Host Family

Guatemala, Mi Amor (Day Two): Knocking on the Door

March 31, 2024April 5, 2024 First Person ForeignAbuelita

I hadn’t made it to my house when I saw a familiar face on the corner. She was holding a young hand, the eldest of Doña Cecilia and I couldn’t remember the father’s name. “Y mi[…]

T-Minus Guatemala (Peace Corps Ending): Ringing That Bell

April 10, 2019April 10, 2019 First Person ForeignChanges

I’ve imagined the bell-ringing since the third week of service. An RPCV (return Peace Corps Volunteer) finished her service as we were starting ours, and she had a ceremony and she was kind enough to[…]

T-Minus Guatemala (Peace Corps Ending): Leaving Santa Clara La Laguna, My Home

April 7, 2019April 10, 2019 First Person ForeignAbuelita

The Wednesday before my departure was a dress rehearsal. I’ll explain what I mean by that. I had to go into the office for medical stuff, and for a meeting. I don’t recommend leaving site[…]

Hi-Lo 5: Pascuas

December 22, 2018December 22, 2018 First Person ForeignAbuelita

This morning I woke up, for some reason, at 8. In Guatemala there is a thing called Madrugada. It means the hour you wake up in the morning. We don’t have a word for this[…]

Fin de Semana with My Golden Ladies

November 6, 2018November 7, 2018 First Person ForeignAbuelita

My host family and I can kick it with K’iche’ slang. Do not get me wrong, they are respectful, dignified and hard-working women, but from time to time we like to say things that elicit[…]

The Big Cry, Part Two

March 11, 2018March 11, 2018 First Person ForeignBeauty

Continued from The Big Cry (Part One) Clara saw my tears, grabbed my bags and helped me up the concrete steps, my host mom following behind. I immediately went for the medical kit and took[…]

The Big Cry, Part One

March 11, 2018March 11, 2018 First Person ForeignChanges

In January of 2016, I looked at one button on my computer screen. It was an “Accept Peace Corps Service in Guatemala, September 2016-December 2018” button. I had to click the button then press “Submit.”[…]

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

September 24, 2017October 19, 2017 First Person Foreign75 Words in Guatemala

And here’s where I am 3 hours after my ankle-spraining. Eventually, it’s time to move upstairs to my apartment. This is not going to be easy. I’ve got the crutches, thank God, ice for the[…]

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[…]

Learning a Language | Half of sentences…

May 13, 2017 First Person ForeignBlank Slate

When I met Training Host Mom Rosa Maria, she was very patient and spoke slowly. I told her Spanish was ‘difícil’ for me before I knew the phrase “me cuesta.” And she told me “pero[…]