Bienvenidos a Xela!

Some thoughts from last night...

 

July 11, 2006

9:15pm

 

Our first full day is officially ending as we´ve returned to our humble little room and climbed into bed.  We had a much needed conversation and are beginning to find words to articulate just what we are experiencing.

 

In the summer of 1999, after my Sophomore year at Rhodes, I took a trip halfway around the world to the small yet infamous country of Nepal.  About ten days into my trip, as I was desperately trying to rescue my mind and body from depression, isolation and generally being overwhelmed, I made myself a promise -- one that would ultimately help turn that trip into an overwhelmingly positive life-changing experience.

 

I promised myself that no matter how far I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone -- no matter how utterly overwhelming those first 10 days had been in Nepal as I struggled with the harsh reality of third world poverty -- as my worldview was being shattered with each passing moment in ways even the most eloquent authors and guidebooks could not prepare me for...

 

I promised myself that I would not back down.  I would not let my fear and discomfort in those circumstances force me back into my shell.  I would hold my head up, keep my eyes wide open, and seize the day.

 

But more than that, I promised myself to be intentional and reflective about what I was feeling.  I wanted to particularly remember the struggles, mentally and emotionally, that I felt were strong enough to qualify (at least in grandiose writing) as worldview shattering.  Because I knew there was great potential to look back on those first 10 days at the end of all 60 and think they weren´t all that difficult -- that I was overreacting and simply a naive, wealthy, privileged, white American who couldn´t grasp *real* poverty.  I wanted to remember my struggles and let them remain active in my memory.

 

I say all of this because this first full day in Guatemala has forced me to recall and renew that promise I made 7 short years ago.  I´m still a wealthy, privileged, white American, though hopefully a little less naive.  And now I find myself in a similar situation.  I´m overwhelmed once again by life -- my own and most certainly those of my new neighbors.  I´m saddened and fascinated, scared and empowered.  I´m struggling to cope and just trying to let it all soak in.

 

There´s no doubt that the intensity and weight of this trip was put into hyper-speed after a slightly rough start.  The night before we left the states we realized our water purifier didn´t work -- no big deal.  We arrive at our bed & breakfast in Guatemala City after smooth flights only to realize we´d left our one and only travel guide in the States -- how silly of us.  We get up today, made the 4 1/2 hour bumpy bus ride to Xela and taxied straight to Celas Maya (our school) where, in the process of paying the taxi fare, I managed to "lose" my wallet (driver´s license, credit cards, US cash, freshly changed quetzales...even some Jamaican honeymoon money) -- a sincere inconvenience to say the least, but the careful pre-planning meant copies of the cards at least made it easy to call and cancel.  This was a larger bump because it was much more personal, and I can´t say for sure if it happened due to sheer stupidity and my dropping the wallet in the back seat of the taxi, or if the two kids who immediately walked by as we exited the taxi and took care of our luggage managed to work their magic and take my property.  Neither thought is settling, but I´ll live with both.  If that weren´t enough, Liz and I took an afternoon stroll to buy bath towels and wander the city.  It was nice -- particularly the part with the chocolate con leche that was to die for! (be jealous Peter) -- but we got home to realize that we´d somehow managed to "lose" the pink Minnie Mouse toalla Liz excitedly chose from the small fabric store.  She´d put it in her backpack and possibly pulled it out in the cafe (where we´ll check when they open).  That was like a final punch in the gut -- a kick after we were already down and crying.

 

These experiences and stories are already very real -- more so than we´d hoped for in ONE DAY!  But we have clean drinking water, will find a used travel guide or continue writing our own, have the money and credit cards Liz was carrying, and we can share a single towel for the time being.

 

The second half of my seven year old promise was this -- if and when I took another trip that would be as challenging, I wanted to share the experience with someone else.  Luckily, and best of all, Liz and I have each other to get through these experiences one day at a time.

 

Here´s to better days!

 

Hasta mañana,

Roberto