Upon returning, my mom said, “it doesn’t sound like the trip was that great, huh?” It was great... I had lots of incredible experiences that would be highlights of an ordinary packaged trip (guided trek, bus tour, study abroad program...)
These included:
-playing soccer with middle school girls
-drinking atol while watching chicks hide under their mother
-learning to wash clothes in a pila
-learning to make tortillas after taking the corn to the mill to grind
-learning to bathe in a Chuj
-getting an impromptu Q’anjob’al lesson from an old lady in a store
-being invited to stay in a house
-putting a little girl’s shoes on the right feet
-playing “which toy did I take away?” with a little boy
-watching a marimba band rock out in a wood shop
-having many “where are you going?” conversations with old people who speak no Spanish
But, I lacked many other everyday experiences... like walking on pavement, recycling a bottle, having a bathroom inside the house, turning on a faucet, or hanging out with anyone. I think the following things would have made my trip much better:
-having another outsider with me
-having a cell phone
-having a bigger project
-having a deck of cards
-staying with a family the whole time
-paying subjects
-knowing about the supermarket in Soloma
Having weighed the pros and cons- and without really being sure if it’s a classic case of liking what you suffer for- I’m somewhat sure I want to go back at some point in the next year. For one thing, the Peace Corps folks will still be there, and since I’m in SLA, it might be time for me to study people learning Q’anjob’al as a second language- I’d be able to study not only Jim and Emily, and the two new volunteers in a nearby site, but also Mariana and whoever else I can scare up who married a Q’anjob’al speaker. For another thing, why not put to use the connections I made and the tips I learned this trip? So, who wants to go with me?
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