Lunchtime Conversations

It is day 6 and we are already having a great time. On the first day we were all feeling excited and a lot closer as a group. Karen and I are living in a cute, little house with our host mom, Regina. She's great and not only does she know a lot, but she cooks amazing food. Meal time in our house is really special and is the main time we get to share with our host mom. Everyday, Karen and I wait to see the folded napkins below our eating utensils and two steaming cups of tea which cues our careful descent to the kitchen to see -and smell- what awaits us. Meal time for us also means stimulating conversations. Although it usually starts out slow and slightly awkward as Karen and I try to eat and piece together our Spanish at the same time, before our plates are empty we are engaged in a dialogue over our experiences and opinions. During one particular lunch, Regina mentioned she had visited America before and began to share some of the differences she had noticed between the lifestyles of people in bustling American cities and quiet, historic Antigua. Aside from discussing the smaller food portions and tinted windows in Guatemala, she also mentioned that it seemed as though Americans' lives revolve around their work. That particular comment really resonated with me by planting the idea of living to work versus working to live in my mind. Since then I have not been able to get rid of the thought. After reflecting with Karen later that night we both concluded that we strongly oppose the living to work lifestyle and only hope we can find a career that we love and is not a burden. It saddened us to think about some of our friends and family whose lives are their jobs back home and don't seem to have a moment to enjoy the better aspects of life. In contrast, in Guatemala, a third world country, individuals are able to balance their work with friends, food, "bromas", and good times. I've always believed in using my time well and living purposefully but now seeing that that idea lives and thrives in a place far away from our much more narrow world back home, the thought has solidified and pushed me to think about my life on a larger scale. I want to make sure the decisions I make now will allow me to enjoy my life not just in the moment, but also in the long run.

-Colocha a.k.a. Joelle