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Arrival into Site: The First Morning

January 5, 2017 First Person ForeignBlank Slate

On my first night: As we eat, I look over at Doña Clara at 88 years old as she calmly eats. As her daughter teaches me K’iche words, she erupts in laughter, her body doesn’t[…]

La Chiflada | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

October 28, 2016October 28, 2016 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

Amanda is my first CBT friend. CBT is culture-based training, it just means the 9 weeks we live in a community and learn Guatemala. They have acronyms for everything because government. I am very lucky because[…]

El Profe | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

October 21, 2016February 19, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

Profe (Pro-fay) is the name for a male teacher in Guatemala. His Peace Corps title is LCF- Language and Cultural Facilitator. But I am not about to call that man LCF. He is my Profe.[…]

Language Class, 7th day in Guatemala

October 5, 2016February 19, 2017 First Person ForeignBlank Slate

My first week in Guatemala! Bailamos! I stood over the pila tonight, brushing my teeth and wondering about my 20s and how I got to 30. It’s the stuff you shouldn’t think about when you’re[…]

Sick. 6th Day in Guaté, 7th Day in Peace Corps

October 5, 2016February 19, 2017 First Person ForeignBlank Slate

Well it wasn’t before long that I was in the infirmary, laying on a bed of Guatemalan textiles, crying. I had my first in-country cry, and that was about Nana. This was my first in-country-WTF-cry*.[…]

Health & Safety & Hip-Hop & Privilege: Day Two in Guatemala, Day Three in Peace Corps

October 2, 2016February 19, 2017 First Person ForeignBlank Slate

At the end of a day as long this election season, we gathered in a circle. We were down two volunteers (one: sick, one: ready for bed). Today, there were several wake-up calls, one right[…]

“Alaska, You’re the Best Kind of Breaking My Heart!”

September 28, 2016September 28, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

I’m going to tell you something about Ketchikan that no one knows: the clouds are drippy faucets in clever marshmallow costumes. A few years ago I fell in love with John Green. He writes Youth[…]

The Scrambled Departure: Leaving the Rainforest

September 19, 2016September 20, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

Yesterday: Dude. I just got hit by a mack truck called Alaska. It’s none of the things you might visualize. I wasn’t even crossing the street. I crossed the Tongass Narrows on a 1.25 minute ferry[…]

“This place is a vortex” Conversations in Alaska, 14 of 50

September 18, 2016September 18, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

There’s a kid who works at the Doughnut shop/catch-all kiosk in the center of Salmon Landing, first floor. I think he’s there in the afternoons, as I scoot by with a cart full of salmonberry[…]

Til the Last Drip | Leaving the Rainforest, 1

September 15, 2016September 15, 2016 First Person ForeignAlaska

I’m not one for schmaltz. Who Am I Kidding. I am one for Schmaltz. You know the scene in The Sound of the Music (the lovely film) when Julie Andrew’s Maria is dancing with the[…]