Healthy Schools and at least once a week we go to our Spanish professor’s house to learn to cook (and eat!) and new Guatelamtecan dish. Every day, spare Monday, we return home for a hot and large lunch. Breakfasts and dinners here are usually small, consisting often of beans and/or eggs and tortillas (always tortillas!) but lunches are always something different, usually with a small piece of meat, lots of vegetables (all of which are fresh from the surrounding pueblos) and rice or beans. Fridays are reserved for visiting a school on the hill near our town (about a 20 minute climb) where we will be practicing the assessment and teaching skills we will need in our site.
Though our days are normally filled with classes and family time we have had a little time to explore. Last weekend we ventured as a group to Volcan Pacaya, an active volcano about two hours away from Antigua. It was a short but steep hike (about an hour and a half) and when we came to a ridge, above us was the volcano and spreading from the top through a huge valley was dried lava flow. We walked along the oddly shaped ridges and we would past pockets of extreme heat. We walked over the dried lava flow for a bit until our guide pulled out a bunch of marshmallows that we were able to roast by sticking them near the hot pockets, one of the coolest experiences I’ve had. He also brought a tree brand and just by sticking it in one of the hot pockets started a raging fire that stopped as soon as the stick had turned to ash. Some of us had wanted to continue climbing to the top of the volcano but our guide didn’t suggest it and said calmy “Accidents Happen!”
I was pleased to be notified yesterday that I was admitted as one of four into a fairly new program whereby I will be working within a Municipality to implement the Healthy Schools program on a larger scale. This involves a great deal of administrative organizing and working with teachers and community members instead of directly with students. I am overjoyed at the opportunity in that not only is it incredibly sustainable but I feel like this work is what I have been studying and waiting for. I am also paired with Bethany who is not only incredibly intelligent but has a good sense of humor as well. I think we will work wonderfully together!
All and all, I want to thank everyone for all the support I have received and I want to assure all of you that I am extremely happy. Every day I get this overwhelming feeling that this is exactly where I am supposed to be. So thank you for your thoughts and prayers! I love and miss you all!
**Some Random Trivia**
A popular saying here is “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Fatter!”
Although in more populated areas this changes, many people in smaller communities don’t smile when their picture is being taken. Not only is the dental hygiene fairly sub-standard but the picture taking is considered a formal affair.
I found this quote on a Coca-Cola bottle:
“Walking 30minuts daily and laughing is part of a happy life.”
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