On Getting Accustomed

Wow. Guatemala is the first country I've ever been to outside of the U.S., and I have to say-it's better than what I expected. When I first stepped off the plane at Guatemala City, I was feeling a mix of emotions about the trip. What if my homestay family didn't like me? Would the kids here be too hard to teach, considering I'm not a native Spanish speaker? Do the natives not like toursits? It turns out that I didn't have to worry about any of these things. I love-and I mean, LOVE- my homestay mom. Her name is Elena and she is absolutely one of the sweetest people I've ever met. She understands that my roommate and I are not native speakers, and yet she is pateint and kind when speaking to us. Oh, and she makes sure that all 3 of us eat meals together every night and we pray before every dinner meal, which helps me get in touch with my Catholic side.

Additionally, today marks the sixth day I've been in Guatemala. So far, I've gone to many religious festivals, I've taught/played with some of the kids in San Pedro, and I've gotten to observe how the people of Guatemala live (this past weekend we've all been working on building a house for a family with young children).

Lastly, I just want to point out how friendly the people of Guatemala are. I'm so used to being in the city where people will push you without saying excuse me, or they'll give you looks of disdain if they don't like you. In Guatemala, people treat you differently. They know we are tourists, but there is never a time when I walk out of the house and get greeted when a friendly "Hola!" or "Buenos Dias!" Well, for now I'll say Adios to the people back home who are reading this, y hasta luego!

~Christine Alves