As I was sitting at my kitchen table/counter, eating cheerios (that I miraculously found one town over) with water instead of milk (because my box of milk had become a solid) I had the incredible realization that someday, I will miss this.
I also came to the conclusion that my secret ring had been compromised as I woke up to someone ringing my bell 3x in a row (now the code’s really compromised) starting at 6ish this morning and naturally, despite the fact that my landlords and their whole family are here for the holidays, I was the first one to get my ass out of bed to answer the door -and I’m thinking…that’s got to stop.
The family I’m sharing the house with/renting from has apparently shared the ring-code with others because it was one of the workers who rang 3x this morning, having arrived to start the day’s construction on the patio.
Oh…Construction on the patio…For the last few weeks or so I have been awakened not to the sweet sound of marimba practice (in my front room, where the marimba mysteriously appeared one day to ruin my peace and quiet), not to the squishing/squashing sound of the mother doing all her boys’ laundry (I say boys…despite the fact that the majority are over 20) or even exclusively with a headache from the aroma of exhaust seeping in through my window from the mechanic shop next door but, to a symphony of machetes chopping, power tools singing, squeaky wheelbarrows and (my personal favorite) various men hocking up phlegm. All of this is happening about 2 feet outside my windows/door and thus, with an overture of 3 chimes of my doorbell, it begins again- the noise that only exists in the United States after 8-9AM, on M-F (and sometimes never) but, in Guatemala happens at every hour of every day and so, I find myself awake and writing.
It’s probably for the best as I owe an entry about my trip to the beach for thanksgiving. As was projected, everything was better at the beach. The sun was incredible and despite my vigilance with the spf I came home with a peeling nose and a layer of skin the demanded the continual application of lotion to preserve the tan.
The beach was great. The black sand burned our feet as we raced down to the water and the waves crashed around us as we laughed at each other’s misfortune at being knocked down. Once we’d gotten our fill of being thrashed by the waves we would return to our little oasis by the pool and read our books, play on the slack line, snack, nap and drink cocktails while appreciating the sunset.
Thanksgiving dinner was a big operation this year. I was in charge of stuffing and found premium ingredients in Antigua to make it delicious. I used garlic bread that I found at Dona Luisa’s bread shop to make into croutons and then mixed it with cooked, ground, Italian sausage that I found at Epicure restaurant & delicatessen, and sautéed celery, carrots, onions, and mushrooms which I then covered in vegetable stock and baked in the oven.
I love stuffing.
Then there was mashed potatoes, pasta, vegetable medley’s, baked chickens, sangria, stuffed mushrooms, hummus, eggplant, bread, and molten chocolate cake. It was a really lovely time to be with friends and enjoy a home-cooked, holiday meal. Then, without further ‘ado it was time to return to our sites… and our normal meals of pasta with ranchera sauce.
Upon my return to my site I treated myself to a Christmas tree, adorned it with colored lights and watched them blink as I fall asleep. It would feel more like Christmas if it was actually snowy or even overcast here but, the truth is, it’s been really beautiful. Even as I write now, at 8AM there is sunshine streaming in through the gaps in my curtains and my thermometer tells me that it is 70 degrees outside. Sometimes at night I put on the video fireplace, plug in the Christmas tree and read a book in an attempt to trick myself into believing I’m somewhere else but then, inevitably someone will start playing some horrible ranchera music and I know where I am.
To celebrate the holiday ambiance I tried to create, Mari and I decided to cook a Christmas-y feast and watch all the Christmas movies we had in our possession so we made chicken rolls with contained the colors green, red and white and watched, The Grinch, Love Actually, Bridget Jones, Harry Potter, and Hellboy II (some of these were a stretch…obviously but, if there was a Christmas scene or snow we decided it was close enough).
I’m really bummed to not be going home for Christmas. I know that I will be home soon enough but I feel sad all the same. I thought I had something special to do this year when I was dating that horrible person, but that turned out to be a complete disaster and now I am alone and stupidly thinking of all of the things I was looking forward to that will not be happening now. So lame.
It didn’t really help that all of the people that I’m really close with here have all elected to go home for Christmas this year; I found myself posting on face book trying to figure out who would be in the country this year to find someone, anyone to hang out with. After asking around I found a few people who would be here and called them to invite myself to do whatever they were doing. I hate inviting myself to things, I know that it’s probably fine but I always think- what if they didn’t want me to come but they didn’t know how to say, “no”? I mean, shit, it’s the holidays right? How grinchy would you feel saying, “no” to someone who would otherwise be alone on Christmas? Buh.
So, I asked, I asked to not be alone on Christmas and now I won’t be. I am going to go with a couple of my fellow PCVs to the beach to lay, eat food, read, and be merry.
I’m excited to get to know both of these people better and to get back to the beach for a little relaxation.
When I get back from the beach I am planning on spending a few days in my site and then heading to Antigua to celebrate the end of this year, the beginning of a new one, Mari’s birthday, and the two-year in-country mark!
On Christmas day I will have exactly 3 months until my official Close of Service date. Time has flown by and I am ready for the next phase of my life to begin.
GUH so...It took a million an a half years trying upload the pictures on here so, I had to stop. For next time you can all look forward to pictures about all the things I talked about and bonus glamour shots I took of my stuffed animal bunny rabbit. It was one of those 2PM on a Tuesday type situations. Try and contain your excitement.
Thanks to all of my friends for the support- the emails, packages and cards. You make me feel loved.
So, until next time, MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH & HAPPY NEW YEAR!
XOXO!
