It seems I am floating at the top of my dreams. I sat at the table last night with my family here last night trying to explain how strange it feels to be doing what I’ve been dreaming about for two years now. Can you imagine? I can’t. I just have to live it. I don’t even know what to say anymore, except that it feels incredible to be soaring into the future I’ve been waiting for. Does that paint a picture clear enough?
…
So this morning I’d like to say a few words regarding the camionetas, or “chicken buses”. They are called “chicken buses” because occasionally you’ll hear a bunch of peeping coming from a basket, and every once in awhile you’ll actually see a chicken, or two turkeys tied down into another basket. It’s worth mentioning that you’re never at a loss for a seat, even when there are none. These second-hand school buses have long enough seats to fit three, even when the third is one cheek on, one cheek off in the aisle. No matter, the third person in the other seat serves to hold you upright as you squish together.
This morning, I had the most mentionable of bus rides. It was totally full, except not too full to keep cramming people on. It’s NEVER too full to keep cramming people on. Tricia and I got shoved all the way to the back, and she was lucky enough to get one of those third-spot seats, while I got to stand right between two seats, holding the people on the edges (including Tricia) up with my hips. As people tried to shove past so they could bajar, I hit Tricia right between the eyes with my FULL Nalgene bottle. We’re waiting for the black eye to pop up. Later on, as I enjoyed the tight fit of people pressing up against me, I tried to adjust my arms (which were holding onto the railing in the ceiling for dear life) and elbowed Tricia on the top of the head.
You can imagine how entertaining it was. Tricia may not be too excited, but I think she’s a good sport. We laughed. A lot.
…
Just a little bit of my day here in Guate. Have a good one, loved ones.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
So, it’s been awhile since I’ve written you. Fíjese que I’ve been pretty busy lately. There has been quite a stir of emotions. Through it all, I haven’t lost my conviction that this is definitely what I want to be doing with my life right now. Our time as trainees is quickly winding away and we are all pretty ready to get going with our lives—especially since we’ve gotten a taste of just how our lives will be these next two years, starting October 31st.
A word on my site…
You would never imagine the greatness of what I get to look at every day. Hills, mountains, valleys, trees, crisp, cool air, and the best part: my office. It’s an old hacienda-style house with a courtyard out back that’s as rustically quaint as you could ever imagine. I get to go there every day. And when I don’t stay at the office all day, I’m traveling through the mountains and valleys and over the rivers into the surrounding aldeas where I get to breath it all in up close. All the belleza and glory…
If you couldn’t guess, I’m happy.
I’ll be working at an organization that’s organized itself for the organizational purposes of the community’s wellbeing. :) I’ll primarily be working with a women’s group that processes and dehydrates fruits and vegetables, and sometimes honey to sell to various markets. It will partly be my job to help them search for other commercialization channels, as well as establish that they’ve taken into account all of their costs in a cost-of-production workshop (taller) and capacitation series, and make a production and commercialization plan for the future. I’ve got my work cut out for me, but am way excited to tackle this.
Today we had our last and final feedback session and, again, I got: “Your happiness, amazing flexibility, and hard work has made it very easy for us to find a great place for you and proves to us that you will be one of the excellently successful volunteers.”
So at my site, there is another volunteer going into his third year who recently married an awesome Guatemalan girl, and they have baby bunnies that like to run around and slide on their tile floors. They’re super nice and I’m fortunate to have the next year living around them. I also have a site mate from my same training class that is fabulous to have nearby. We live about a two+ hour walk away from another three volunteers, one of which is also from my training class. My site mate and I took the walk on Saturday to the others’ town and, though long (~6 miles over hills in high altitude), it was so worth the beautiful view and air and river and all that sweet stuff. We’re planning to switch Saturdays doing the walk and have brunch ready for whoever makes the trip.
I’m pretty excited for the crowd I get to spend my time with, the place I get to work, the people I work with and the community I will be living in for the next two years. I’m pretty excited that I still feel like I perfectly belong just right where I am and that I’m continuing to live this dream. I’m pretty excited that the next two years will assuredly be so fulfilling and will teach me so much more than most things I could be doing in the States right now.
…
OH!! I almost forgot to talk about my trip to Pacaya. We hiked to the crater of an active volcano and saw RUNNING LAVA. SUPER hot, super exciting. It sounds like crackling glass as it flows. We roasted marshmallows and made smores over the heat of it. Wish I could say more about it, but words escape me. Enjoy the photos on facebook... the uploader isn't working for this blog right now.
I'm sitting here listening to the Help album, courtesy of my dad, and couldn’t be happier. I have yet to cease being amazed and graciously reminded that I have so much love in my life. Sorry to those of you who may get sick of hearing this, but it’s what keeps me going here. And I feel lucky to be so ever-aware and reminded of it.
Send me some “you” music and I’ll sit here listening to it, thinking of you the whole time. But don’t send it until I get my new address in two weeks. If you do, it may be months before I get it.
My love goes to each of you every day.
Loverpants, you are amazing. Don’t you forget it.
A word on my site…
You would never imagine the greatness of what I get to look at every day. Hills, mountains, valleys, trees, crisp, cool air, and the best part: my office. It’s an old hacienda-style house with a courtyard out back that’s as rustically quaint as you could ever imagine. I get to go there every day. And when I don’t stay at the office all day, I’m traveling through the mountains and valleys and over the rivers into the surrounding aldeas where I get to breath it all in up close. All the belleza and glory…
If you couldn’t guess, I’m happy.
I’ll be working at an organization that’s organized itself for the organizational purposes of the community’s wellbeing. :) I’ll primarily be working with a women’s group that processes and dehydrates fruits and vegetables, and sometimes honey to sell to various markets. It will partly be my job to help them search for other commercialization channels, as well as establish that they’ve taken into account all of their costs in a cost-of-production workshop (taller) and capacitation series, and make a production and commercialization plan for the future. I’ve got my work cut out for me, but am way excited to tackle this.
Today we had our last and final feedback session and, again, I got: “Your happiness, amazing flexibility, and hard work has made it very easy for us to find a great place for you and proves to us that you will be one of the excellently successful volunteers.”
So at my site, there is another volunteer going into his third year who recently married an awesome Guatemalan girl, and they have baby bunnies that like to run around and slide on their tile floors. They’re super nice and I’m fortunate to have the next year living around them. I also have a site mate from my same training class that is fabulous to have nearby. We live about a two+ hour walk away from another three volunteers, one of which is also from my training class. My site mate and I took the walk on Saturday to the others’ town and, though long (~6 miles over hills in high altitude), it was so worth the beautiful view and air and river and all that sweet stuff. We’re planning to switch Saturdays doing the walk and have brunch ready for whoever makes the trip.
I’m pretty excited for the crowd I get to spend my time with, the place I get to work, the people I work with and the community I will be living in for the next two years. I’m pretty excited that I still feel like I perfectly belong just right where I am and that I’m continuing to live this dream. I’m pretty excited that the next two years will assuredly be so fulfilling and will teach me so much more than most things I could be doing in the States right now.
…
OH!! I almost forgot to talk about my trip to Pacaya. We hiked to the crater of an active volcano and saw RUNNING LAVA. SUPER hot, super exciting. It sounds like crackling glass as it flows. We roasted marshmallows and made smores over the heat of it. Wish I could say more about it, but words escape me. Enjoy the photos on facebook... the uploader isn't working for this blog right now.
I'm sitting here listening to the Help album, courtesy of my dad, and couldn’t be happier. I have yet to cease being amazed and graciously reminded that I have so much love in my life. Sorry to those of you who may get sick of hearing this, but it’s what keeps me going here. And I feel lucky to be so ever-aware and reminded of it.
Send me some “you” music and I’ll sit here listening to it, thinking of you the whole time. But don’t send it until I get my new address in two weeks. If you do, it may be months before I get it.
My love goes to each of you every day.
Loverpants, you are amazing. Don’t you forget it.
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