Off to Guatemala

Monday, February 15, 2010

6 am I’m a world traveler again! I’m off to Guatemala now. For 3 months I will work as an intern with Mercado Global. It is an interesting feeling. I graduated in December and had been searching for work opportunities since then as well as staying involved in Green Project, the city’s Energy Action Committee and hippy research for Klassen. I sent Caitlin off to Costa Rica in January. She traveled all alone! As I sit in the airport, I am experiencing the strange sensation of travelling alone. I’ve traveled alone on returning to my country but not going out on adventure to the unknown by myself. I’m not used to the feeling. Especially in my situation, coming off a fairly dependent lifestyle while living at home. This experience will be an awakening to life! It’s hard to believe by the end of the day I will be in Central America.

Yesterday at church I realized how hard it will be to leave my family. From our close bible study with Chris to my entire church family, it’s incredible how close I’ve grown with them over the last few years. At the end of the service yesterday, the congregation gathered in a circle and prayed for my travels. How humbling to have so many people that care. I was lost for words. I wish I would have something profound (as Chris says) to say. I’m just very thankful for all those in my life.

10 pm Wow, I am pleasantly surprised with this place and let me tell you…I feel alive! This place is so interesting. I rode with Ludwin, a very nice guy that Jenny Cooley (my Spanish adviser at UNI) set me up with, to Panajachel from the airport. He dropped me off at my host family’s door and I met everyone. Dona Angelica and Jenni (her daughter) and Jenni’s 3 kids. They are all so nice. I’ve had a lot of nice conversations with them and have been speaking in Spanish so much. Jenni showed me the office where two of the employees (or rather one employee and one volunteer) were there.

Joanna and Harry are their names. They are my age and are also very nice and pretty interesting. They have a crazy story of how they went to the same highschool in Tacoma, WA then ended up going to the same east coast school without knowing eachother. Now they are in Guatemala at the same time with the same organization (just friends too). They took me to the city center that night and introduced me to the small community of Americans. I’m glad I went with them. I met a lot of very nice, free spirited people. It is an interesting gringo community to say the least. It consists of Mercado Global workers, teachers of English, ex-patriots, convicts, Peace Corp., you name it. Its nice to have a connection with people already.