I just saw a calf chase a puppy out of his cornfield from my bedroom window. He then pranced his way back over to his brothers and sisters to boast of his glorious feat, but the others were too busy munching down the old stalks to make way for the next crop. I then walked back to work from my lunch break on the cobblestone streets only to sit in my freezing cold, hacienda-style office, planning or conversing or doing whatever the day decided to bring.
It’s my first day back from my month-long vacation from work, but we should hardly call it a vacation. From December 11th until today, January 11th, I don’t know that I really took a break from it all. Aside from the occasional day in bed, I spent a bit of time getting to know my familia anfitriona and other members of the community, as well as celebrating the holidays and eating way too many cookies. I do feel I’ve found home here and am slowly adjusting, but still have twinges of nostalgia for all those things I so know and love about California.
But all is well. For Christmas Eve we had a white elephant gift exchange that was so funny I almost peed laughing. We then received gifts from our Guate family that were made with their very own business’s hand-made leather products – it was so generous and unexpected, and beautiful, too. At midnight, after making the next day’s breakfast casserole and the family returned from midnight mass, we shared their traditional tamales with chicken, raisins, and plums, and hot ponche with slices of apple and coconut and orange in it. I got to give a little thanks on behalf of us volunteers and said as I teared up, “es un deseo de cada de nosotros a tener un lugar donde sentimos a casa aquí en Guatemala, y de veras sentimos a casa aquí con ustedes. Muchísimas gracias por todo que hacen para nosotros, estamos bien agradecidos por su amistad. Les amamos.” (It’s a wish of each of us to feel at home here in Guatemala, and we truly do feel at home here with you. Thank you so very much for everything you’ve done for us, we’re very thankful for your openness. We love you.) I felt every word of what I said and I think they felt it, too. Christmas day we ate entirely too much and then went to the Municipal Salon-turned-Disco at night to dance with Guatemalans who’ve returned from Wyoming and spoke a fair bit of English. They let me know my friends were mean, and I said, I know. I was the only one that would dance with any of them – but only for a short time, as we were getting ready to leave and SLEEP.
Before fully recovering from all that excitement, I went to Lago Atitlan for New Years Eve with a handful of other volunteers. It was paradise. Our hostel that we had to take a boat to get to was right on the lake overlooking a backdrop of volcanoes and, at night, fireworks and lights from all the way around it. Such serene beauty and WARMTH!! Oh it was so gloriously warm compared to my town. I got to steal away one of the nights that we were there to sit on the dock by myself, just staring at the dark silhouette of the volcanoes, listening to the wind in the tree next to the dock, watching the clouds pass lightly over the crystal clear stars, and seeing the occasional fireworks display from across the lake. Lucky, lucky me. Oh, you know, we danced, and sang, and lit sparklers, and played dress up, and made masks… nothing but a great time. Sees called me at 2am NYE to assure that we were staring at the same Blue Moon and all was well in my world. It was good to return home, though, to relax for a whole week before finally coming back to work.
Now it’s to work again, and I do honestly believe that 2010 will be a good year – as cliché as that may be. I’ll be 25 this year; I always thought this would be the best year, and so far it’s looking like it might be just that. I mean, I’m living in Guatemala. In Guatemala. Not home, yet, but beautiful and exciting, holding so much opportunity I can’t even imagine it all.
Because some of you have asked, I’ll be posting a list of items that I regularly wouldn’t mind receiving, or maybe even need that I can’t get here. It’ll be on facebook. If you’re interested but not on facebook, let me know and I’ll mail it to you.
To all of you, I sincerely appreciate you and feel so fortunate for your presence in my life. I hope that you, as well, find that 2010 is as promising as I’m hoping it to be. Love to you all, happy Monday.
