Hola from Antigua! It is my second day here and unsurprisingly, esta lloviendo. The nice thing about being here during the rainy season is that the air becomes cooler. The abundance of mosquitos however...is not so nice.
I arrived yesterday afternoon to la casa de mi host familia and, with internet access and filtered water and buena comida, I am living la vida rica. The above picture is my small room: comfortable bed, headboard thing, and a desk and chair. It's quaint and cozy, but I look forward to Thursday when I get to move to a larger room.
Though only day two, my host family already tests my poor spanish skills. Luckily, two other Americans happen to be staying here as well so they help with translation and communication. Nonetheless, Carolina, my host mom, still exclaims, "Espanol, Bic-tor-re-ya!"
Overall, I still find being here kind of unreal. Last night I went to a 'Murica celebration party with the two Americans, Phillip & Kari, and enjoyed pasteles (cake), galletas (cookies), chips and palomitas de maiz (popcorn). Totes American. We, a group of strangers from Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Germany, California, played a lovely game called Celebrity, team Stars vs. team Stripes (again, American), and ultimately, celebrated the Fourth in style.
Yesterday was just a nice "bienvenidos a Guatemala." I woke up this morning, ate panqueques con miel, took a tuk tuk to God's Child, attended orientation (where I discovered what exactly I'll be doing), returned a la casa, and then, ventured into the city. I walked dozens of blocks as I added minutes to my new cell phone, discovered the central parque, and bargained for tarjetas de postal. Despues de almuerzo, it began to rain and here I am.
Tomorrow I look forward to start volunteering. God's Child offers a variety of jobs through their four locations: Casa Jackson, the Dreamer Center, the homeless shelter, and the Scheel Center. I've asked to experience each and will surprise you all tomorrow about which experience is first. :)