This purpose of this blog is to share my experiences while working and living in Antigua, Guatemala. Please enjoy!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The Man on The Moon

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 LIFT OFF. More or less anyway. I’m sitting on the Dartmouth Coach – we just pulled out of the bus station and I’m waving a teary-eyed goodbye at my mom. Chau mama, te extrañaré sinceremente.

It’s the first leg of my journey, and the driver has put on a movie about the story of the first men to land on the moon. I suppose it’s suiting for my trip to Guatemala. While I’m not going to the moon, I’m certainly going to unfamiliar territory where countless things, good and bad, could happen.

I’m excited and nervous – anxious. I’m comforted by the fact that MaJo (pronounced Ma-ho) will be meeting at the airport with a shuttle to take me to my hostel. Apparently she’ll help me get situated in my new surroundings and to find a cell phone. Antigua is supposed to be a really nice place, probably the most sought-out tourist destination in the country. Three volcanoes surround it! It seems safer and a bit more globalized than perhaps some of the other parts of the country.

I hope to find and meet a lot of people from around the world, spend time with them, and learn from both our similarities and differences. I can’t wait to try the food, hear the music, speak the language, and feel the culture of yet another country. I’m eager to see my hostel, and where and how I’ll be living for the next 60 days or so.

The biggest concern I had before leaving was whether or not to bring my computer, especially because my hard drive was recently stolen or misplaced, so none of my files were backed up. My security and safety worried me. Although Antigua may be a safer pocket of the country, Guatemala is still nonetheless a third world, developing country with many issues including immense poverty, oppression of its native population, an intensifying gap between the rich and poor, and drug and human trafficking.

However, I’ve thought about my experiences abroad already, and realized that the biggest defense I embody is my prior experience. I know how to be smart and how to avoid certain situations. I comforted myself knowing that I’m fluent in Spanish and that if put in a compromising situation, I’d be able to ask for help. I then thought about my work and what is expected of me as an intern. Having a computer would make things much easier, especially because free WiFi is offered in both of the hostels I’m staying. So, considering the amount of work that involves my computer, and the additional comfort of having my family and friends only a Skype call away, I opted to carry it along (hence my blogging to pass the time).

As the bus ride is coming to an end, so is the movie, and I realize a couple things. First of all, unlike the first mission to the moon, not the whole world is watching me. Yes, I have important work to do, and people that my skills and results should impress, but this experience goes both ways. I know that I will help a lot of women reach an economical and psychological status that they deserve, and that without me, may not be quite as attainable. At the same time, I’ll be improving my Spanish, expanding my global perspective, and adding to a portfolio that, in the long run, will show off what I have to offer.

Secondly, I’m reminded of the words of Buzz Aldrin, one of the three astronauts from the first journey to the moon. At take-off, when asked if he was scared, he said, “No, we were not scared. Until something happens, then we’ll get scared.” He helps me to understand that the unknown should not be feared, and that there is in fact a difference between worry and fear. Of course I worry that something could go wrong, but at the same time I don’t want to waste my entire time in Guatemala thinking that there is a possibility that I get robbed or food poisoning. Nest sent me on this mission to help, to learn, and to experience, not to fear. I realize that it’s ok to be nervous, to have expectations, and to make this experience my own. Can’t wait until it begins!

No comments:

Post a Comment