New Lands

New Lands

It’s always strange for me to get to a new place. I suppose it is for everyone. You’re trying to take it all in and at the same time put it in reference to other places you might have been or might know. It’s no different now that I’m in Guatemala. I find myself comparing it to Costa Rica and Mexico and Ghana and Seattle. I suppose in a way I’m not doing a very good job of living in the present. For our first three nights in country we’re at the Peace Corps training center in Santa Maria Altas Milpas. Some folks are staying with a family for a few days and the rest of us are in a “hotel”. It’s pretty rustic, but certainly meets any minimum standard I might (or might not) have. Running water has been hit or miss and hot water takes some technique controlling the water pressure. These three days are an orientation to the country and the Peace Corps and a chance to get to know our group better. We were fortunate to gain a couple who had just finished up a two-year Peace Corps assignment to Jamaica. They are good people (of course) and I think they will add a great deal to our training group. Saturday we will be sent out to live with families. We will be grouped by our language ability and the project we’re working on. Our group of 33 will be broken into 10 sub-groups, although we will be getting together at least once a week for the next 12-weeks. I did have time (and motivation) to get a run in this afternoon. It’s always a good opportunity to think and see new things. It’s a common perspective of new places for me. At the end of the run I couldn’t help but think “I’m glad to be here”.