I´m in Xela

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to give a brief update. I made it to Xela today. My travels from my doorstep in Naples to my new one in Xela have been easy and uneventful.

 I spent yesterday in Guatemala City and stayed with a capitol city native named Maria. She was great! Fortunately, my basic Spanish comprehension and speaking skills came back quickly. She talked my ear off all night about her family, her country, and her thoughts on how MTV is corrupting teenagers´ young minds…hah!

            When I arrived in Guatemala City, it felt strikingly similar to Quito, Ecuador, where I studied abroad a year and a half ago. It had that familiar bus exhaust smell, with tons of people selling pirated DVDs and snacks on the streets, and stray dogs that know how to obey traffic signals (if they didn´t, they´d be long gone). Guatemala City feels very much like a different world. I have already witnessed some things that will stay in my memory for a long time.

            I took a four hour bus ride to Xela this morning after my black bean and toast breakfast with Maria. As the bus started moving west, the landscape slowly changed from urban sprawl to expansive farmland. We passed by many Guatemalan women in the countryside wearing traditional colorful skirts and blouses with baskets of fruit on their heads and babies on the backs.

            I can already tell that I lucked out with my host family. They are so cool! Juan and Carmen are my host parents and they´ve got a bunch of grown children and relatives. I am sure I will be meeting many of them in the next few months. They made me lunch when I got there: beef stew, rice, tortillas, and a giant bowl of guacamole (which I love above most foods). They have a little patio full of plans in the middle of the house which connects to a winding staircase that goes up to my room. I´ve got a sweet view of the city and the mountains.

Well this post turned out to be longer than I thought. Tomorrow, I start my Social Work Spanish Immersion class at Pop-wuj. I am excited to get oriented with them, learn about volunteer opportunities, and meet new people.

Adios,

Carrie