it's been one week already!?

My history class got cancelled this morning so I actually have some time to update this (thank you for being extra rainy this morning Panahichel). I cannot believe a whole week has already gone by! It went by so quickly, but I feel like I have been here for so long! I love this country more than words can express, espeically Antigua. I have met some of the most wonderful people so far. Everyone on this trip gets along so well I cannot believe we've only known each other for one week. Today is also the official one-week-iversary of my brothel aka homestay. It's so rare to find such a group of girls who click so instantly. I cannot imagine myself spending my time here with a more wonderful family. We have become just that so quickly - a family (who ever knew family could so easily stem from 6 college-aged girls, a single grandmother, the family friend Luis, and a turtle named Luci).

Like I said, this past week was such a whirlwind. I have classes everyday, but I don't start my internship until July because all the kids here are still on break. I'm trying to enjoy my T/TH mornings free while they last. Tuesday night most of the group went out to Mono Loco, one of the gringo bars in town because it was Ladiesssss Night (40 Q for a drink - which factors less than $.50). It was great to get most of the group together outside of CIRMA. The rest of the week was pretty chill. Friday we all went to Guatemala City for the day. It's a pretty short bus ride - about 45 minutes. On the way there, I tried to get some reading done for history and there was something so poetic about listening to the world cup in Spanish on the radio while reading the history of the country I am driving through.

We were supposed to go to the National Palace, but due to 'presidential activity' we couldn't go in when we first got there (by presidential activity, I mean it was the equivalent of teacher's appreciation day and there was a ceremony inside). We just wandered la cuidad for a while (three words which I do not think should really be put together - wandered and guatemala city that is - but none the less...) and ended up hanging out in a cafe for about an hour. We fianly did make it in the Palace, which is just like a museum now. I'm not one who's crazy for historical buildings, but it was nice to see. We had lunch, then went to this exhibition called ¿Por qué estamos como estamos? (why we are the way we are) which was totally interesting, but we were all so very exahusted from walking around in the heat all day. The drive back was much longer - almost 2 hours, but that was only a prelude to what we'll be experiencing this weekend in which we will be taking an 11 (well according to our driver Josue, but I'm not sure I still entirely believe him) hour bus ride to Peten.

The rest of the weekend was muy fantastico! Friday night we went out dancing. I probably lost a couple pounds in sweat at the club we went to, my clothes are probably still soaked, but it was worth it. It was a really great night and overall just made me really excited about all the fun we're going to have the rest of the trip. Saturday the brothel (which by the way, is my house. We have 6 students that live there, which is more than any other homestay and it's all girls. We originally came up with the term 'brothel' because in PA you can't have more than a certain number of women living in a house or else it's considered a brothel. Also, our mama is single but has a close male family friend who is always there, so all signs pointed to brothel. The group as a whole has also affectionately adopted the name as well.) went to a coffee plantation in Jocotenango. We toured the coffee museum and Mayan music museum there. It was a very typical educational excursion, but very fun! We were gonna go to the market later that day, but after going home and eating lunch, we were all exhausted and decided to take a lonnnng siesta. One of my roommates, Michelle, and I went out Saturday night and met up with some other people from the group. It was weird not being out all 6 of us, but we still had a very good time. We just kinda hopped around Antigua all night, went to 2 bars, went dancing for a bit, but I don't think you could have a bad time in this town if you tried! Sunday was homework allllll day! We moved into Cafe Barista, which apparently was the thought of basically all of CIRMA because the majority of us were there! I wasn't feeling too well (most of us had been kinda sick this weekend) so I went back and took a nap. I did work the rest of the night, though, and was feeling better.

I know I've said this a million times, but I just wish I could find the words to express how amazing of an experience this is. I truly feel at home here. Every day I am amazed that it is more beautiful that the one before even when I feel it can't get any better