Adventures In Guatemala (and elsewhere): Updates

Random updates:

Okay, so I meant to write a post about hitting the year mark, but definitely forgot, I think. Whoops. So here is the skinny on my life right nooowww:

· I have almost officially been in country for 14 months, just a little shy of a week till I hit that mark.

· We have recently lost three people from my group, which is super sad, and it was hard to see people go, but understandable (pour a shot for our fallen homies)

· This past month has been insane, two weeks ago alone there was work to be done with an NGO, a health fair, a public speaking event and two big community dinners. Boom.

before

day 1

day 2

day 3!

Natali

· I officially have a plane ticket back to visit everyone stateside. June 13^th! I hope to see all of you guys then! I am stupid excited about this and actually have a countdown

· I have been significantly less sick this year than I have been in a long time

· I bought a fridge (this might have something to do with the factoid above this one)

· I am taking k’iche classes again “sakarik, utz awach?” “good morning, how are you?”

· I recently had the privilege of hanging out with my friend Col and her parents that were visiting and ate hella bougey, and even showered twice in nice hotels. That brings up my yearly shower total to 11 for anyone interested in counting

View from the hotel:

·
I have a girlfriend, and I am pretty happy about it. Like, label and all, woah. #adulting

Hotties.

· I have less than a year of service in country.

· I have officially started the process of looking at grad schools, as of now I am leaning towards University of Tennessee for their social work degree.

· Mid-service is coming up which means two full days of things like talking about our futures, feelings and then pooping in cups to make sure we don’t all have parasites or something worse! My life is SO glamorous.

· I am becoming increasingly more apprehensive about how to converse with non-PC people during the visit. Notes to self, speak only English, don’t talk about poop, don’t talk about PC all the time, don’t talk about poop. Don’t ask random people you just met their age, religious affiliation, marital/parental statuses, or if they have had diarrhea lately. This is pretty much what all of my conversations consist of here. Also, don’t kiss people on the cheek or give them a closed fist to shake if your hands are dirty. No one knows what to do with that.

· Heads up for all you all, I salsa dance now, so prepare for that, because I am basically Enrique Iglesias, except a girl, not Latin, and nothing like him at all.

Here are some other random fun pictures from recent months: