unpunctual update :)

So much has happened since my last post in December! I’m thankful for the short break I had from language school to go home for Christmas. All eight of my cousins (+2 spouses) were home for the first time in four years! I was able to help pack up my childhood home and say one last goodbye. I also had the opportunity to repack for the Dominican and reevaluate what I really want to bring with me. I am glad to have had one more week to spend with friends and family. Goodbyes are no fun, but I’m blessed to have so much to say goodbye to.

Christmas Eve 2014

Moving day!

That being said, I am so happy to be back in Antigua! This time I’m familiar with my surroundings and have a routine. Unfortunately, this time my friends from before have begun their school year teaching in towns outside of Antigua. This means that there is one extreme extrovert learning to have solo adventures! Lucky for me I spend about 7 hours a day with people between class and meals. I’ve learned to pass time playing violin, doing Spanish homework, exploring neighboring towns, reading, taking classes at the gym, and going to the market. Not a bad way to live, I’d say.

My host family and teacher are beyond wonderful. My host family eats every meal with me and diligently corrects my Spanish. They've accompanied me to a ballet, a play and have incorporated me into their family. My host mom has even given cooking lessons on the weekends here (Don’t worry, we started with eggs…hard to mess up ;) This is not typical of many of the homestays here. Tonight at dinner they were telling me about dobladas, a typical Guatemalan food that they love. When they heard I had never had one, my host dad announced, “let’s go!” Thinking he was joking, I started cleaning up from dinner, but quickly realized that he and my host mom were putting on hats and scarfs to leave. Before I knew it, we were walking down the street at 8:30 pm to get some dobladas! They were sold on the street corner at a five-way intersection. There we sat on the sidewalk, eating meat filled tortillas only minutes after finishing dinner. We walked back with my host dad’s arm around each of us, as is custom here. It’s moments like this that I am cherishing.

Hot Coconut Punch

Huevos Rancheros!

The garden in my house!

Beautiful orchids in the garden

This past week my teacher and I took a field trip to a nearby town, San Antonio, to learn about Mayan culture and participate in a mock Mayan wedding. I was quickly selected to be the bride, and before I knew it I was dressed in traditional clothing and saying “I do” to a one of the teachers at my Spanish school! They taught us how the guy would propose by bringing over a delicacy bread for every member of the girl’s family and how there would be a year in between the proposal and wedding so that she could weave blankets and shawls for the future family. During the wedding we were sprinkled with flowers, purified with incense, and had to perform a dance, which we were told would last for 10-12 hours! After dancing for so long, the bride would have to cook for her husband’s family. This would be a test she must pass before she saw her husband that night! We were then walked through typical life of a family where I was taught how to wear a baby on my back and carry a jug for water at the same time. This experience was topped with a traditional soup called “pepian” and homemade coffee. It was quite the morning!

I posted some pictures of a macadamia farm below. I learned the process of harvesting macadamia nuts and was giving tastings and a macadamia facial (I didn’t know that existed either) during the tour! There’s a lot more you can do with these nuts than I had imagined!

Lastly, I’m preparing to leave Antigua in just under one week. Time is flying! That being said, many people have been asking me, “Sooo….how’s your Spanish?” My answer is that Spanish learning is a process and fluency will come gradually. Some days I have full conversations with ease while others are more of a struggle. Little by little, I’m steadily improving. I’m excited to be finishing the program here at the school in the next week, which gives me time to simply work on my conversation and perfecting my grammar. I’m sure Spanish in the DR will bring its own challenges, but that’s all part of the process!

All of my grammar books!

Once again, I cannot express enough thanks to all of my supporters who have helped me get to this point. None of the work in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic would be possible without people like you. It’s a lot harder to believe in the work of an organization without physically seeing the results and for the faith of many of you who do that, I am so grateful. Your prayers and donations reach much farther, helping to provide for the basic needs of children in the Dominican Republic and at Kids Alive sites around the world. Thank you!