First Person Foreign

Extravío | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

September 5, 2017September 5, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

Shortcut. I’d never heard the word. I think I looked it up one other time, but like imperfecto de subjunctivo, it didn’t stick. And the term I found wasn’t extravío, it was something else. In[…]

Terremoto | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

September 4, 2017September 4, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

In Guatemala, temblores/tremors are a part of life. Terremotos son otras cosas, they are earthquakes. Terremotos jumble the earth. My host family asked: “Do you have them in your home?” and la verdad es no,[…]

First Time Back | Coming Back to Service

September 2, 2017 First Person ForeignBeauty

And I left the cab driver who couldn’t get his payment machine to work for me to leave a tip. I felt a little bad but couldn’t do anything. I went through LaGuardia security heaving[…]

First Time Back | The Last Day in New York

September 2, 2017September 2, 2017 First Person ForeignFamily

On Monday July 3 I woke up in a hotel on the corner of 7th and 51st, Midtown Manhattan. My sister and brother-in-law had already found a place for breakfast/lunch (we slept in!). As we[…]

First Time Back | Sunday in Manhattan

August 27, 2017August 27, 2017 First Person ForeignFamily

Sunday in Manhattan titles my 3rd day on US soil after 9 months out of the country in Peace Corps Guatemala. Monday is my 4th day and on the 4th of July (Tuesday), I leave.[…]

First Time Back | Broadway Reunion & Family Reunions

August 14, 2017August 27, 2017 First Person ForeignFamily

Where did I leave things? My first night of sleep on US soil in a Vacation Rental By Owner in Jersey City, air conditioning puttering, skyline dazzling as I fell into dreams on an orange[…]

First Time Back | Subways and Panini

August 14, 2017August 27, 2017 First Person ForeignChanges

Before I “get into it,” I want to affirm how great my family is, on so many levels, and I appreciate them perhaps more than ever because absence, time and tortillas make the heart grow fonder.[…]

First Time Back | A Peace Corps’ Brain on Fire

August 12, 2017August 27, 2017 First Person ForeignBlank Slate

On July 1, my cousin got married. After 9 months outside the US of A, I was returning for 5 days. In late March I bit the bullet and bought the ticket from Guatemala to[…]

“Vaya” le dije yo | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

August 6, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

It’s hard to isolate single words and explain them, mejor usar frases o cuentas completas, because in this culture when I refer to something I learned I remember it in story form. Responses, answers and[…]

Buen Provecho | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

July 23, 2017July 23, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

“Feliz Cumpleaños” means Happy Birthday, but cumple means “you complete” + “years.” So the term is also used for death anniversaries or any anniversary, every time you complete a year… For example, on July 19[…]