Jumping In

So the journey begins. We arrived in Xela yesterday evening around 9pm after a 5 hour bus ride from Guatemala City. At Celas Mayas (our Spanish school which is literally right across the street from where I live) we all met with our host mothers. My host mom Karla, we walked to her house and she showed me my room and around the house. Quant and simple, but really nice. I live with Karla, her husband Juan Antonio, and their five-year-old son Juan. My host family has another student, Christi, also attending Celas Maya. She is from Australia! We talked mostly in Spanish because she said she will not let herself talk in English-not a bad idea. We enjoyed some great conversation over cookies, tea and port.

I then went to my room and got settled in, unpacked everything and tried to process everything that has happened in the last few days. So many emotions and abrubt changes. Being thrown into not only an entirely different culture, but another language is definitely a challenge, but a good one. I am really excited to start classes so I can improve my communication (which is really lacking at the moment).

Today we met the group and the directors of the program for a nice welcome breakfast at a nearby hotel. All of us students then went out to explore the city. We had a good time finding our way around. There was a market that only happens one Sunday a month, so we did a little looking around-I bought a purse. When I came home my host mom took me to her mother´s home, which is also the home of Ashley. We all enjoyed lunch together.

I appreciate all of the small things that are different from our culture, for example, on our way to lunch we picked up some fresh tortillas at a store. Karla´s mother and Ashley had just gone to the market to get some cucumbers and tomatoes for a salad. This is a nice change from buying food to have on hand for a week in advance. Simplicity is a way of life that I believe I will get used to very quickly.

After enjoying lunch we had a nice long conversation with Karla and her mother. Then Ashley and I took a little nap in her room before we met up with the group again. This evening after exploring a little more with the group, we went to a restaurant with a balcony in Central Park and sat up there, enjoying some coffee and drinks. Finally having the chance to soak it all in, we then went to the Park and enjoyed the sights, sounds, smells and life surrounding us.