Cultural Difference

El Reposo (or.. when I fell) | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

September 24, 2017September 24, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

I’m experiencing this ankle sprain on every level: the writer in me is taking copious mental notes, the foreigner is overwhelmed at how rattled they are by a sprained ankle and the human is simply[…]

El Tobillo (or.. when I fell) | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

September 24, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

Before that day, that fateful afternoon, I could say wrist, liver, distinguished, decade, hallucinogen, family planning and chemotherapy in Spanish, but not ankle. So when I called my host sister and said “Yo necesito ayudo[…]

La maña | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

September 6, 2017September 6, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

In 2015 my friend had a baby. Many of my friends have made a hobby out of birthing babies. It’s like my version of crafting. She told me that her mother-in-law, who is from Central[…]

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[…]

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[…]

Mucha Bulla | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

June 11, 2017June 11, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

When I moved to site, I treated myself to my first ever bluetooth, wireless speaker. I’m not one for keeping up on technology trends, not until they aren’t exciting and new anymore, then I consider[…]

High Fives! Six Month Anniversary in Peace Corps

June 10, 2017June 10, 2017 First Person ForeignBeauty

HIGH FIVES WE DID IT. You and me, 6 months! You know the moment in School of Rock when Jack Black high fives all his students and runs out of the school before they’ve even[…]

Mujeron | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

May 20, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

I’m a new woman! Actually, I’m exactly the same. But I’ve had a Mayan makeover (I couldn’t resist the alliteration). I finally acquired a complete set of traje típico: güipil, corte and faja. A Güipil[…]

Machismo | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

May 7, 2017May 7, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

This is about gender roles/roles de género as I see it. My writing shares my opinion, experience and reflections. I can’t speak for the whole country of Guatemala, in fact I don’t speak for Guatemala[…]