I keep getting into little fights with Guatemala to make it easier. I think to myself, in a moment of frustration, "Gosh, I won't miss X at all." X is usually along the lines of too much attention, or slow customer service. Then, the moment passes, I see it in another light, and I realize that I probably will miss those things. I won't miss cat calls, but it will be strange completely blending into a crowd. There will be days when I would love to be put on hold or wait a long time for the check to come at a restaurant just so I can look around a little longer or read the paper. Guatemala and I always make up in the end.
The big difference here is that, instead of throwing out trinkets and putting pictures in storage, I am running around like a cruise ship tourist who spent all morning at the coffee bar, gathering little reminders of Guatemala to incorporate into my new life. If people in my new home can't entirely appreciate my experience, at least they can appreciate my decorating (or not, but they certainly won't miss it).
It's always the decorating that takes me away for a little while, like a pint of Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra. I start thinking of incorporating Guatemalan textiles into my apartment and it leads to thinking about all the wonderful ways that I can incorporate Guatemala into the rest of my life. I am going back to school to get my certificate in medical translation and interpretation while I complete prerequisites in psychology. I hope to go on to get my Masters and PsyD in clinical psychology with a focus on intercultural and trauma psychology. I am in contact with a local hospital and will be volunteering in a program to help Latino families eat healthy and have fun exercising with their children. I found a local group that meets once a week just to speak in Spanish. I am already in love with the next phase of my life, and Guatemala will always be at least a little part of that.
