I’m sure you guys don’t want to hear bathroom talk but I pretty much spent most of my time last week in the bathroom… it was not a pretty site but I’m surprised I made it 2 and a half months without getting sick. I caught some sort of stomach bug from who knows what and so Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I was stuck in bed. Good thing I had Susie to take care of me! There’s nothing worse than feeling sick and not being in your house let alone not being able to speak your own language to explain how you feel or what’s going on. Susie was so worried about me and kept calling the doctor while I was trying to convince her that all I needed was some gatorade, Dramamine, the bathroom, and my bed. I have never felt so vulnerable…. Being in someone else’s house in a different country while feeling like I’m on my deathbed and wanting to be anywhere else but Guatemala almost pushed me over the edge. For the first time I got a little homesick but while I was lying in bed waiting for the next wave of sickness to hit me I thought to myself…. “You know Maddie this is the first of many times that you are going to be sick or be faced with an obstacle or difficult situation in the next 2 years and that’s all part of the experience so you can choose to be a wimp and feel like it’s the end of the world or you can learn how to overcome it, get through it, and be stronger because of it.” So I chose not to complain about being sick, and I got through it with the help of an awesome host family, and now I feel like I can handle anything thrown my way J I view it as a blessing in disguise because when you’re sick your true colors come out, and I was able to become even closer with my host family and it made me realize how much they care about me… Susie was bringing me Gatorade and crackers and Kathia and Sheyla laid in bed with me and let me watch tv in English even though they couldn’t even understand one word. I got to watch the movie Role Models and two episodes of Friends! They did a good job of making me feel better, and I feel so blessed to have them in my life knowing that they’re there for me through all my ups and downs!
I was finally feeling better by Saturday, so I went with Susie and the fam to a nearby town called Chimaltenango. We packed lunch and all 8 of us piled in the family pickup truck and headed into town. We shopped around and then had a picnic lunch at the mall. It was great to spend so much time with my host family. They just view me as one of their kids… teasing me and dragging me along to different stores. It was a good day! It’s always weird to go to the mall because I go from living in a small town with people wearing traditional clothing and living in small houses with lots of dirt and a bucket bath to a mall that’s just like a mall in the U.S. It always cracks me up when I see people at the mall dressed in their traditional Guatemalan clothes eating McDonald’s or Taco Bell. I always ask myself “Where the heck am I?” It is definitely a weird feeling because at the mall they sell normal products like giant flat screen tvs, furniture, and American type clothing so I feel like I’m back in the U.S but then I step outside and remember that I’m in Guatemala. It’s a little overwhelming so I don’t really like going to the mall that often but it was a good family outing.
I woke up really early Sunday morning and made French toast for the family. They loved it!!! I mean who doesn’t like French toast? They thought it was like the greatest breakfast ever invented and were surprised when I told them how easy it is to make! I had to redeem myself from the bean burger incident, and I think this totally made up for it. After breakfast I went to Antigua for the day with the rest of the trainees because we had a free day. It’s always nice to get away for a day and speak English and enjoy some good food and drinks in Antigua. I apparently didn’t get the memo but it was bring your dog Sunday in Antigua and there were literally hundreds of dogs there. Almost every person I passed on the street was walking a dog and the park was filled with them. Poor Suki got left at home so I’ll have to take him next time. He still has no hair on his back from where I spilled water on him… I guess it’ll just have to be his trademark.
Yesterday we visited a Macadamia nut farm on the outskirts of Antigua. It was awesome!! This guy from San Francisco and his Guatemalan wife own the farm and make all sorts of macadamia nut products like macadamia flour, butter, chocolate and other goodies. The farm is also a spa and they have cute little tiki hut looking things with spa baths and massage tables. I could pretty much live there. It was the most relaxed place I’ve experienced yet in Guatemala and also the most vegetation I’ve seen since I’ve been here. There were flowers and trees everywhere (which is rare) and I could actually breathe without feeling like I’m getting black lung. The best part about the place was the bathroom… of course that would be my favorite part J….. it was a little tiki hut with a cedar chip floor and plants all around… very nice ambiance if you ask me. My description doesn’t do it justice so you’ll just have to look at my pictures on facebook! There were also hiking paths with hammocks along the way so it was nice to walk around and reflect on my experience so far. It just felt really good to be somewhere relaxing away from the hustle and bustle of Parramos or the other cities. I could definitely do a weekend retreat there and treat myself to a spa day!
I don’t have too much going on this week… just normal classes and work stuff. Just trying to wrap things up before we head out on our own! I might be heading to the beach this weekend with my friend Maggie and her family so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that that works out… but I am in Guatemala which means nothing is ever for certain. I hope everyone is doing well back in the states! Sending all my love from the Guat!
Also, I just want to give a shout out to my brother Andrew…. WELCOME HOME!!!!!! I’m so proud of you and so happy that you’re home J Can’t wait for you to come visit me! All my love!
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