Small Triumphs

T-Minus Guatemala (Peace Corps Ending): Waterfront Wednesday

March 2, 2019March 3, 2019 First Person ForeignBeauty

Our day trip to San Juan La Laguna, Sololá

T-minus Guatemala (Peace Corps Ending): A Lazy Saturday

February 24, 2019February 25, 2019 First Person ForeignBeauty

One of my last Saturdays in site.

The Double Graduation Day

December 9, 2018December 10, 2018 First Person ForeignHard Thing

I write this post to recount an especially long day. Some days do feel very long in Peace Corps, and as boring as it feels sometimes to be in the pueblo, a lot can happen[…]

Maestra de Inglés

September 15, 2018September 15, 2018 First Person ForeignBeauty

Maestra de Inglés, English teacher. I’ve always wondered if the word Maestra and Master are related. Either way, I’ve never had such a title. When I gave a diplomado in early 2018, I wanted to[…]

Touring vs. Foreigning | Encountering Tourists while in Peace Corps

June 3, 2018 First Person ForeignGuatemala

I’m a long-term foreigner with an expiration date. The following terms don’t quite apply: transplant, resident or visitor. Each of those has a defining set of circumstances that doesn’t fit that of a Peace Corps[…]

Agallas | 75 Palabras in Guatemala

December 18, 2017December 18, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

October 30th, 2017: Tonight I switched on National Geographic in the hotel. The brownish tile floors, standard flat but not sinking mattresses and the thin blanket are all second nature. But the showers have hot[…]

A Year of Being Foreign: My One-Year Anniversary in Guatemala!

October 2, 2017October 2, 2017 First Person ForeignBeauty

Here are my: (fairly) Unfiltered Thoughts on Volunteering, Privilege, and the Impact of (Elected) Foreignness in the course of Peace Corps Service Year One. I made it! One Year In Guatemala. What could be lovelier?[…]

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[…]

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[…]