Family in Guatemala

Living here in Guatemala with my host family has definitely made me re-evaluate the way I think of my own family. The first day, we all introduced ourselves. My host mother's name is Maria, and she explained to us that she's been a host mother for about twenty years. She is very welcoming, always has a laugh ready, and is always asking me how my day was and what I did. Marco is the host father and he is even more affable. He jokes around with us, points out different Spanish songs, and sometimes helps me find the right translation in Spanish when I'm struggling. We met Pedro and Monica, their 20-year old children, and they were both so grateful when I gave them their gifts: each a little Boston Red Sox hat (in fact, the entire family was grateful for our gifts).
Since I'm the most fluent in Spanish in my homestay group, I'm the one who starts the conversations and the one who keeps them going. At every meal, I always talk and talk and talk, which is fairly hard for me since I'm a pretty quiet person. It's made me think about my own family and how I kind of take them for granted. At home, I don't feel obligated to ask my parents how their day was or about their childhood. I talk with my host family more than I talk to my parents, which is a wake-up call for me. If I can be so friendly and curious with complete strangers, why don't I do the same with the people who raised me?

-Lennin