The Daily Grind

I knew this would happen eventually. In fact, I’m pretty impressed that I’ve made it 6 months already with never a gap of more than 10 days between blogs, but alas, I’ve finally dropped the ball. The truth is life feels pretty normal at this point. The days blur together and the weeks pass quickly as my life here in Guatemala becomes more settled. But that’s not an excuse! I still want to keep you updated on my life and the goings-on here. So let me begin what may be a string of very mundane blogs about my daily existence with a description of what a typical day looks like for me…

I usually wake up to the sound of the neighbor’s chickens and turkeys before my alarm rings. It’s actually become a comforting ritual and allows me time to wipe the sleep out of my eyes and enjoy the stillness before my day begins. Most mornings I throw on a jacket and go for a walk in the hills surrounding my town which helps to remind me that even though I’m in an office most of the day, my town is beautiful and can actually be quite tranquil when all of the street dogs and insane 6 year olds (who are STILL ringing my doorbell at all hours) are still sleeping.

Work starts at 8 after I’ve eaten my breakfast and (maybe) bathed. Typically the morning in my office passes in a mixture of sitting, chatting, more sitting, or me trying to convince my counterparts to help on some sort of project. I leave the office for lunch at 12 (because they insisted that Americans eat lunch at 12 and I might get sick if I don’t stick to my “normal” schedule). The afternoon passes just like the morning, only if I’m lucky someone in the Forestry or Planning offices will be going to a community and I can tag along to see the sights and practice speaking Mam, the local Mayan language, which I am attempting to learn.

Work ends at 4 and I usually use the remaining daylight to play with kids in the park or visit a friend in town. These are my favorite parts of the day…sitting with Doña Mary and joking about whatever cultural mistakes I’ve made during the day, or playing with Alejandra and Maria Victoria (see Christmas cookie pictures).

I make dinner in the evening and write some letters, read a book, or watch a movie and retire at the ridiculously early hour of 9:00. I’m not sure if it’s the effort of thinking and speaking in a different language all day that wears me out, but I have no trouble sleeping 9 or sometimes even 10 hours a night!

I hope that helps you picture what my Guatemalan Peace Corps experience is like at present. The newness has worn off, but I like that living life in a small Guatemalan town feels normal.