Out of here, we're out of here, out of heartache along with fear

Lazy (A Haiku)
Sleeping in, movies,
Needlepoint, reading, reading,
More reading, and bed.

Things that I miss more than I expected to:

1) Washing machines.
It still amazes me just how exhausting washing clothes in the pila really is. And I swear, I’m not just being a baby. Volunteers who give nutrition charlas often include doing laundry as a form of exercise. Not only is it hard work, the clothes never seem as clean as at home. Every time I’m scrubbing away (half cleaning, half destroying my clothes…) I find myself giving thanks that I have only my own clothes to wash, and not a husband, five children, and probably a couple of grandchildren’s worth of dirty laundry, like most women here. I’m reading an extremely cheesy light read about a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, and she describes her revelation that “life in America was the aberration”, and that “barefoot and soily, among animals, in a forced intimacy with the earth- this was how most of the people on this planet lived”. As silly as I feel taking life lessons from a semi-trashy story of “How a Peace Corps Poster By Won my Heart” (you can’t make this stuff up), it does hit me every once in a while how luxurious our life in the states really is compared to most of the world. Especially when you consider that my pila using, cold water showering, giant spiders and ants in the kitchen life here is, in comparison to most of the country, pretty darn high class.

2) TARGET.
Okay, not such a shocker for anyone who knows how much I truly love this heaven in the form of a store (the cashiers at the one by my house probably wonder where I’ve gone…), but seriously. If they can get satellite TV and Walmart owned supermarkets here, shouldn’t they be able to get one little Target? Granted, I have found that the “Super Paca” is a pretty good substitution (especially since Target seems to ship most of its unsold clothing to Guatemala…who would’ve thunk?) and it’s not like my volunteer salary would allow for many Target trips, but it is still a comfort from home that I have definitely found myself craving on more than one occasion.

3) Walking around the house without shoes.
I have never been a shoe person. Really, I’ve never been much an any type of clothing thing; I’m pretty sure I would make a superb nudist, except then I would have no reason to go shopping, and if #2 on this list gives you any indication, I’m sure you can guess how well that would go over. But shoes, especially, are something I never, ever wore at home. Here, if you don’t wear shoes you not only wind up dragging all sorts of dirt and god knows what else into your bed at the end of the day (requiring yet MORE pila-washing, and sheets are the WORST to do), but you also risk stepping in or on anything from chicken poop to a scorpion. Needless to say, no matter how integrated or comfortable I get here, I will not be walking barefoot at any point.

4) Cheese.
I think that probably had I known that I would more or less be going completely without cheese for the next two years, I would have expected to miss it. But it really never occurred to me that I might encounter such a tragedy. For whatever reason (I still haven’t found anyone that can explain it to me), cheese is pretty much the most expensive food in the grocery store- with the exception of peanut butter and slightly obscure foods like canned artichoke hearts. Granted, they do have cheap and readily available “Campo Cheese” here, which is delicious but usually does a number on the stomach and is also more like a dip than the kind of cheese you can put on a sandwich or in mac and cheese. I have literally sat with other volunteers talking about what we wouldn’t give for a nice block of cheddar cheese.

I’m sure the list could go on and on, as there are probably one or two things every day I find myself wishing they had in Guatemala (non-stick frying pans, carpets, baseball fields…), but when all is said and done, there’s nothing I’ve had to go without that has really, truly affected my life. I mean, sure, wouldn’t it be convenient if I did have a washing machine I could throw a load into on Sundays like I did at home? But (and maybe it’s just the 7 months of living here I have under my belt taking), it certainly hasn’t been a major, life changing adjustment to have to do my laundry by hand. I’m sure I’ll go home in two years and be completely overwhelmed by the realization of exactly how completely different my life really is here, but the point is, for now I’m pretty darn happy in my cheese-and Target-less, perpetually shoed life here =)

Always know that i would find a way to get to where you are

February (A Haiku)
Spring Training started
Reconnect and Mom Visit
The best month ever!

Well, February was quite the month and to be completely honest I'm having a hard time remembering what went on the beginning of the month. The first two weeks were full of work and anticipation- I'm sure everyone here was sick of me talking about my mom coming. Right before she got here we had reconnect, celebrating my group's six month anniversary of being in Guatemala (yes, I have officially been here HALF A YEAR already...weird) and giving us a time to "reflect and share" about our first three months in site (BARF- but it was also a good excuse to see my group and have lots of grand adventures in Antigua (inculding Secret Valentines and an "Ugly Paca Party", rules being you could only wear things bought at the Guatemalan second hand stores, called Pacas).

Then, finally, FINALLY, FINALLY Mom got here and we spent a grand (but far too short) two weeks travelling around Guatemala and (of course) entertaining each other. In case any of you forgot, we are SO FUNNY. The trip started in Antigua, where we visited my training host family and Mom got to meet Wilson and all the others. I think my family was truly pleased I brought her to meet them, and we wound up staying the whole afternoon playing with all the presents Mom brought from the states. We also did some of the tourist things in the area, including the Cerro de la Cruz and the artisan market. Then we headed to Lake Atitlan, boated all around and bought about 25 scarfs (it might be an addiction). From there we spent a very long, long day traveling to the East and my site, where we spent three days crowded into my little mosquito-netted bed, traveling to the Mayan ruins in Copán, Honduras and El Cristo Negro in Esquipulas and doing a pain in the ass jigsaw puzzle by night. From there we bussed to Rio Dulce, Livingston, and Puerto Barrios which all felt like a combination of the old fashioned deep south and some kind of exotic Amazonian adventure. Then we trekked it allllll the way back to Guatemala City for the night, where we camped out in front of the big screen TV at the oh-so-fancy Howard Johnson (that's serious luxury here in Guatemala) and, early the next morning, Mom went off to the airport (BOO) and I headed home. It was a great trip, and so SO good to see her finallyyyyy.

Wilson showing off the cars Su-B sent him
At the Cerro de la Cruz
Lake Atitlan
The ruins at Copán
Our hotel at Rio Dulce