A Day in the Life of...

The joy of a puppy

2012-02-05T13:02:00.009-06:00

Last update - Nov. 2010

Where have I been and what have I been doing? I cannot believe that it has been 14 months since I last updated this blog. Once again, I will attempt to be better. I figured the best way to catch up on 14 months was to post one picture from each of those months to give you an idea of what has happened!

November 2011 - This was actually from Oct. 30. Two of my dear friends were married and we had quite the time celebrating.

December 2010 - The family and I headed to Belize to celebrate Christmas. We had a white Christmas, just not the traditional snow covered plains, we spent it laying out on the white sand beaches of Caye Caulker! We had a great time snorkeling, walking on sandy streets, and eating roasted pig!

January 2011 - My old roommate, Randi Johnson, came down for a friends wedding and to be here for New Years. It was great to reconnect with her. We had lots of fun star gazing on the roof, seeing friends, and making new memories.

February 2011 - Inter American School Staff retreat at Irtra! This is always such a treat to have a day off school and be treated to a beautiful time relaxing with my colleagues.

March 2011 - Four day weekend at Monterrico. This is the 'nicest' beach in Guatemala. We were able to release baby turtles into the pacific.

April 2011 - Spring break in London with Mamaw, Emily and Mom.

May 2011 - Spending time with the Brodbecks (Diane and Michael pictured). They are a big part of my experience here. Lots of laughs and good times are always had when we get together.

June 2011 - Time at my mom's on Lake Bisteneau is always a treat. This year we had a few visitors that made the trip extra special. Good thing we ended up not going under!

July 2011 - This summer was filled with many friends and family. I was fortunate that I was able to visit the Hargetts. (After trying to sum up the summer in two pictures, I have realized that I will have to write an additional blog just about summer 2011).

August 2011 - Another Guatemalan wedding of two of my close friends. I am blessed to have such a close group of friends.

September 2011 - Guatemalan independence day is September 15. We had a 4 day weekend so Nicole, Diane and I decided to head to Lake Atitlan. It was a fantastically beautiful day!

October 2011 - I attended an educational conference in Panama City, Panama and I was able to come in a few days early for a nice dive at Coiba National Park. Incredible diving with tons of sharks!

November 2011 - I moved out of my apartment that I had lived in for three years. I traded in a loud church, crowded parking and a downtown location for this view, a yard, and wonderful night noises and star gazing!

December 2011 - Christmas at Lake Bisteneau is always full of adventures. Richard (my sisters boyfriend) and I tried our hands at frying a turkey. The results were delicious, the process was a little messy!

January 2012 - January gets two pictures because I had two wonderful thing happen during this month. My mom and sister came to celebrate my 29th birthday with me. Also, I got my precious dog, Vos.

I am going to try to be better about updating this blog. I will intermittently fill in holes from the 14 months that I missed. I have some great stories and many more pictures to post! I hope you all are doing well!

Playlist

Fractal - The Neighborhood

Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard

Vienna - The Fray

Walk Back In - Keb' Mo'

All Deliberate Speed - Mae

So Long - Rilo Kiley

Hotel Song - Regina Spektor

BBQ Stain - Tim McGraw

I've Got the World On a String - Michael Buble

To Bob Ross With Love - Gym Class Heroes

Falling - Ben Kweller

Pencil Thin Mustache - Jimmy Buffett

A Little More of You - Little Big Town

Paperback Writer - The Beatles

Bartlett Wedding (1 of 2)

2010-11-07T13:41:00.005-06:00

Last weekend, I had the pleasure to attend the first of two weddings of one of my favorite couples, Nicole Sanders and Mau Bartlett. Yes, I did say the first of two. The way it works in Guatemala is you must be married legally before you can get married in the church. Since they are having an out of town wedding, they decided to have a "Xela" wedding and a religious wedding (which will be in December in Antigua). Usually, the civil wedding is smaller and just for close friends and family. Well, if there is a chance to have a party, these two are going to do it! And they did it well.

Mau and Nicole have been an instrumental part of my happiness and family here in Guatemala. They have fed me when I was hungry, they have cried with me what I was crying, they have given me a place to sleep when I get locked out of my house, and most importantly, they have been genuine friends and I couldn't ask for more. So, when it comes to them getting married, of course it's going to be a wonderful celebration and all of our Guatemalan friends were there.

I was also honored to be one of the official witnesses of the marriage. It makes me feel like I am truly a part of the community here. And I think that is where my attitude needs to change a bit because instead of 'feeling' that way, it's realizing that I am a part of the community.

Anyway, the wedding was wonderful and it was great to be apart of it. It was wonderful to have so many friends in one place and it was an honor to be apart of it as well.

Below are a few pictures from the wedding!

Enjoy!

Liz

Oct. 2010

2010-10-24T11:43:00.007-05:00

October of 2010 and here I sit in Guatemala. Am I surprised to still be here? yes. When I came back two years ago to 'study Spanish' and visit friends before I headed south on my journey, I wouldn't have expected to be here two years later. Yes, I have ventured south a few time but it has only been for a short stay. Guatemala and Xela have become my home for now. No, I don't know how long this 'home' will be mine but for now, it is. I have a great job, great friends, and I'm able to live life fully. Could I do these things in another part of the world? Of course. But I have family here. My Spanish is getting good. And there are still a few things that I haven't seen. I discover something new about the culture around me everyday. People want to help you. Yes, the men on the streets get a little annoying but I have come up with ways to quite them. A lot can be said about walking with confidence and addressing them before they have time to address you. I know that with each random post in the last year (a total of two bloggings), I have promised to be more diligent and faithful. Well, this time, I'm not going to make those promises. I just hope that I can get back into the habit of writing and publicly processing. As for now, I will leave you with a few pictures from June until now. A few things that have been important or interesting...

On my way to paradise!

2010-06-06T07:21:00.002-05:00

Well, once again, I am sitting at the end of my school year, trying to reflect on yet another incredible year and I have no idea where to start. I am currently in Eastern Guatemala on my way to Honduras for a week of SCUBA diving. I will be staying on the island of Utila while there. I spent 4 days on Utila during April for Semana Santa and just had to go back. I am traveling with some of my closest friends here and we have had a great time thus far. I fly back into the states June 15 before my 5 week tour to see friends and family.

Like I always say, I will try to update when I have more time. I have quite a bit to share with you. I can leave you with this.

I am happy.

I am living well.

I am living passionately.

I love my life.

2010-03-15T23:07:00.002-05:00

Well friends, I know I have been very neglectful of this blog in 2010 and I will try to do something about that. Guatemala has been wonderful and life has continued as normal. It has become hard for me to write because life here is so normal now. I have a feeling that when I'm home for the summer, I will be more shocked by the things I see in the US than what I have seen here. My dad and sister were able to come for a visit a couple weeks ago and they both were able to see my home with fresh eyes. I found myself laughing at some things that I would have normally just passed by...it makes me realize that I need to get out and 'refresh' my eyes!

Well, I don't have much time right now but know that I will be updating soon! Oh, for those of you that don't know, I have signed my contract for next year so I will be down here until at least May 2011! Come visit me!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

"I'll be home for Christmas" Fall 2009 Top 10

2009-12-17T08:37:00.012-06:00

Top 10 Memories from Fall 2009:

10. New Staff coming in and meeting who we would be working with for the next 10 months. We went to Fuentes Gorginas and a Super Chivo game. I had no idea the impact that some of these people would have on my life.9. Pre-k kiddos and all the strange things they do, including wearing wings to school just because they feel like it!8. Sunset views from my apartment. How could you not fall in love with a place that has views like this daily? It blows my mind each time I see the volcano erupt and the sun setting behind it! What a beautiful thing God blesses me with daily!7. Thanksgiving in El Salvador. I had such a nice time lying next to a pool, hanging with friends, and soaking up the sun!6. Liz Wright came to visit. If you were not here, you will never understand the fun that was had and the memories that were made! The adventures of Mary and Lloyd continue.5. Discovering Portal de la Quinta. This place has become a "Cheers" like atmosphere. There have been many memories made and many burgers eaten at this establishment. 4. Halloween 2009. I was Wendy from Wendy's...or maybe Pippy Longstonckings but either way, I had a blast!3. Time with the Brodbecks. The Brodbecks are my Guatemalan family. If you have received coffee from me, this is the couple that is responsible for this deliciousness. I don't have any pictures with them, just from adventures that I have taken with them including a long weekend at Lago de Atitlan and many weekends at their house on the side of Santa Maria.2. October 2009. In October, I was attended an educational conference in the Dominican Republic and the next week, I was in Oklahoma for Sarah Shenold's (now Robert's) wedding. These two weeks were a whirlwind but I had such a great time!

1. And last but obviously first, my time with my 'family'. I am so blessed to have such great friends down here that have become family. We spend time together cooking, eating, watching "How I Met Your Mother" (thus the frozen high-five picture), and talking about life. I can't describe the feeling of having such a close-knit group of friends in Guatemala. It makes it worth it!

Once again, I hope this finds all of you well. I am on my way home right now. I will fly into DC tomorrow and be in Wyoming, Oklahoma, and back to DC before making my way back to the beautiful city of Xela Jan. 4.

Merry Christmas!

Liz

Merry Christmas

2009-12-09T15:52:00.003-06:00

I know that I have many, many updates to post but truth be told, every time I sit down to do it, I get distracted by the task before me. I PROMISE over my crazy Christmas break that I will write some of my favorite stories from this year. Speaking of Christmas break, I am flying into DC on Dec. 18, flying to Denver on Dec. 21, driving to Oklahoma Dec. 26, flying back to DC on Dec. 31, and then finally back to Guatemala Jan. 4! It will be a segmented break but I will get to see lots of people!

I hope this finds you doing well! I would LOVE an update from all of you too! Let me know what's going on in your lives!

Love you to all!

Liz

Dominican ayer, Guatemala hoy, y Oklahoma manana!

2009-10-19T23:08:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I wasn't in the Dominican Republic yesterday but I was there two days ago. And, I won't be in Oklahoma tomorrow but I leave for OK tomorrow. I have been all over the place but it's been a blast! I arrive in OKC at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon and will head to Enid for a day before I have to be back in OKC for the wedding shenanigans Friday morning. I am already planning my schedule and as of right now it includes Wee Too, a home cooked Salmon meal, and a trip to the driving range! And of course, getting some quality time with people that are in the area (that includes my dog too!)

I know that that I have promised a DR update and I promise that it will come after this weekend. I will try to get some other pictures up as well. For the time being, this one picture will have to be the teaser!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I had a great time in the Dominican and I made it back to Guate safely. I am looking forward to the fall season and maybe I'll even squeeze in a pumpkin carving!

Love to you all!

Liz

Doe-Min-I-Can

2009-10-08T23:55:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am heading to the Dominican Republic. I will be there from the 10th-17th. I will get back to Xela on the 17th and head back to Guatemala City on the 20th to fly to the states on the 21st for Shenold's wedding!

Needless to say, I have a fun two weeks ahead of me! I will try to post short updates along the way.

Hope everyone is well!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Love After Love

2009-09-27T18:57:00.002-05:00

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letter from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
-Derek Walcott

8 Weeks in...

2009-09-16T22:27:00.002-05:00

I had a dream last night. I was naked. You know, the kind of dream where you are in a crowd of people and you are talking to a potential boss/in-law/stranger and you look down and see nothing but your birthday suit and for the next 6 hours you are at work/a party/running errands hoping that no know else realizes you are running around in the nude. Somehow, I managed to make it out of my predicament without anyone noticing (sidenote, if this were to ever happen in real life, I would never be able to show my face in that place ever again and I would run as fast as I could and never look back). Funny thing is, in my dream, I was thinking to my naked self, 'man, this is going to make a great blog...' Yeah, I don't know where my mind is sometimes. Wouldn't you think that if you were naked somewhere that your only thoughts would be about finding clothes. Well, mine weren't. I wanted to share all of my adventures with you, my faithful blog readers!

So why do I return to the keyboard tonight and share this with you? One simple reason. I want to share this experience with others. The whole experience, the good, the bad, and the embarrassing. I want others to get out and do something like this. I want to inspire someone to leave the safety of home and understand what it is like to feel at home in another country. A strange country. A place that is so much different than the clean streets you grew up on but when you start looking past all the differences, you start to see how similar it is. The people, the smiles, the families. There are things that transcend all cultures and languages. I want you to know, to experience, that. And I want to experience that everyday.

Often times, my everyday life here doesn't look much different than your everyday life there. I wake up, make coffee, take a shower, go to work, come home, cook dinner, go to the gym, watch the news, and go to bed. The only difference is that if it happens to be a Tuesday or Wednesday, I'm forced to speak a little Spanish. If it is any other day, I can manage to get by with minimal exposure. I have to get myself out there. I have to put myself in a position to experience something new. To learn a new Spanish word. To smile at someone new. To aid a fellow gringo who just arrived in my beloved city and to calm fears of walking in the wrong direction all the way to the Pacific.

So, when it comes down to it, our lives aren't really that different. I just happen to live in a place that the dogs out number the people and life just moves a little slower. So, get out there, make a new memory. Find a new friend. Invent a new dinner and try your coffee a different way. It may change the way you see your day!

Viva la Vida,

Liz

Bringing the Playlist back!
a tune by Jack Johnson (don't remember the title)
Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet
The Moment I Said It by Imogen Heap
Do You Know by Enrique Iglesias
International Harvester by Craig Morgan
Angel by Jack Johnson
A-Punk by Vampire Weekend
The Front Porch Song by Robert Earl Keen
Take Me Out To a Dance Hall by Pat Green
Proudest Monkey by Dave Matthews Band

Pictures from the office

2009-09-11T10:54:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures of my office. As you can see, it is a casual day (no students), thus the hat and t-shirt! Hope this finds all of you doing well!

Update in bullet points

2009-09-10T17:15:00.003-05:00

It's time for an update since it's been awhile...Here is a brief overview of my life since the last post!

I saw a man on a motorcycle the other day that had a 6ft by 6ft box advertising Kotex pads. It was pink and had examples of the product stuck to the side. I laughed out loud as I walked down the street.
I also saw a bike/food stand that was called Burrito Loco that had a theme song to Achy Breaky Heart. I sang along in English.
School has started out nicely. Only two kids in the office so far for discipline issues.
I have hired a house cleaner to come once a week. 5 dollars each time she comes. One of the best decisions I have made.
Went to Minerva (the awesome 'thrift store') and bought 15 things for under 5 dollars. I was pumped.
I have spent the last three weekends at 'the coast' (not actually the beach, just down the mountain). It's been wonderful.
We have a four day weekend this weekend. I'm going to Lago de Atitlan. It should be very relaxing and enjoyable.
I've been cooking a lot. But I have a problem with cooking too much. I usually have 6-8 large servings left over...I need more people to cook for.
I have been going to Guatemalan yoga. I must say, Yoga in Spanish is a totally different challenge. It has been entertaining (a post solely for this should be coming later)
I will be in Oklahoma in October for a wedding. Let me know if you are going to be in the Enid/OKC area Oct. 21-25!
The US Embassy was in town yesterday for a Town Hall meeting. I was great to meet other Americans in Xela and also meet those from the Embassy. They also treated us to a fantastic meal so thank you to all the tax payers out there for my incredible lunch yesterday! I was nice to have a little piece of home here in Guate!

I'm sure I have many other things that I have left out but I will try to keep a list of these things so the next time I write, I can include them!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Too much sleep!

2009-08-23T17:22:00.004-05:00

Ever wonder what happens to a girl who sleeps for 11 hours and then takes a 3 hour nap?
She turns into a cleaning freak! Watch out!

Hope you all are doing well!

The first week of school went well...I'll try to update that in a few days!

Viva la vida!

Liz

Oh, Photobooth pictures!

2009-08-18T22:06:00.003-05:00

I went to a 15 year old birthday party this week and they had an old school photo booth...I hope you guys enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed taking them!

2009-08-11T19:36:00.002-05:00

"Traveling tends to magnify all human emotions." — Peter Hoeg

Pictures thus far!

2009-08-02T22:17:00.004-05:00

A few pictures from mid-July until today!

Mom, Emily and I in Wisconsin! It was a great time!

Emily and I! She's the best!

The view from my hotel in Antigua! Such a beautiful city!

The Super Chivo has a chivito with him today! It was pretty awesome!Showing the new teachers a little Xela culture!

Getting ready for the game to start!

Let the confetti fly and the smoke bombs smoke!I think this is right after we scoredIn the midst of it all!After the smoke cleared...Vamos Xela!

It's bangin'

2009-07-29T22:36:00.002-05:00

I made my way back to the gym today. As I was signing in and paying for the next three months, the guy standing next to me (who I assume was the owner of the place) suggested that I take the physical examine to determine my fitness level. It started out like most of these sorts of things do. There was a girl who was helping the trainer translate since I didn't know most to the exercises words. One of the questions what, "why do you want to work out?" I answered with my most honest answer, Because I want to do it for my health, I don't really care if I lose weight but I would like to be in better shape.

After all the testing was over and they had made me max out on push-ups, sit-ups, and squats, I was reading over the information that they wrote down about me (that had been translated from my English into Spanish) and I saw something that caught my eye. It read, "Ella quiere un buena figura."

Ha!

Translated - She wants a good shape.

Like, I want to have a bangin' body. They thought I said that I wanted a better 'shape' or figure instead of being in better shape! I guess some thing just don't translate!

Continuing the Adventure!

Liz

Playlist:
Zak and Sara by Bens Fold Five
Mi Vida Loca by Pam Tillis

Yes!

2009-07-28T14:22:00.001-05:00

I watched a movie tonight (yes, we watch movies in Guatemala) with two of my good friends. After discussion of what to watch, we finally settled on the recent Jim Carey hit, Yes Man.
I hadn’t heard much about this but after watching it, I highly recommend it. The basic story line is about saying ‘Yes’ to life. With this, he encounters some very interesting situations but he is forced to get out of his box and live spontaneously.

This made me think about my life and how easy it is to slip into a comfort zone, whether I am here in Guatemala or in the states. I am happy to say that I haven’t reached that point yet (goodness, I have only been back for less than a week!) but I know there will be a time when I do. It happens to everyone regardless of where you are. So, in retrospect, it was a great reminder to get out and live life because you never know what situation is going to lead you to your new best friend or an incredible memory that you will be talking about when you are eighty!

So, next time you are faced with a decision to make, make it a YES! Ha!

Viva la Vida,

liz

The first few days back....

2009-07-25T13:33:00.000-05:00

I have been in Xela for only one full day and I feel like I never left. This place has that effect on you. It continues to amaze me how easy it has become to go from one culture to another. I feel like I have two totally different lives that only exist when I’m present in the local place. My life in the US has quickly become a fond memory that I think about it passing, much like a dream that I had last night, trying to recall details of people and places. And in the same way, it’s like my life here just had a six week void that was quickly filled in with conversations of school, Spanish blunders, and coffee. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

The experience that I am gaining and the opportunities that I am able to take advantage of are priceless. There is no way I could gain the life experience that I am in any other setting. To be able to live in a place filled with such loving people and caring friends and to know that I have the support of those back ‘home’ in the states. It is truly a blessing that I hope I will never overlook. Of course there are sacrifices of being here. I am not able to communicate with those closest to me as often as I would like but it allows me to really value that time when I get it. I don’t have a car down here so it takes longer to get places, but I get to be outside and see the local people, the local dogs (which I have a few favorites!), and the local eateries! And it helps with the waistline that could easily increase with all the delicious coffees and sweets! You never know when the power is going to go out but on the flip side, it adds a little adventure every time I decide to straighten my hair because I could be left mid-blowdry and look like Bozo the clown for the next 5 hours! It’s a good thing I have a plethora of baseball hats down here!

When it comes down to it, I have many ‘homes’ in this world. It can get quite confusing when I leave home to return home but I wouldn’t do it any other way!

I hope this finds everyone doing well. I am going to try to keep up with this a little better so be ready for more quirky happenings and random thoughts!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

DMB

2009-07-21T19:54:00.002-05:00

I had the privilege of going to one of the most amazing concerts. While I was with my family in Wisconsin for a family reunion, my cousins got us VIP tickets to the Alpine Valley Dave Matthews Band concert. Luckily, this venue is one of Dave's (yes, we are one a first name basis!) and he played for 3 hours straight plus a 1/2 hour encore! It was truly incredible! Below are pictures!

Time flies when you're having fun!

2009-07-17T14:19:00.003-05:00

Almost two months have past and all you have heard from this blog is silence....

.....

....

...it's about time I give a short update!

I have had an incredible summer in Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Colorado! I arrived in the states Jule 10 and return to Guatemala July 22. I have NO idea where the time has gone but what I can say is that I have learned more about myself in this short amount of time than I have in a long time. (More on that in a future blog, that one will take some time to process and write and quite frankly, I should be packing right now, not writing a blog!)

I was able to see everyone that is near and dear to me except my Texas crew. To you guys, I love you and I'm sorry I didn't make it down. Time ran out and I was exhausted by the time I had three days to get down there...it doesn't change how I feel about y'all!

I'll post a few pictures that have been taken this summer...

Love you guys! Start looking for more updates coming your way shortly! I know that as Principal, I will have some inspiring stories to tell!

Livin' the crazy life!

Liz

lyrics that will always remind me of my "Home sweet 'homa!"
"These are my people
This is where I come from
Were givin' this life everything we got and then some
It ain't always pretty
But its real
It's the way we were made
Wouldn't have it any other way
These are my people" -Rodney Atkins

Rain, Rain, make your way, make your way and change my day

2009-05-26T17:42:00.004-05:00

One of the most important lessons that I have learned while living in Guatemala is the ability to be flexible. It is a very useful skill here. As a matter of fact, the electricity just went out. I am sitting in Wendy's (on of my favorite places to use the internet due to the central location and closeness to my house). I had great plans this afternoon to wash dishes, get a few things done for graduation (the reason I'm using internet in the first place), and make my way out to the gym...(sidenote, I was just locked in Wendy's...Em, this reminds me of the shady airport in China! Haha...if you don't know this story, remind me to tell you the next time I see you!), and then make it back for dinner. Wendy's was my first stop. I went to order my water and it quickly started DOWN-POURING.I decided that I didn't want to get out in the street that would soon be a river given 10 minutes and thought this would be a great time to reflect and write a blog. It seems like lots has happened.
The second half of my time down here has been wonderful. I can't really describe the peace that I feel right now in my life. All I know is that it is good. I am looking forward to spending at least one more year down here and actually moving into an apartment. I have been so transient the last four years that it is nice to know where I am going to be this time next year. I can actually put pictures up and make a place for everything. It's quite comforting.

Let's see, what else is going on. I went to the old director's house this weekend. I really think that heaven will look something like this place. Their front porch is one of my top three favorite places in this world. I'm serious. It's that great. And the company was great as well. We had a great meal, great conversation, great front-porch-sitting time, and a wonderful cup of coffee (the have a coffee plantation! It's superb!) It was raining (of course) when we left and Randi and I walked down to the road to catch a bus. Well, as we were walking down the drive way, I, of course, slip and scrape my knee up. It just happened to be the one that I had surgery on a couple years ago meaning that the scar is still fairly sensitive and shredded it once again.But the saddest part was that I tore my favorite pair of jeans (again Emily, this made me think of you when you were in Norman for your Pe-et reunion!) I know that it is only a pair of jeans but I can't just jump over to Penn Square Mall and buy a new pair, I'm like 10 sizes bigger than all the women down here! I'll be back in the land of GAP and J. Crew soon enough...

Also, unfortunatly, I have been having stomach 'issues' for about two weeks now. I finally went to get a test yesterday. I quickly found out that I was hosting a growing fungus in my stomach. Not. Cool. At. All. I got medicine and I think it is now taken care of. It nothing else, this strengthens my immune system, right?

School finishes up this week. This blows my mind. I don't feel like I'm at the end. This is probably a good thing considering I am not really at 'my' end, only the end of the school year. Most of my friends are leaving on Saturday meaning that I will have a week and a half to get organized, hit the gym, and get settled as principal. The kids this year were wonderful. I am looking forward to working with them another year and hopefully helping them stay out of my office!

Well, the rain has stopped (for now) so I think I'm going to make my way to the grocery store. I'm going to leave you with a few of my favorite rain quotes from the songs that I was listening to as I wrote this as well as some of my other favorite rain quotes.

If you haven't figured it out yet, it rains a lot here. A LOT.

Viva La Vida,

Liz

Quotes from rain songs that I like:
"You're still here like a flower in rain, You get knocked down then you rise up again " Stephen Kellogg

"oh let the rain fall down
and wash this world away
oh let the sky be grey
cause if its ever gonna get any better
its gotta get worse for a day" Bishop Allen

"When it rains, I pour!" Grethen Wilson (This one really cracks me up!)

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."

"Some people walk in the rain...others just get wet!"

Playlist:
(a special playlist made for the rainy weather)
Rain and Snow by The Be Good Tanyas
Rain by Bishop Allen
Bring On the Rain by
It's Raining Men by The Weather Girls
Why Does It Always Rain on Me by Travis
She's My Kind of Rain by Tim McGraw
Flower in Rain by Stephan Kellogg
She's Like a Rainbow by The Rolling Stones
Rain by Patty Griffin
Rainy Day Lament by Joe Purdy
I Love the Rain the Most by Joe Purdy
Fire and Rain by James Taylor
November Rain by Guns n Roses
When It Rain by Grethen Wilson
Every Time that it Rains by Garth Brooks
Rain by Bishop Allen (one more time...I really like this song)

Life is Good

2009-05-21T09:36:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures from the last month or so. My mom came down for a week visit at the beginning of May. We had a wonderful time laughing, cooking, and just spending time together! Also, I have made a decision to stay down here next year. I was offered the principal position which I gladly accepted. I will have an extra bedroom for anyone who wants to come visit! I would love to host you! I hope this finds everyone well. I return to the states June 10 and will be around until July 22. Please let me know if you will be in the Oklahoma area during that time frame!

liz

Randi, my roommate, and I

Lorrie, Connie (Lorrie's mom), me, and my mom in Pana

Aaculaax. The amazing place we stayed while at the lake.

Me, Ed, Scott, and Randi. (Ed and Scott are our English friends. They are great.)

Mom and I during our cooking day!

Me, Danielle, and Zoe (the newest addition to the IAS family)

2009-05-17T19:40:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I haven't forgotten about the blog, I've just been busy lately. I am finishing up writing my five finals this weekend and I will try to get some new pictures/stories up this week! Hope everyone is doing well!

Semana Santa, pt. 2!

2009-05-09T12:53:00.006-05:00

As promised, I will now enlighten all of you on the second half of spring break!

When we left Belize, it was definitely bitter sweet but I know that I will return to that little slice of paradise one of these days! We headed to Peten (the northern part of Guatemala) because part of our group had never seen Tikal. I was lucky enough to see it last year so I just hung out on a beautiful lake for the first day. But the highlight of the last part of the week was the Guatemalan circus!When we arrived, we saw an incredible sight! It was none other than a Big Top (obviously it was smaller than the norm since we were in Guatemala!) We knew that this was how we were going to spend our evening. We made out way to buy tickets early to make sure we would be able to get 'good seats' and found a place to eat a delicious pizza dinner. We headed to the circus about 20 minutes before it was suppose to start. When we walked up, we were the only ones there. We walked down to the lake until we saw someone else and then walked in. Our tickets were taken by a girl that we later found out was 1 of 6 performers. We waited around for another 20 minutes for the first act. Boy were we surprised to see that the opening act were three girls in three green sequined bikini's doing three very risqué dances! There were a total of 20ish people in the audience so it wasn't easy to hide our laughing faces in what we could only describe was a very awkward situation. And this didn't last for 30 seconds, it was a good four minutes! After the three 'dancer's' were finished, two very inappropriate clowns came out and divulged in some very adult humor. Mind you, this was suppose to child appropriate. Some of our favorite performances were the two inappropriate clowns talking about a women being a 'milk store' and the older she got, the bigger the store became. There was a contortionist that was the only real talent of the whole show, but what did she do as her last pose? That's right, she smoked a cigarette.Out of the six performers (maybe I should say staff because they did everything! Including taking tickets, running the consession stand, and being the 'hydralics' for the 'trapeze') we decided that two of them were siblings. So, you can imagine our disbelief when they had a 'sniffing' scene where they proceeded to smell eachother in all areas of their bodies (including but not limited to necks, armpits, butts, and crotches). I never quite figured out why they were doing this but the children thought it was quite hilarious! I, again, was just laughing out of awkwardness! Another favorite was when one of the clowns came out and pretended to be gay and sang to a few chosen males in the audience, including one from our party! The clown would become so overwhelmed with emotion that he would shutter! Again, another awkward situation but so funny! My favorite had to be the three dancing girls dressed up as Barney, Winnie the Pooh, and (I don't remember). They came out to the Spanish version of "I love you, You love me" and then proceeded to do their dances once again but this time with hip thrusts! I will never view Winnie the Pooh the same again!

This was by far the highlight of the second half of Semana Santa but we enjoyed many other things as well. The place that we were staying was owned by an expatriated French man. It was beautiful! We stayed in a tree house like loft that had open windows and wooden floors.

By Saturday, it was time to head home so we boarded our night bus once again and departed for Guatemala City. We arrived at 5 in the morning and made our way to another bus station and went home.

Looking back on the trip as a whole I can't help but smile. It was such a great trip, with incredible friends, to a beautiful place! I can't wait to continue my adventures in the year to come (if you didn't catch the hint, I am staying next year! More on this in a few weeks!)

I hope all of you are doing well!

Viva La Vida!

Liz

Playlist:
Whatever It Is by Zac Brown Band
Eres La Musica en Mi by High School Musical (Spanish Version)
Girls Like Us by Tandy
Perfect Day by Lou Reed
Shine On by Rascal Flats
Open the Eyes of my Heart by Josh Edington
Lua by Bright Eyes
I Will Posses Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie (a favorite from last spring!)
Kid A by Radiohead
If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow
Viva La Vida by Coldplay

Deal of the week!

2009-04-24T09:46:00.001-05:00

2 pineapples, 1 cantaloupe, and 3 avocados for 20 Q (roughly $2.50).

This makes me love Guatemala a little more...

An un'BELIZE'able time!

2009-04-23T09:19:00.008-05:00

My spring break started with a 24 hour bus trip and ended with a smile. What happened in between those two things will only be understood by those that were there. There were eight of us that ventured off to Caye Caulker for Semana Santa (holy week aka spring break) for the best vacation that I have been a part of.

The adventure began Friday afternoon when our bus left at 2:30 for Guatemala City where we caught a night bus to northern Guatemala. We switched buses Saturday morning in Flores after 9 hours of sweat filled slumber (the AC was broken, ugh!) and boarded the last of three buses headed to Belize. By the time we got to the boarder, we were all anxious to get to the sea and soak up the rays. Little did we know, we had 3 more hours until we reached Belize City. Luckily, we arrived 15 minutes before the next water taxi was heading to the my new love, Caye Caulker. We bought our tickets and headed to the island. We arrived exactly 24 hours after we began our journey the day before but from the moment I set foot on this slice of paradise, I knew the voyage had been worth it!
We checked into our hotel, put our swimsuits on, and headed to get something of substance in our systems before anything else. No one had eaten much on the trip and the fresh red snapper was calling our names! After our indulgence of fresh fish and the local beer, we headed to The Lazy Lizard at the split (pictured above). As we approached, we noticed a slogan written on the side of the building. This slogan quickly became well known within our group and will always be associated with this place, “A Sunny Place for Shady People.” How suitable! After treating ourselves to a number of rum punches (2 for 1, of course!) we decided it was time to head on. We made our way to Oceanside (another place that we frequented nightly).

Something that I haven’t mentioned yet is my popularity on the island. I know this is a rather strange this to talk about but it was so outrageous that I have to state it! I have never been that girl that the guys flock to. My role has always been the sidekick and to make sure everyone gets home safely. I often reap the benefits of my beautiful girlfriends but this week was full of the other 7 (yes, guys included) reaping the benefits of my influence. It was quite fun but I have to admit that I was happy to get back to my normal role when we returned to Guatemala! There’s just something Belizean men like about a curvy redhead!
So, back to Oceanside…the crazy 8 walked in and quickly took over. The guys were all about the darts and the girls ruled the dance floor. I was able to talk the bartender into giving us free music all night long and we were quickly singing along to all the “Songs Your Know By Heart” by Jimmy Buffett and feeling the rasta beat with Bob Marley. We made friends with a few locals that joined our group for the rest of the week. One in particular, Big Steve, (pictured above with myself and my roommate, Randi) was our snorkeling guide, advice giver of great food, and the entertainment on more than one occasion!
On Monday, we headed out to snorkel. Big Steve, Medium Steve, and Zues were our guides for the day. It was by far the best snorkeling I have ever done. We swam with sharks, rays, turtles, groupers, baracudas, and SO much more! They took us to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. It was incredible. Luckily, we were able to SCUBA there a few days later and venture a little further below sea level. While we were snorkeling, Meduim Steve told us that there was a cave that we could free dive through. I didn't hesitate and dove down the 35 ft. to swim through. After we were done with our three snorkeling spots, we ate fresh conch ceiviche and sailed home. We thought this was a great oppurtunity for a pirate picture (below)!
There were so many other escapades this week but I have to save a few for 'face to face' story time! I will include a few more pictures but next time you see me, don't forget to ask about the other times of Caye Caulker!
Viva la Vida!
Liz

Coming soon: The second half of Semana Santa (including a Guatemalan Circus!) and the birth of Zoe Xela Schnyders!

Playlist:
I feel it All by Feist
We Can Work It Out by The Beatles
Politik by Coldplay
All I Need by Matt Kearney
Limon y Sal by Julieta Venegas
Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On by Mel McDaniel
Open Hands by Snow Patrol
Rodeo or Mexico by Garth Brooks
La Isla Bonita by Madonna

Beachside in Belize

2009-04-07T14:43:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to check in and let everyone know that I am having the time of my life in Belize. We arrived on Saturday after a 24 hour bus trip but it has been totally worth it. This place is beautiful and the people are great. My friends and I are having a wonderful time together as well and I couldn't have asked for a better semana santa (holy week/spring break). I will include pictures when I get home but a few highlights so far have been snorkeling with sharks, sting rays, and eels as well as sitting for hours playing cards doing nothing...life it good!

Liz

Traveling with a carry on

2009-03-28T11:52:00.004-05:00

"The day will come when you will travel with more than just a carry on"

I had a conversation today with one of my best friends in the states that told me the above quote. She is an incredible girl who is a third year med student who is married with a mortgage. Her husband has a great job and they are happily married. She has everything that every parent wants for their 26 year old child. But, she expressed something to me that made me think about life a little differently. She said, "I am utterly confused as to what to do with my life." After reading this and thinking about it a bit, I realized that it doesn't matter what I'm doing with my life right now, whether I 'have it all together' or if I'm living in a foreign country living on basically nothing. As a twenty-something, I have something in common with all other twenty-somethings out there. None of us are sure what we want to do with our lives and even if we look like we have it figured out, most of the time, we don't. The solution to the problem you may ask. I have come to this conclusion, live life day to day. Enjoy the blessings that are provided for you and don't take them for granted. Smile at strangers, you might just make their day. Hug a friend. Feel the pain that others are experiencing so they don't have to go through it by themselves. Drink really good coffee. Stay up late and get up early. Sit on your roof (or on your porch if you live in the states.) Drink good wine. Find something in each day that makes it different than any other day. Tell those around you what they mean to you. Love well. Sing to random songs that are being played in random places (especially songs from the 80's). Look for the purpose in all designs. Talk to an artist, they see the world differently. Live transparently. Live in community. Learn a new word everyday (in your own language and a different one). Enrich the lives of the children around you, they are our future. Extend grace, exercise faith. Bask in the sun. Read. Communicate with your eyes. Exercise. Create a routine and break it daily. Allow those around you to see glimpses of heaven in the way you live your life.

The list goes on and I would love to hear what you do each day to appreciate it and live it to it's fullest!

In other news, my friend Danielle (who I am replacing in Middle school math and Bible) is due any day now. The doctor thinks that it can be any day now. Luckily, we were able to take a few pictures of the 'baby bump' last weekend. I had a really great time taking her picture and I have included a few of my favorites!

Until then, keep living the life and look for your purpose today!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Playlist:
New Slang by The Shins
Always On My Mind by Michael Buble
Rehab by Rhianna
Shine a Light by Wolf Parade
Complacent by So Long Goodbyes
Marvelous Light by Charlie Hall
Turn, Turn, Turn by The Byrds
Just Like a Star by Corinne Baily Rae
Our Last Summer by Colin Firth

Spring has sprung!

2009-03-21T12:06:00.007-05:00

The mood in Xela has been quite festive lately! With spring break (for the states) coming and going this last week, we had many family and friends join the mix of our every day lives. I had a great time getting to know my roommates parents and a few friends that came down to visit other teachers! Hearing them talk about their spring breaks makes me even more anxious for our break that will be April 4-12. I am heading to Caye Caulker, Belize with 7 of my friends. It's guaranteed to be a good time! I am planning on spending a lot of time on the beach, scuba diving, and just relaxing with a good book and a cold drink!

Next week we are heading back to Pana but this time we are taking all the middle schoolers and high schoolers for Spiritual Emphasis retreat. I didn't go last year due to the fact that I was teaching 4 yr. olds. I am excited to spend some time with the kids outside the classroom and get to know them on a more personal/spiritual level. And to be going back to Pana, how wonderful!

In other 'happenings', let's see...my time continues to fly by and I am happier than I have been in a long time. Don't get me wrong, I haven't been unhappy in the past, I just haven't been content in where I have been. I have always wanted to be somewhere else with other people doing something different. I had a realization right before I came back down here in early Feb. that I only have one chance to live each day and if I don't appreciate each day, than I lose that day and I lose the chance to make the most out of each day. With this outlook, Guatemala has been wonderful. And I believe that is an understatement. I am considering coming back down here next year (something I find myself laughing at when I say it out loud) but with the experience I can gain from being here and the pace of life that I love, I can't find a reason not to come back. If you have any that you would like to share, please let me know!

With that, I will include a few pictures from the last month or so.

Thank you for all of your encouragement and prayers. They are appreciated more than you will ever know.

Viva La Vida,

Liz

Randi and I in Pana after diving.
Lorrie and I at our St. Patty's day party.
The other Liz and I laughing at something...who really knows!
Enjoying our celebration of St. Patty's (Lorrie, Liz, Ryan)
McNabb and I
Classic squish face picture. This is just one of the many that have become
a tradition wherever we are (Tank, me, McNabb)

Playlist:
You Belong to Me by ________(given to me on a mix by S. Shenold)
Mr. Midnight by Garth Brooks
Like a Friend by Pulp
Land Locked Blues by Bright Eyes
Love In this Club by Usher
My Front Porch Looking In by Lonestar
Wedding Dress by Derek Webb
Calafornia by Joni Mitchell
Head Over Feel by Alanis Morissette
Constantly by Cross Canadian Ragweed
Buffaloe Soldier by Bob Marley
Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffett
Revelation by Among the Ashes

News from Xela

2009-03-10T19:24:00.002-05:00

As of tomorrow, I will have been here for four weeks. Time is flying. But in a really good way. I have had a wonderful time thus far and I feel like I have been here for months. The way that I was able to pick up my friendships with my peers and my relationships with those at the school. It has been such a blessing. I have traveled every weekend since I've been here (staff retreat to Irtra, Costa Rica, and Pana this last weekend) but I will be home this weekend. I am looking forward to sleeping a bit as I have gotten sick this week. I blame it on snotty-nosed-Sara in Pre-K (I subbed for them all week last week), but I am in the process of kicking the nastiness. I will put a few pictures up later this week from Pana as well as a few stories! We went to dive in Lago De Atitlan and, of course, like any good dive trip, I have wonderfuly, entertaining stories...those will come later!

I know this post is very scattered and random but my head is a bit foggy due to the amount of pressure that is behind my eyes right now...please forgive me!

Be looking for a more detailed update later this week or weekend!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Playlist:
I forgot my headphones...next time!

Pura Vida, Costa Rica!

2009-03-03T09:44:00.004-06:00

Well, I returned from Costa Rica this weekend and I had a wonderful time! I don't think I will ever be able to put into words all the things that I did (or actually, didn't do...I don't know what I did with my time!) I was able to finish my Open Water SCUBA certification. I am now certified for life! A few of my highlights include:

Being able to fly to Quepos for $44 and getting settled by noon on Wednesday!
European man at the pool in speedo...every hostel needs one!
My fellow hostel mates dodging falling citrus fruit, I think they were limes...it was entertaining.
Watching two guys in the pool playing a game that looked like throw-the-coconut-as-close-to-the-other-person-without-hitting-them-but-splashing them.
Seeing a shark, octopus, and eels while I was diving.
Having some really sweet time with The Lord.
The dinners I had in Guatemala City with other travelers that were passing through. Everyone is so interesting.
My 6am bus from Quepos to San Jose driving RIGHT by the airport, thus, I didn't have to catch a $20 taxi from the terminal to the airport! It's the little things that in life that make me so very happy!
Eating what I wanted, when I wanted, for how long I wanted.
Two INCREDIBLE sunsets viewed from Barba Roja (red beard) and El Avion
El Avion-this incredible place that is made out of an old airplane. I will try to remember to include a picture later.
Speaking Spanish.
And many, many other things that only I can recall in my mind. There are no words to describe some of these moments!

Viva La Vida!

Liz

Playlist: (a special one I made for the Costa Rica trip...not random this time!)
Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) by Chris Tomlin
Rock & Roll by Eric Huchinson
Gray or Blue by JayMay
Annie's Lover by Taj Mahal
I'd Lie by Taylor Swift
Leave the Pieces by The Wreckers
Such Great Heights by Postal Service
Take Another Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin
American Boy by Estelle
A Long Way to Get by Bob Scheinder
Time To Pretend by MGMT

A change of plans

2009-02-24T16:40:00.002-06:00

As any good travel plans are made, they are also changed! I am quite excited about my changes though. I traveled from Xela to Guatemala City today so that i could buy my ticket to my destination (which I had set as Panama) only to find out that I had to go to another office in another part of the city to purchase the ticket. Hold on, let me back up. I don´t know if I have filled everyone in on how this trip came to be. Last year, I was bumped off a flight so in return, TACA gave me a 250 dollar travel ticket. It expires March 15. So, use it or lose it, right? So, I got settled in Xela and decided it would be fun to take a quick trip to somewhere I haven´t been to finish up my SCUBA, learn to surf, and just relax for a couple of days. My desitination was Panama but that flight was full. So, I will be going to Costa Rica instead! I am very excited about this and can´t wait to get down there. I have heard so many great things about this country. I have also heard that it is full of tourist but I can handle that for a few days!

So, tomorrow morning (Feb. 25) I will be leaving at 8:05 and getting to the beautiful CR by 9:20! Hopefully I will be on a beach somewhere by noon! That´s my goal! I probably won´t have internet access so be looking for an update on my quick trip late this weekend or early next week! Please pray for my safe travels! Love you guys!

Viva La Vida!

Liz

words from a friend

2009-02-23T11:42:00.003-06:00

I have met a few people in my short stay here thus far and one of them guided me to the blog that he and his friends have been writing. As I was reading this morning, I ran across this explanation of the desire to travel and it wraps up the overall feeling so well. Below is an excerpt from this beautifully written piece.

"Meeting other travelers is easy. We all have one thing in common: the simple fact that we are far away from home and full of a desire to explore what is unknown to us. The initial conversations generally begin the same way. Where are you from? What do you do? How long are you traveling for? Where are you coming from? Where are you heading? And then, they evolve into something more personal. Within minutes, the chuckles begin and they too grow into something more substantial. The bond is formed, and before we know it, our social group has expanded. We say and do things in front of each other that only our closest friends usually witness. We need this connection.

Gaining new friends from differing cultures is a wonderful thing. Most of us travel because we want to expand our perspective on everything around us. What better way to do this than by conversing endlessly with people from different corners of the globe? It´s entertaining; it´s interesting; it´s humbling beyond belief.

We are better people because of them. We are inspired to try new things, go new places, and look at the world in a different light. And we get to be the ambassadors for our own culture, one that is often shadowed by unfair stereotypes (what culture isn´t?). It becomes our responsibility to show by example that not all Americans are loud, ignorant drunks, destined for return trips to Cancún for the chicks, beach, and booze. We too come from a beautiful place that we can take pride in, full of amazing people who are doing great things." (Taken from http://milesformastatal.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/where-my-peeps-at/)

So the question that I ask; why isn't it like this when we are home as well? Shouldn't we be able to shed these notions in any situation. This is what I aim for. And this is what I believe I have found in my new friends in Enid. Thank you for that. And thank you for my friends in Xela as well for pulling me out of my comfort zone and putting me in situations that are real and inspiring. I only wish that I could take this perspective to everyone I meet and be this person that is real and genuine.

Just something to think about....

Welcome Back to Guatemala!

2009-02-22T16:25:00.003-06:00

I've been back for four days and things have been wonderful! As far as I know, I didn't forget anything that was essential. I was greeted with open arms and great friends. My trip from Guatemala City to Xela was the best that I have ever had. I was in the front seat and didn't get sick at all! Praise God! I was so fortunate! I got into Xela at a responsible time Wednesday night and McNabb picked me up at the terminal. The girls had cooked dinner so I was able to catch up with them and head to bed (actually I've been sleeping on the couch so I guess I should say, head to couch) early and slept in the next morning. I went to my favorite coffee shop to see old friend Thursday morning and then bought an avacodo from my avacodo guy and headed to the school to eat lucnh and hang out. We all went out Thursday night and had an enjoyable night. We got up early Friday morning and headed to Irtra for the staff retreat. It was incredible and I couldn't have asked for a better way to start this spring. We went to a water park and played Sand Volley ball. Later, we returned to the resort. We were able to just hang out and enjoy the company. On Saturday, McNabb and I had great intentions of playing Tennis but all the courts were booked. Instead, I booked a message and relaxed the rest of the day. It was an incredible weekend!

As for this week, I started thinking and I remembered that I have a free flight on TACA (Take A Chance Airlines). Since this ticket expires in March, I need to use it now. So, I decided that I am going to the airport on Tuesday and seeing where I can go. I have looked at Panama, Costa Rica, or Mexico! I'll let you know how it ends up and where I end up! If anyone has been to Panama or Costa Rica, I would love any information that you may have! You can send it to liz.cromwell@gmail.com!

Until then, here are a few pictures from this week thus far!

My new living room! We have comfortable furniture! I'm so excited about this!
The four girls (Lorrie, Me, Danielle, and Randi). These girls are the ones I hang out with the most. I am taking Danielle's teaching position when baby Zoe comes!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Playlist:

I forgot to keep track but I did listen to 'Gray or Blue' by Jaymay on repeat for a little while!

Last few days in Enid

2009-02-22T16:03:00.002-06:00

So, I thought I would update everyone on my last few days in Enid, but since I can't figure out how to write this without it being underlined (which is driving me crazy), I'm just going to include two pictures. The first is of my friend Carie and I. She is a Kappa pledge sister who moved to Enid this year to teach Spanish. It has been such a blessing to have her around. We have developed a great group of friends and I was sad to leave them but I know they will be around when I return in June. The second picture is of Carie, Andrew and I. This was my last night in Enid and we had a little going away/Carie's bday dinner. It was great fun! I'll try to update on my first few days here as well! Love to you all!

One more time...

2009-02-16T22:03:00.003-06:00

For those of you that don't know, I'm going back to Guatemala...in 36 hours. Sorry if I haven't seen/talked to you. It's been an interesting couple of months (in a really good way) and I just haven't had time to keep up with this. I will recap my time in Enid and the last few days once I get back to my favorite coffee shop! Be looking for a lot more action on this site in the next couple months! Thanks for reading!!!

liz

Angel Fire

2009-01-17T18:16:00.002-06:00

Well, it's been awhile since I have checked in so I thought I would. I am currently in Angel Fire, NM with my good friend Carrie (she came down to Guatemala for two weeks while I was there this fall.) We had a great day on the slopes today and no big injuries or falls to report. We drove in yesterday from Enid and we will ski tomorrow and drive back to Enid tomorrow night. It is a quick trip but it has already been totally worth it. I will put some pictures up when I get home!

On another note:

I like manicures and pedicures. I'm not girly but this is just something that I like. I went in to the nail salon on Thursday to get a manicure and about 5 minutes into it, the lady looks up at me, squints her eyes, and stares right in the middle of my forehead. Oh gosh, I think, I have something huge and gross and she is absolutely disgusted by me. And then she speaks, "You want eyebrows too? You do eyebrows yourself?" At this point, I realize that I need to take care of my eyebrows but she has made me mad. I kindly say No and during the rest of the manicure, she continues to look up at the space right above my eyes. I realize that I don't pluck as much as I should but when it comes down to it, they are light and I just don't like spending that kind of time.

Anyway, nothing like a nail technitian to make you feel great about yourself!

And the sad thing is, this isn't the first time this has happened! Ha!

Livin' the Life!

Liz

Playlist:
You Make Me Want To by Luke Bryan
Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks

Enid's 'Multi-Purpose' Stores

2009-01-06T16:32:00.002-06:00

Multi-purpose stores are quite functional and usually pretty 'normal'. You have Wal-Mart. The mecca of all these. You can buy groceries, tires, 'No Hunting' signs, and jewelery all at the same place. Well, in my time in Enid over the last year, I have discovered a few other multi-purpose store. I stumbled upon both of these places which makes them so much greater and charming in my eyes!

The first is your normal oil change/lube center. I needed an oil change so I headed out to W. Willow where I drove up, handed the guy my keys, and walked into the waiting area. I opened the door, and was hit with purses, trinkets, and keychains. It was like I just walked into Market in Dallas. Everything that you could imagine that a 'country' girl could want or need, belts with huge buckles, over-sized bags that you could fit a small child in, and even a few pleather jackets! It definately made my oil changing wait go by faster and I left with a smile on my face!

The next store of these sorts was one I found today. I have been putting off getting gas because it is SO very cold here. I was on my way out of the neighborhood and decided to buck up and just do it. I headed to the closest gas station (the corner of VB and Illinios) and pulled up to fill up. I hopped out of my car with my card in hand to make this as efficient as possible. I was a little dumbfounded when the pump read, "Pay Inside Only." Okay, I thought, I can remember how to do this. I started the pump and waited for my 11.9 gallons of gas to be transfer into the Honda and went inside to pay for my purchase. I meandered over to the drinks and pulled a water out of the cooler. When I handed my card to the cashier to pay, something caught my eye. Something fury and hairy caught my eye. I looked over and saw 10-12 wigs on display. Never in my life have I been in a wig store and to be frank with you, they kind of weird me out. This may just keep me from going back to this gas station.

So, if you are ever in Enid and need an oil change and a gift to buy, head out to the Lube Center on Willow. And if (for some reason) you ever need a wig, head on over to the gas station. They will have one that will look perfect with your complexion!

Livin' the Life!

Liz

Playlist:
The Crane Wife 3 by The Decemberist
Back to Black by Amy Winehouse
Beautiful by So Long Goodbyes
I'm Sorry by Buckcherry
(Nice Dreams) by Radiohead
I've Got Friends In Low Places by Garth Brooks
Count Your Blessings by Pat Green

A few more pictures

2009-01-04T15:02:00.004-06:00

During Christmas, I woke up one day and my hair was like this...crazy, huh? Ha!

We love each other, we really do!

Nan and I. I miss her a lot. It was great to get to see a great friend during this holiday break!

Me at the Independence Bowl.

Dad and Dan (the dog) took Tristan (my cousin) and I hunting one day. It was great fun! (And my dad got a double!)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T13:40:00.006-06:00

Many people have commented on how I stop blogging once I return to the states. This is not intentional. Several have asked if it is because I don't have anything to write about, well, the quite opposite is true. I have plenty to write about. I just didn't think that people would be interested in my day to day antics. Needless to say, sometimes they are more entertaining than my international adventures due to the fact that I have nothing to blame my embarrassment on (ie. language, culture, ect.). And, it's a little harder making fun of your own culture, you never know whose relative may live in the over-decorated-with-Christmas-lights-house in North Enid.
(If this is a relative of anyone who is reading this, please let them know that I go look at this house every Christmas and in no way am I making fun, it's just not anything I would ever do.)

Or what about the time I was working for dad in the Oklahoma panhandle and I ended up in Beaver (yes, that's the name of the town), Oklahoma. I had a few memories of this place because there was once a horse show here when I was young. I had a memory of a large Beaver in the middle of the town but I forgot what it signified:
(If you can't read the plaque, it says, "World Cowchip Throwing Championship." Man, I'm proud to be from Oklahoma! Ha! On this same trip, I almost hit a llama. Yes, a llama. I don't know what it was doing prancing around the panhandle but it was there.)

On a more 'updating' note, things have been really great since I've been back. I have seen a ton of friends and family. I spent Christmas in Louisiana and New Years in Enid. I guess to be more exact, I spent New Years in my bed. I am definitaly getting old. I went to bed at 11pm and my father and stepmother woke me up at 12:30am when they got home. It was truly role reversal but I was glad they had a good time and I was happy that I had already been asleep for an hour and a half! I woke up early New Years Day and headed to the city to spend some time with friends and ended up staying with them. I got home on the 2nd and was hit with something fierce. I was on the couch for the next 48 hours (today is the first day I've been out of the house for an extented amount of time). I have now had the same stomach bug twice within 6 weeks. Not fun. Anyway, I'm feeling much better and I am currently sitting at a coffee shop (another reason why I think I haven't blogged lately, I like to do so at a coffee shop when I'm in Central America because it makes me feel more at home but when I'm in Oklahoma, I feel at home when I'm at my home so I don't end up writing...anyway, sidenote). I had great intentions of studying for the GRE today but something is wrong with the website where I need to take the diagnostic test so I guess I'll try again tomorrow. I'm heading to the Y!

Livin' the Life (I figured since I'm in the US, I should say it in English now),

Liz

Playlist:
Rainy Day Lament by Joe Purdy
Allentown by Billy Joel
Don't Cross the River by Garth Brooks
The Crane Wife 3 by The Decemberists
Growing Older but Not Up by Jimmy Buffett
Sand in My Shoes by Dido
Poor Man's House by Patty Griffin
Beg by Shane and Shane
All I Want Is You by Barry Louis Polisar

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T13:35:00.003-06:00

I know I have neglected this blog in the last two weeks but for some reason, it is so hard for me to update it while I'm in the states. I need to finish up my trip and let you know what has been going on since I arrived in OKC Dec. 13! But today is not the day! Today is the day to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! SO!

Merry Christmas!

This year I am celebrating at my Mom's house. My sister and brother-in-law are here and we are having a wonderful time. I am currently looking out over the beautiful swamp lake (oxymoron?) of Bisteneau. I hope everyone is having/had a wonderful Christmas!

Take care and continue living the adventure!

Viva la Vida!

liz

Oh, the weather outside is frightful!

2008-12-10T16:38:00.006-06:00

So I'm closing in on my last few days in Guatemala and all the news I have received from home is that it's COLD! I found myself singing 'Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful' the other day as I walked down the street in shorts and a T-shirt and I thought to myself, wait a second, I can't sing this here. The weather is beautiful! So, all I can say is that I'm ready for some time by a fire with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate or coffee! Um...sounds nice! I hope the snow stays around until I get home!

Cory got in Monday night and we have had a great time thus far! We went to the hot springs yesterday which is always a fun trip considering you have to take a chicken bus and a private truck to get there. The ride is beautiful and through the cloud forest. Below are pictures from the day (thanks Cory for letting me use your pics)! Enjoy!

Also, we are attending a soccer game tonight. It's the finals so it should be fun! I'm not sure what the plan is for the rest of the week but I know it will be full of adventure! What a way to end my trip!

Hope you all are doing well!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Me in the back of the truck on our way to Fuentes Georginas

Cory and I with Santa Maria (the volcano) in the background

In the Hot Springs.

The Cloud Forest

Working the fields.

An incredible meal of ceviche!

Playlist:
The whole Snow Patrol CD (Eyes Open)

Thoughts for the day

2008-12-08T12:11:00.003-06:00

Sam Bradford is legit.
The GRE is going to be tougher than I thought. But, according to the Princeton Review book, there is a 4 week study plan. This is good news for me!
I am looking forward to my trip to Fuentes Georginas this week.
I think I may live with one of my good friends down here when I return. I really like living with Letty but I don't like always having to check in. I mean, I'm 25, I haven't had to do that since I was 17.
Dec. 7 is a day when everyone is Xela burns trash in the streets. I don't know why they do this but it is totally acceptable.
Cory comes today. That will be fun to have another friend in Xela.
I have laid out the last two mornings. Will this be possible once I return to Enid? I'm thinking the answer is no!
I have gotten a lot of entertainment from this site lately. Sorry if it offends anyone!
I'm looking forward to a large Diet Coke from Sonic and a party burrito from Bueno!
I have had Corn Flakes for breakfast the last two mornings. And with that, I have come to appreciate powered milk. Last year, you couldn't get me to touch the stuff but after my experience the last two mornings, I think I like it.

Playlist:
Ahora Es by Wisin & Yandel
I'm Done by Jo Dee Messina
Many the Miles by Sarah Bareilles
Maria by Stephen Kellog and The Sixers

A Bit of a Blunder

2008-12-04T16:48:00.003-06:00

This post won't be long but I promise that it will be entertaining!

Yesterday, I sat at my favorite coffee shop that I frequent daily. I came at my normal time and ordered a mochachino. I sat and procrastinated longer than I normally do while searching for a flight home (more on this later) and I realized that I had been sitting there for a good hour and a half and I should probably order something else. I knew that another coffee drink would be a bad idea so I ventured for a smoothie instead. The girl walked up and we proceeded to have this conversation:
chica- "algo mas?"
me-"si, quiero un smoothie"
chica-"que tipo?"
me-"um, gustaria Mora"
chica-"ah, lo siento, no queremos a hora. Hay Fresa, pina, mango, banano"
me-"Yo quiero pene."
chica-"Pene? (followed by a lot of laughter)o pina?"
me (me, realizing my mistake that I just ordered a penis smoothie instead of a pinapple smoothie turned red immediatly red)-"si, pina esta bien y mas mejor (yes, pineapple is good and much better)"

Needless to say, I was quite embarrassed but thankful that it wasn't the cute owner who was taking my order! After I spent the next ten minutes laughing to myself and sharing my palabra problema with whoever was online (thanks Emily and Cory for laughing with me!) my friend Randi showed up and I was still red. After telling her the story, we both exploded into laughed one more time!

On another note, I finally booked my flight and I decided to come home Dec. 13. My friend, Cory, is coming down next week and we will be flying home on the same flight next Saturday. I figured that since all my other friends would be in the middle of finals the next week they wouldn't be much fun and I wasn't planning on studying that week anyway! So, get ready, 10 days and I'll be home!

Viva la vida!

Liz

Playlist:
Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol
Another Sliver of Eternity by So Long Goodbyes
Cowboy Bill by Garth Brooks
Leave the Pieces by The Wreckers

A vacation from vacation: Thanksgiving at the Sweet River

2008-12-01T14:04:00.008-06:00

I spent my Thanksgiving very differently than I have in the past. This year, I was in Rio Dulce (the sweet river) with my friends. This was the first major holiday that I have been away from my family but I was very happy to be with my close friends that are like family to me!
Carrie and I arrived in Rio on Wednesday. It was a long day (we left Xela at 4:00am) but totally worth it. Once we got there, we called for the Lancha (a boat taxi) from our hotel to come pick us up. We settled into our bungalow and headed for the restaurant for drinks and dinner.
We were exhausted from the day of traveling and I was in bed with the lights off before 8:00! About 15 minutes after I went to bed, Carrie and I were awakened by the voices of three men how had wandered down our dock to our bungalow. Because I had been asleep for 15 minutes already, I assured Carrie that the men that were outside our door were only there because they were on a scavenger hunt (I come up with some pretty crazy things when I'm asleep). I could see the guys and I could tell that they weren't going to try to get in, they were just curious what was down there...anyway, they wandered off only to come back two more times (once to pee off the dock, the other time, I have no idea). Needless to say, we were happy to wake up in the morning and everything was still intact (don't worry mom and dad, it wasn't really dangerous, more entertaining because we were in a big cabin by ourselves. We were locked in so it was okay).

McNabb and Jason came on Thursday and we, of course, were very happy to see them!
We were all pleasantly surprised to see that our hotel was going to be serving Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, dressing, veggies, cranberry sauce, and pie) and enjoyed our first night together in the restaurant laughing and carrying on.

We had three more friends join us on Friday on their way back from Tikal and the seven of us had a wonderful time laying out, jumping off the platform above the marina, kayaking, visiting castles, eating, napping, working puzzles, and just being together.
I was reminded during this vacation that sometimes it's best to get away and do nothing. Unfortunately, I came down with something on Saturday that knocked me out of comission all day. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to travel home but I woke up Sunday and felt so much better.

There are so many details that I didn't include in the post because I don't feel like I could do it justice. This was a wonderful vacation that I'm so thankful for. I was listening to Jimmy Buffett's 'Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes' and the lyrics fit this trip so well:

'I took off for a weekend last month
Just to try and recall the whole year
All of the faces and all of the places
Wonderin' where they all disappeared
I didnt ponder the question too long
I was hungry and went out for a bite
Ran into a chum with a bottle of rum
And we wound up drinkin all night
Its these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of our running and all of our cunning
If we couldnt laugh we would all go insane'

A few other things:

I have decided to come back and teach for three months this spring. I will be teaching Middle School Math and Bible while the current teacher is out on Maternity leave.
I am coming home Dec. 18 and will be in the states until mid-Feb.
I am considering moving to Wyoming this summer!
I have started looking at Masters' programs in the areas of Internation Studies/NGO administration. This could potentially include a Peace Corp stint!
My avacado guy is back (I think I may have already included this but I'm super stoked about it!)
And lastly, BOOMER SOONER! Way to go Sooners! I know that there is controversey in the BCS but this year it happened to fall in our favor!

Viva la Vida,

Liz

(sorry, no playlist today. I forgot my headphones and I'm at a cafe...)

A change of plans.

2008-11-24T12:04:00.003-06:00

The weekend has come and gone and I am still in Xela. As you may remember, my friend, Carrie, and I were suppose to take off yesterday and head north. After an entertaining twist of events, we headed back to the boys house, rang the door bell, and re-situated ourselves back in our room.

It all started Sunday morning with a cup of coffee from McDonald's (they have really good coffee down here) and me procrastinating (that's not like me at all, is it?) Our shuttle to Antigua was picking us up at 2:00 so we could spend the night there and then head to Sumec Champey the next day (an 8 hour bus trip). Our bus driver showed up at 2:15 and we headed out of town. We quickly made friends with the two other travelers in the shuttle and agreed that the trip was much safer than in a chicken bus. Carrie and I were both 'patched' (motion sickness+Guatemalan roads=a disastrous road trip, however, with the patch, things are a little better). We were on the outskirts of town when we pulled into the middle lane of the five lane road and stopped. Our driver had received a phone call and from what I could tell, he had just been told that we needed to pick up a few more people. I clarified and he said yes, that is what we were going to do. We turned around (in the middle of the road) and headed back into Xela. We made a few turns and ended up at Linea Dorada (one of the four first-class bus stations in town). Our driver (I'll call him Pedro) then told us that we were going to take a taxi to Antigua because he had to take all of the people at the bus station to Guatemala City. The four of us were a little confused by the situation because we had paid for a shuttle and that's what we expected. At this point, one of the other travelers asked Pedro if he would wait until out taxi came before he left for Guate and he said he would. Shortly after he unloaded our backpacks, he started the shuttle and drove off. So, here we were, four female travelers left on the side of the road, waiting for a taxi. It was close to 3:00 now and at the same time Carrie and I looked at each other with the same look in our eyes. We were both questioning our decision to go. A taxi driver walked over to us and asked if we needed a cab and I told him to hold on a minute. Carrie and I took about 12 seconds to decide that this trip was starting off in the wrong manner and we headed over to a local taxi and had him take us back to our 'home' from the last week. When I asked what was going on with all the people at the bus station he said that the bus wasn't able to come because of all the construction on the road. He said that traffic was backed up and at that point, we both knew that we made the right decision.

We weren't able to get a refund for the shuttle but we did work out a deal that the company would pay for our bus to Rio Dulce (the sweet river) on Wednesday. We will miss out on the beginning of our trip but considering that both of us gets so sick, we figured it would be more fun to hang out with friends for the rest of the week than make ourselves spend so much time on a mountainous road with our heads out the window!

When we arrived back at the house, we were welcomed back with open arms but decided to make dinner to make sure they wouldn't mind us staying a few more nights. We cooked a great meal and headed to bed early. We will be in Xela until Wednesday morning (we leave on the 4am bus) and I will return on Sunday. Unfortunately, Carrie has to go back to the states on Sunday but I will have two more weeks here before I continue on to my next stop!

It's been wonderful having an old friend here to experience this city with and laugh at the random things that happen every day. Just today, we were enjoying our morning Diet Cokes in McDonald's and a Guatemalan girl was sitting behind me. After about 15 minutes, she turned around and asked if I would be willing to give her English classes. At first, I was a little hesitant because I didn't want to over commit my time here but after talking to her for 10 minutes, I decided that she was pretty interesting and we are going to meet up next week to get coffee. We worked out a deal that if I speak to her for 30 minutes in English, we will spend the next 30 minutes speaking Spanish. I'll give an update on how that goes next week!

Viva La Vida!

Liz

Oh, my avocado guy is back! I have eaten the most wonderful aquacartes since his return! I wish I could bring some back for all of you!

Playlist:
Beautiful Day by U2
Portions of Foxes by Rilo Kiley
Beautiful by So Long Goodbyes
Island Girl by Elton John
Furry Sings the Blues by Joni Mitchell
Sideways by Citizen Cope
Growing Older But Not Up by Jimmy Buffett
Love Story by Taylor Swift
Hips Don't Lie by Shikira

A few more pictures

2008-11-17T15:33:00.001-06:00

My Spanish teacher Kenia and I at the school

The precious daughter of the director. She is half Dutch half Guatemalan!

Fin de Samana, amigos, y clase de ingles!

2008-11-17T14:24:00.003-06:00

This weekend has been the most relaxing that I have had since I have been here. It was wonderful! Friday was my last day of Spanish class for a couple weeks and I really enjoyed my teacher this week. We became friends and she is hilarious! Friday night I hung out with friends and ate with them. Saturday, we got up and headed to the Schnyders. They are pregnant and Danielle has started 'nesting'. Tony, her husband, had the project of painting the bathroom and we all decided that it is much more fun to paint with friends so we all chipped in (pictures below!) Carrie, an old friend from camp, arrived that night. We (a bunch of my friends and I) spent the day on Saturday watching The Office. We are in the middle of a marathon and watched 20 episodes. It was A LOT of TV but it was a great day! I can't describe how blessed I feel to have this group of friends down here. It is very unique. Carrie and I are staying with McNabb and Jason this week since there other roommate is out of town. Sunday, we woke up and just talked for awhile before heading out on a walk with the dog, lunch at Wendy's, and an afternoon filled with football. We had a cookout last night at the girls house with lots of great food. Today, I started teaching! Yes, that's right, somehow I got lucky enough to get a paying job teaching English at my Spanish school. I am only teaching three days this week but it's fun! The guy I'm teaching is probably 45 or 50. He is getting his Masters' right and he is an Environment Engineer. Carrie and I are plannin on a few day trips this week before heading out in the country side next week! We are planning on going to Semac Champey and Rio Dulce so both places should be very interesting! I'm excited to see an area of Guatemala that I have yet to see!

That's about it with me this weekend! Not too much excitement but I have had a very nice weekend and I can't believe that I have almost been here for three weeks! The time flies here! I hope that everyone state-side is having a wonderful November and if I don't update before everyone takes off for Thanksgiving, travel safely and enjoy the time with family! I know I will be missing mine next week! Love to you all!

Viva La Vida!

Liz

(Pictures below!)

Salsa Dancing (for those of you wondering what it's like)

Tony and I painting the bathroom Thunder Blue!

Danielle was attempting to get as much fresh air as possible! This is where they live!

Painting...

McNabb, Tony, and I before the painting begun, notice how all of our shirts are still white!

Playlist:
Bailamos by Enrique Iglesias
La Bumba by Los Lobos
Square One by Coldplay
Mexico by James Taylor
It wasn't Me by Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins
Renaissance by Matt Kearney
Wink by Neal McCoy
Sweet Southern Comfort by Buddy Jewel
Unto You by Shane and Shane
Hello Darlin' by Conway Twitty
Have You Got It In You by Imogen Heap
Dogs by Damien Rice

Salsa

2008-11-13T18:45:00.002-06:00

written Wednesday night (late!):

I had quite the experience tonight. It stated out very innocent with a dance class at the school. I was a little nervous about it being so late (it started at 8) because I would have to walk home by myself after 9. When I arrived, I saw one other girl and thought that this whole experience would be quite embarrassing. I had never actually been Salsa Dancing and I knew my novice status would shine quite brightly. I had spent the afternoon at my favorite coffee shop (once again) and then met Randi for dinner. I walked with her back down the hill and we headed out separate ways. I was very set on NOT going dancing at a club after the class so I intentionally wore the same thrift store T-shirt that I had been wearing all day that I had bought the weekend before that has the letter “XFL” across the chest (that was a long sentence. Sorry for the poor structure). Anyway, I walked into the school and saw the director and he greeted me and introduced me to his friends who were there to dance also. Soon, the room filled with the other girls (all of the Holland girls) and they separated us into beginners and advanced. To start off, it was just one other girl and I who were the beginners. Soon, all of the other men jumped in with the beginner class and we were following the 1-2-3, 5-6-7 step pattern. We added turns and different directions and I was please with my progress for the evening. We finally paired off and I danced with my teacher from last week, Juilo (sidenote: He is a wonderful guy, a great teacher, and probably weights a buck 10.) We danced until we got some of the basic steps down and as the hour closed in on the lesson, all I could think about was my charming bed (hard, a little lumpy, and not too comfortable, but I like it all the same). After I grabbed a glass a water (you work up quite a sweat) I gathered my things and headed for the door. I didn’t get two steps when I was bombarded with the question of where I was going. I was going home, of course! Well, it didn’t take long for 4 Guatemalan men and two Dutch girls to convince me otherwise. I was going dancing, ‘XFL’ shirt and all!

We arrived at La Parunda, paid the two dollar entry fee, and made out way to a table in the back. There were Salsa lesson’s going on in the form of a line dance and the Dutch language filled my head. It didn’t take long before a few of us were back on the dance floor practicing the moves we just learned. We soon returned to our seats as a few of the ‘experts’ were showing all of the Spanish school students how this was really done. (Sidenote: This place was FULL of gringos. I think there was a representive from every Spanish school in Xela and considering there are more than 20 schools here, that’s a lot of non-Guatemalans). Soon, the ‘experts’ left the floor and it was open to all the newbies. Well, the men from our school didn’t hesitate too long before coming over and covering the first shift of dancing. At this point, there is a nervous stirring in my stomach as I have flashbacks to junior high wondering if I am ever going to make it out on the dance floor. There is a fear that resides deep inside me that only shows up at times like this. Here I am, in my chacos, hair pulled up in a pony tail, jeans and my thrift store t-shirt (which at this point, I was wondering what the XFL stood for and I prayed that it wasn’t anything offensive or promiscuous).

It wasn’t long before I was out on the dance floor with a man who has 10 years on me with a name I can’t pronounce. Luckily, I have spent my fair share of hours in country dance halls and I know all the fancy spins (they are no different in Salsa, just a different basic rhythm to follow, that happens to be very fast). I picked it up very easily and my partner was pleased with my ability to get around on the dance floor. Yes, there were times that I missed a step or spun the wrong direction, but it again shows me that there are many other ways to communicate without using words. I ended up staying until 12:30. All of the Holland girls had left and the men of the school had ‘rescued’ from all the Dutch and expected me to speak to them in English. As much as I appreciated the gesture of making sure I was having fun, I really didn’t mind not having to speak at all. For the next 45 minutes, they made jokes about how strong I was (I’m glad they realized I could break them in half) and spoke very slowly so I could understand.

It ended up being quite an evening (and a late one at that) and one that I won’t forget anytime soon. One of the men walked with me to get a cab and even made sure that I made it to my house. My only fear is that my telephone will ring soon (the guy ended up getting my number, ‘just in case something happens’) and the only thing that will be spoken on the other end will be Spanish. (update, I have had two unknown numbers call but I'm scared to answer because I don't want to sumble through my Spanish...let's see how long I can avoid this!)

A few other things:
While at school today, Letty and I were talking with another teacher and student and somehow the conversation turned to my legs. They went on and on about how big they were and how I shouldn't wear shorts (in a joking way) on the street because they would be a distraction. What they don't realize is that in the US it is not okay to talk about how I would 'snap a Guatemalans neck with those legs' or describe them like the trunks of arbols (trees). Oh, the life in a different culture! They just don't understand that I am a Cromwell!!!

2008-11-11T17:56:00.002-06:00

A few things I forgot to include in my 'random' blog:

I made friends with two indigenous girls in the park Saturday night. Their names are Maria and Alli. They are probably 8 and 9. I like them a lot.
I was walking down the road today and two boys (6 and 8) were passing a clothing store and grabbed the mannequin's arm. It fell off and all three of us laughed. I helped put the arm back on.
I met three travelers this weekend. One is traveling for a year and making his way South. I want to be friends with him.
It's okay to park on sidewalks here, actually, it's what you are suppose to do.

I think that is it for now. I liked doing the random blog thing...I'm sure there will be more of these in the future!

2008-11-10T16:08:00.002-06:00

The blog of randomness:

I felt my first earthquake since I got back this weekend. Pretty exciting!
Perrito (my favorite dog from last spring) was thought to be gone, but returned this weekend. (pictured below!)
I have to pour a bucket of water down the toilet for it to flush.
I often get words mixed up in Spanish, making my teachers laugh when I use anos instead of años ('anus' instead of 'years').
The guy I bought avocados from last year isn't around any more. This makes me sad.
I was at a Flaminco dance recital Saturday night and some of the older students from IAS were in the balcony throwing stuff. I was lucky to get two pieces of gum in my hair. I wasn't happy about this.
I am only the third American to be a student at my Spanish school in three years (most are Dutch).
I was happy to see that my shower was plastic instead of metal this year, thus minimizing the 'shock' value! (I was shocked a lot last year in the shower due to the eletric heating method. They would have live wires in the shower to heat the water with a metal shower head. Anytime you would accidently touch the shower head, you would get shocked. Interesting by true!)
I have eaten more hotdogs in the last week than I have in the last two years!
Couples think it is okay to make out in coffee shops, on the streets, on the bus, ect. (not okay with me!)
Most dogs are kept on the roof of the houses here.
Life is interesting here. You should come check it out!!!

(some random pictures to go along with the random posting!)

This dog lives on my new street. He doesn't have a name yet but he will soon! Any suggestions are welcome!

Perrito! This dog was my favorite last year. He often wore a green sweatshirt when it was cold outside. I greet this dog everytime I see it with, "Hola Perrito, como estas?" I like him a lot.

One view of my room. Sorry it's mess but I wanted to show it to you all anyway!

Another view of my room. It's small but it is sufficient.

I walk down this street almost everyday. Just thought you would like to see where I spend my days...

Playlist:
Rest of my Life by Rilo Kelley
Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley
Track 10 by Pulp
I'm Done by Jo Dee Messina
I'm Yours by Jason Mraz

La Boda en Guatemala!

2008-11-08T16:29:00.005-06:00

Last night I experienced something that I never have before (and I'm not sure I want to again); a wedding that last 5 1/2 hours! It was the wedding of Jackie, the daughter of the lady I live with. I was honored that I was invited and felt that it was important that I go. And, seeing a wedding in another culture is always fun! I'll try to fill you in on the highlights!

The wedding was slated to start at 4:00. I left the house at 3:40 to walk to Woon Kook (yes, that is correct, the wedding was in a Chinese restaurant). When I left, the bride was still at the house was getting ready. I headed to the local textile store to pick up a present and then headed to my destination. Usually, I like to get to weddings at least 10-15 minutes early but I figured that I could get there at 4 and be okay considering Latin time...so, I arrived at 4 and was surprised to see that I was one of seven people there (the other six were the family of the groom!) Luckily, I knew one of the ladies there (we worked together at the school last spring). I found a seat and prepared myself for the akward Spanish conversations that I knew would take place due to my novice experience with the language (conversationally). The bride and her mother finally arrive at 4:15. By this time, I was starting to wonder if anyone would notice if I slipped out and left. I was starting to feel really uncomfortable and this whole process of waiting for the wedding to begin was wearing on me. Everything got underway at 4:45 and I was a little confused by what was going on. The bride was in a red dress and from what I could tell, there was nothing about God being mentioned (this family is very religious). After about 20-30 minutes, everyone clapped and people started lining up to sign a piece of paper that was on the table that the bride and groom were sitting at. I figured this was the marriage lisense and the 'witnesses' were signing it as well. I didn't realize that half the guest felt like they needed to sign it as well. I was happy to see that the sun was still up and I would be able to meet up with my friends for the normal Friday night routine. After everyone sat down, the guy who was MCing the whole process said that we would have a 20 minutes 'cafeito' break and then continue. What? Continue? There's more? I looked at Vero (the lady from school) and she just smiled. She walked over after the couple left and told me that there were two parts to Guatemalan weddings. We had just had the civil wedding and now it was time for the religous wedding. Okay, this is my time to split, I thought. I looked for my getaway path and low and behold, the director of my spanish school walks in. He walks right up to me and starts talking to me. Crap! I'm caught. Needless to say, I stayed for the second part of the wedding (where the room transformed from lots of red to lots of white, including the dress the bride was wearing) as well and tried my best to enjoy it. I understood part of what was being said but didn't get it all. We finished with the ceremony parts at 6:45ish and it was already dark. I was going to have to stay until the end because I didn't want to walk by myself in that part of town. Over the next 3 hours, I stumbled through numerous conversations, ate Chinese food, particiapated in the bouquet toss (which was actually tossed 4 times...don't ask me why, I couldn't figure it out!), and took a few pictures that I will include at the end of this entry! It was a night that I will never forget!

By the time I got home, I was ready to collapse into bed. As I was getting ready to turn in for the night, I received a message from McNabb saying that they were going to have a Hookah night. I gladly accepted the invitation, packed a small bag, and headed over. I finished off a long day of Spanish hanging out with great friends and getting the best night sleep I had in a long time (McNabb's roommate was out of town so I just stayed there so I wouldn't have to walk home).

Today I went to Minerva Market with Lorrie and Randi. They discovered earlier this year that they have super cheap clothes at the Pacas (Thrift stores) out there. I found four things that I couldn't pass up! And to think that they were only 1 Q (about $0.13) each!

There is a dance recital that I am attending this evening. It will be similar to the one that I went to last spring with lots of Flamico dancing and big dresses! After that, I'm planning on meeting up with two girls that I have met in my school who are from Belgium. It should be interesting!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Letty and my housemate!
Letty's feet were hurting and I am never without my Chaco's so I let her borrow them!
The Bride and Groom with friends
My housemate and Jackie, the bride

Playlist:
Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
Dreadful Selfish Crime by Robert Earl Keen
Love You Out Loud by Rascal Flats
Over My Head by The Fray (thinking of you Shenoldy!)
Mansturd Roof by Vampire Weekend
This is How We Do by The Game
The Little Things by Colbie Caillat
Always on His Mind by Misty Edwards
They Outside by Taylor Swift
I think We're Alone Now by Tiffany

Mid-week update

2008-11-06T17:02:00.004-06:00

Four days of Spanish school behind me and one more for this week! My spanish is coming along better than I thought at this point but I did get a little frustrated today because I wasn't following my teacher very well. Oh well, such is life!

I have been spending my mornings (8-1) in school followed by lunch at 2 and then heading to a one of Xela's many charming coffee shops for the afternoon to do homework. I will be in Spanish school again next week and then I will take a two week break while my friend Carrie is here.

Since I haven't given many details about living with a family, I figured I would take a little time and do that! First of all, it's only Spanish, a tiempo! Right now, it's Letty (the house mom), her daughter (Jackie) who is getting married tomorrow, and another boarder (I can't remember her name!). They are all wonderful and help me with my Spanish. I feel bad that they have to speak so slowly and they often find me day dreaming because my brain hurts from concentrating so hard on the conversation. I have been surprised that I haven't eaten any black refried beans yet! I have had many servings of mystery meat (a substance that is similar to bologna) and a lot of tortillas! We have coffee and tea at every meal and it's normal for me to eat a sandwich for breakfast. Also, this is the first time in my life that I have been told that I eat like a bird. It's not like I don't like the food I'm being served (I really do, it taste good) I'm just not getting huge servings. When I told her I don't eat huge servings, she replied with, "But you are very big, you need to eat more." Ah, the honesty that comes along with Guatemalans!

My room is small and dark but it's somewhat charming. I live on the third floor and the bathroom up there doesn't always work. I have to take a shower early in the morning (burrrrr) and I have to pour a bucket of water in the toilet for it to flush. Like I said, quite charming!

On another note, I realized that I didn't bring any DVD's with me so I headed to the Democracia. I went to the same DVD stand that I went to so many times last spring and asked for Blackjack 21. After looking for a little while, we found it and I responded with the normal, "diez, verdad?" He looked at me and said, "No, quince." At this point, I again told him my offer and he refused it once again. It's not like I can't spend the extra 5 Q (about 70 cents), it's about principle at this point. I put the DVD down and walked away. He practically ran me down and sold me the DVD for 10 Q. Victory! Yes! This is just a small example of a culture where everything is negotiable. And I love it! There are so many unspoken variables in this culture, it's just finding the ones that you can cash in on.

Well, I know this was short but I just wanted to check in. I will try to include some pictures in the next post of my room and host family. I am attending the wedding tomorrow so that will be fun to go to a Guatemalan wedding. It's at a Chinese restuarant! You know there will be some good stories after that!

Viva la Vida!

Liz

Playlist:
Let Him Fly by Patty Griffin
Waiting for the Sun to Shine by Lee Ann Womack
You Don't Look the Same When You Are Leaving by Stephen Kellogg
Wedding Dress by Derek Webb

Halloween Weekend

2008-11-03T14:41:00.008-06:00

I have been back in Guatemala for five days now and it feels like I never left. There are new people and a few new places, but for the most part, things are the same as when I left them. There are some changes in how I am approaching this time. I am not teaching so that allows me to go to Spanish school. I am living with a lady and her daughter (who is getting married this week). And, I’m avoiding American food and sugar because I would rather not gain 20 pounds again this time around!

We celebrated Halloween in style Friday night. Halloween isn’t actually a big deal down here. The big thing is Day of the Dead. Randi (one of girls who is still down here from last year) and I went to Todos Santos with the boys Saturday. It was a four hour drive on a long, mountainous, bumpy road. The thing about Todos Santos is that they have horse races on Nov. 1 (Day of the Dead) every year. These aren’t normal horse races because first of all, there is no track. And secondly, the jockey is extremely drunk. So, with those two factors, you can only imagine how entertaining it is! Three of the guys I was with (Pedro, Coco, and Josh) decided that they wanted to ride the horses so they went and talked to the owners and low and behold if not all three of them got to ride. It was very comical! After awhile, Randi and I decided that we were going to go for a walk and as we approached the hill that we parked on, we saw a group of men around Pedro’s car. It took a second to realize that they were moving his car. I didn’t see a tow truck so I couldn’t figure out how they were doing it. That is when I noticed that none of the wheels were on the ground. These men (about 20 of them) were CARRYING his car!!! Needless to say, we called Pedro and he ran right over. The mayor was there and was trying to convince the police to give him a ticket but somehow, we lucked out and we came across the only honest cops in Guatemala. They didn't want to give Pedro a ticket because if they gave him a ticket, they would have to give everyone a ticket! We were very relieved! We ended up leaving shortly after that because we didn’t want the townspeople (who were still upset that we didn't get a ticket) to do anything to his car. It was quite a day!

Sunday was a pretty laid back day. I got a new phone and hung out with friends. I moved into my host family’s house. My room is an average size with a bed, desk, and shelves. It is in a great location so I’m really happy about that. My host mom’s name is Letty and she calls me Betty (it’s the Guatemalan nickname for Elizabeth). I am anxious to see how this turns out! Until then!

Today was my first day of Spanish school and it went well. My teacher is a guy about my age and he likes to laugh at all the things that I mix up...like, To slap vs. To Pay....What's up vs. What World...I already have homework so I should probably get going on that! I will keep you all updated! Below are some pictures from Halloween and this weekend!

Viva La Vida!

The girls on Halloween (Randi, Me, Danielle, and Lorrie)

Randi and IThe races at Todos Santos

Pedro's car being carried! It's not very clear but it's there, I promise!

Playlist:
Because you Loved Me by Celine Dion
Ironic by Alanis Morissette
Summer Love by Justin Timberlake
L.E.S. Artistes by Santogold
I’m Your Man by Michael Buble

"Welcome Back," Guatemala said!

2008-10-31T11:52:00.006-05:00

Back in my favorite cafe, writing this blog! I wish you all could experience this incredible place with me!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Well, I'm here. It was a long hard trip but I finally made it in Wednesday night. I will try to describe my trip but I don't think I could ever do it justice. There is one thing that is for sure, Guatemala greeted me in fashion!

I started out in DC Wednesday morning at the airport at 5:45am. I had my backpack packed and I was ready to start this adventure. I checked in and headed to my gate. My first flight was wonderful. I slept most of the way and woke up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I had about an hour before my flight left for Guatemala City so I made a few last minute phone calls to say 'see ya later' and headed to my gate. I was immediately reminded of Guatemala because instead of forming a nice line and being orderly, everyone was standing very close to each other in a big herd. We were boarding by zones and I was in Zone One. I was quick to remember that I needed to push my way through the herd, otherwise, I wouldn't get through. So, as I pushed my way to the front with many 'perdons' and 'lo seintos', my heart was awakened once more to these beautiful people (it helps that I could see all of them since I'm a head taller than most of them!) I found my seat and conveniently stored my carry on in the compartment above me and settled in for the 2 1/2 hour flight. As we were pushing away from the gate, my stomach suddenly growled. I had forgotten to eat. In most situations, this would be fine. I could pick something up at the airport, on the plane, or on the way to my next destination. Well, the Guatemala airport doesn't have the best food selection. The airlines charge for all drinks and food (at least Spirit Air does) and since I'm being thrifty, I'm not going to spend 3 dollars on a bag of chips. And I had to get to the bus station as quickly as possible when I had passed immigration and customs. So, I was out of luck. I was sitting next to a pair of sisters and they were heading down for a mission trip and had lots of breakfast bars and they gave me one (thank God!). I eagerly ate it and fell asleep.

As we approached Guate, I could see 3 volcanoes and the mountain range was so green. I could tell that the rainy season was good to Central America. We landed at 11:35am and I jumped up out of my seat and walked briskly to immigration. I was happy to see that I was one of the first ones there and didn't have to wait. Everything was looking great for me to make the 12:30 bus to Xela. I would arrive around 5 and I could see everyone, have dinner, and play a game of cards. Well, that was the plan, and as most of you know that have been following my journey over the last year, my plans don't always work.

I didn't get my back until 12:15 and I still needed to get cash. I decided to give up on the early bus and just take a 2:30 bus. My friends were expecting me but I figured I would arrive in Guatemalan fashion and be a few hours late.

Well, the bus did leave at 2:30 but it wasn't totally full so the driver proceeded to drive around the City until the bus was full. My head was started to hurt due to not having my daily diet coke (yes, I've become one of those, dang it!) so I figured the best way to fight it off was to try to sleep. We finally filled the bus and headed out on the Guatemalan portion of the Pan-American highway. We were cruising along nicely (and by nicely I mean, we were taking corners at a speed that I wouldn't travel in my Honda Accord, and we were in a big charter bus!) and making good time. I was feeling okay by this time (thanks to the motion sickness patch that is ever so faithful!) and I could see the improvements that had been made on the highway. We passed beautiful fields that were growing huge vegetables in very straight rows. We passed land slides that had been cleaned up and we continued to pick people up and drop them off along this mountainous road. At five o'clock, we had made it far enough on the road that the pavement had run out and we were now on a dirt road. The traffic in front of us was stopped. I was okay with this for the first 20-30 minutes. You can always expect this to happen because of the construction. But when this turned into an hour, I was starting to get restless. We had traveled 1/2 mile in an hour. I was tempted to get my backpack, and start walking. I was starting to feel sick but was trying to fight it off due to the lack of bathroom on this bus. We continued this way for a total of 2 1/2 hours. The only way I can describe it is like this, A dirt road+burning rubber+violent brakes+Charter buses acting like off road vehicles+crazy driving+an ambulance or two+chicken buses cutting people off+Liz getting carsick=trip from hell.

I finally arrived in Xela at 9:30pm. I was close enough to walk to Michael's house (where I was suppose to meet everyone at 5) so I headed there to check in. I'm sure I had a nice greenish tint to my face when I got there but I was still fighting off getting sick (you know, to avoid the whole, hey, it's great to see you, can I go puke in your bathroom?) I ended up heading down to the girls' apartment and ran into a friend on the way down the hill (again, afraid that I was going to get sick in front of him, on the street, like all the drunks often do) and quickly headed on my way. I got to the girls house and was introduced to all the new girls and quickly headed to bed. I changed clothes, arranged my stuff, and brushed my teeth. I couldn't hold out any longer. I finally got sick and immediately felt so much better. I figured it was the perfect way to end this 'perfect' day. This is the same way that I arrived in Xela last January so I felt it was appropriate and even though I felt horrible, it was somewhat familiar.

I went up to the school yesterday and saw the rest of the staff and my incredible kiddos! They have all grown so much and their English has improved tremendously. I couldn't believe it! When I first saw them in the morning, they were really shy and just stared at me, but as the day went on, they got used to the idea that I was back.

We went to dinner last night with my close friends (The Macy's, The Schyder's, Randi, and Tank) and it was great to catch up with everyone. Everyone but Tank was here last year ( I know him from camp) so it was fun hearing stories and looking back at last spring. After dinner, Tank and I walked around for a little bit in search of an open ATM and an open grocery store. It's amazing what you take for granted in the states. He walked me back to the house and I headed to bed. I decided not to get up and go to the school today. I wanted to fill everyone in on what was going on so far and I need to enroll in Spanish school. I have found a lady to live with for the next two weeks. Her daughter is getting married this weekend and she doesn't want to be lonely so I will have the whole upstairs to myself and I will be in the Democracia (the vegetable market). The house is only a 2 minute walk to McNabb's and The Macy's so I will be close to everyone!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween. There is a big gathering tonight so I'm sure I will have updates about that in a few days! Keep in touch!

Viva La Vida!

Liz

Playlist:
Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks
Crazy by Pat Green
Forgiven by Alanis Morissette
Piano Man by Elton John
All You Need Is Love by Lynden David Hall
Kiss Kiss by Chris Brown
Suffer By Among The Ashes
Stollen Car by Patty Griffin
Fireworks by Neighborhood
Summer Lovin' by Grease cast
Every Day by Rascal Flat
Yeah! by Usher
He Said She Said by Joe Purdy
High and Dry by Radiohead

Inspiration in the Capital

2008-10-26T20:06:00.007-05:00

I left Oklahoma on Thursday. As this (obviously) is saddening, I have had a wonderful time in DC. The first morning I was here, we went to the Library of Congress and took a private tour. I wasn't too excited about getting up early the first morning of my vacation (especially after a long day traveling the day before) but I was pleasantly surprised at what awaited me in this national treasure! I learned that this library has two copies of every book that has been published in the USA. Yes, that's right, two of each! That's a lot of book! Anyway, as I was listening to our french tour guide, I got a little distracted and my mind started wandering (as it often does) and I came to the conclusion that all the knowledge in the USA is contained within these walls (twice over)! I was very impressed by this and I can't wait until I can go back and get my library card and go study in the most magnificent readying room I have ever seen (http://www.nikonians.org/html/resources/reference_library/pix/library_of_congress_reading.jpg). I hope that you all get the chance to see this beautiful place sometime and will take the time to soak in all the details that have gone into it!

I have been to DC quite a bit in the last few years considering Emily and Charlie have been up here. I have seen the Smithsonian's and lounged on the national mall but there is something that we did today that I have never done. One of Emily's friends was running in the Marine Corps Marathon and since it was such a nice day, we thought we would go check out the run and cheer her on. We got there early and little did I know the impact that these runners would have on me. There were booths set up and the community had really come out to support these runners but all I could see were these people that were giving it their all. Each one of them had put so much time and energy into training and there was a reason and story behind each runner. People ran by with loved ones pictures, veterans carried flags and had names of their buddies on their shirts that hadn't made it home, couples ran by hand in hand, best friends encouraged each other, and one guy even came by on a skate board. He wasn't standing on the skate board, mind you, because he didn't have any legs. This man was sitting on the skate board and propelling himself forward by pushing off the cement with his hands...for 26.2 miles! These things brought tears to my eyes. We stayed and cheered for the runners for 2 hours and my family had to practically drag me away. I was totally tranfixed with the idea of helping and cheering for all these people who were totally vunerable to all of us in their blood, sweat and tears. The least I could do was yell for them and ring my handy cow bell!

We complain about being tired and busy but we have been given so much more than what we use. So, with this, I encourage you to do something today that you wouldn't normally do.

I have two more days in the US before I head out for Guatemala on Wednesday. I am looking forward to spending these days in DC exploring the city a little more but I am ready to get back down there. I have already been thinking about all the things that I have forgotten that I miss (ex. adventures on chicken buses, Perrito and all the other streets dogs, and my favorite street vendor, Pollo Tobi!) I will keep you up to date and you may even get one more blog before I leave the states! Keep in touch!

Viva La Vida,

Liz

(This was a squirrel we saw eating a pumpkin. I have never seen this before and I hope that this little guy doesn't share this knowledge with his squirrely friends...needless to say, I thought it was pretty funny and I hope you guys enjoy it as well!)

Storypeople.com story:

"We lay there & looked up at the night sky & she told me about stars called blue squares & red swirls & I told her I'd never heard of them. Of course not, she said, the really important stuff they never tell you. You have to imagine it on your own."

Playlist:

The Tree Song by Bebo Norman
Me and Mrs. Jones by Michael Buble
Your Smiling Face by James Taylor
Pearls on a String by Ryan Adams
First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes
Sideways by Citizen Cope
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face by Coldplay

preparation

2008-10-14T23:07:00.002-05:00

I would like to start by apologizing because after my last post, I realized that I had forgotten about my playlist so without saying anything else, the playlist has returned and I am currently listening to 'All My Ex's Live In Texas'...the full list will be at the bottom of the post.

Well, the preparation has started. I am starting to get 'my affairs in order' as some would say. I wouldn't put it that way because I think it sounds like I'm cheating on my husband (which I don't have) or being promiscuous or something (which I'm not being). But anyway, that's what I have been doing recently. I am starting to make the rounds to see my good friends for another round of 'see ya laters' and checking the travel websites one more time for travel advisories (yes, I am one of those that plays it safe). I have also been doing a little research as to what Spanish school I will attend. I have decided that I will stay in Xela for Spanish school due to rule of elimination. My choices were Xela, Antigua, San Pedro (Lago de Atitlan), or a small village. Antigua is the center of all that is tourist so I figured that wouldn't be good for the cultural experience. San Pedro is beautiful but supposedly, it is at one of those energy spots on earth so there are all sorts of new age things that go on. Emily (my sister) found this picture online and warned me that if I go to San Pedro, I may come home with a boyfriend that looks like this http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/brown/archives/JoeyIsrael.gif. You must understand, I have nothing against dreadlocks or bearded men but I would rather experience Guatemala for what it is worth. I can get all the dreads and beards in the USA. And for the village, I think it would be a great oppurtunity to have total and complete immersion but the thought of potentially being the only gringa around makes me a little nervous. Thus, I decided on staying in Xela. I am really happy about this. I will be able to see my friends that are down there a little more even though I am going to try to branch out some as well. I feel like Xela is the perfect combination of all the things I am looking for. I looked at a few schools today (http://www.xelapages.com/juansisay/ and http://www.sakribal.com/). The first one has a volunteer oppurtunity that looks especially inviting. If I bring some medical supplies as a donation, I will be able to stand in on a surgical procedure. Pretty cool, right? Needless to say, I'm pretty pumped about it. After reading that, however, it made me realize even more how much I DON'T want to have surgery in Guatemala so if you all could do me a favor and send up a prayer for my health while I am there, I would greatly appreciate it!

I would love to hear about what is going on with all of you so please don't hesitate to send an email (liz.cromwell@gmail.com) with an update of you and your family!

Vive La Vida!

Liz

P.S. I have a new favorite wedsite. It is www.storypeople.com. I am going to include a snipit from this website from now on when I think about it! Here's the first one:

"Leaning out as far as she can, hoping she'll fall soon, so she can stop worrying about whether it will happen or not."

Playlist:
All my ex's Live in Texas by George Straight
Jump (for my love) by The Pointer Sisters
Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
Something More by Jenny Owens
Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson
Train Under Water by Bright Eyes
Shake your Bon Bon by Ricky Martin
Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead

It's official!

2008-10-02T16:07:00.002-05:00

Well, it's official! I have finally bought my ticket to return to Central America! My time in Enid has been wonderful and filled with many friends, great family, and extraordinary memories from the last four months but the time has come for me to return to Latin America! I will be heading out October 23 to spend some time with my sister in DC before I leave from there the 29th! At this point, I have only bought a one way ticket (this doesn't mean that I'm never coming back), so I'm not sure when I will return. I have a few different options so we will see how they play out. When I get down there, I am planning on going and visiting friends in Xela (this is where I spent the spring of 2008) and then attending Spanish school somewhere in Guatemala! I have a friend that will be joining me to travel for a few weeks in Guatemala so we will be together for Thanksgiving with the other teachers from IAS and then I am planning on heading to Costa Rica or South America. My plans are up in the air but that's the only way to do it down there because plans are going to change anyway. So, that's what's going on with me.

The time that I have been back in the states has been wonderful. I was able to visit my mom in Louisiana with some great friends. I was also able to see my Texas 'family' a couple times. I spent two weeks in DC with Emily and Charlie, and a week in Wyoming and Colorado. I have had time to process and to evaluate what I want to do and what I have been doing since I graduated in December of 2005. I didn't realize how I hadn't taken the time to slow down and look at my life. It has been so refreshing! I have even had time to get bored! In this bordem, I have started looking at what will be after my travels and as I discussed this issue with a friend, the advice that I received was figure it out when I'm in Guatemala! Ha! I don't know if I can do that or not but what I do know is that I will be moving to DC when I return and then to Wyoming after that! (More details on those moves later)

I hope that all of you are doing well! Please keep me updated with your lives and be looking for more updates more regularly now that I will be back on the road!

Liz

2008-06-28T13:13:00.002-05:00

I have officially been back in the good 'ol USA for three weeks now and it is finally starting to feel more 'normal'. I have had a busy three weeks as I have seen a bunch of different friends. I am still trying to figure out what is next but I am leaning towards traveling and taking some more time away. I have had lots of time to process and I have realized how little time I had allowed for this in the past months. Once I get something figured out for sure, I will fill everyone in. If anyone is interested in meeting me along the traveling road, please let me know!

I'm sorry I haven't kept everyone updated but I have had some fun adventures since I have been back so I will write about those soon! The picture to the left is a teaser to what is to come! I'll give you a hint that it happened in Louisiana!

I hope you all are having a great summer!

Last night in Guate!

2008-06-04T21:59:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be home tomorrow, Thursday June 5. I made it to Guatemala City and I'm currently at a bed and breakfast. I will wake up tomorrow and head to the airport! I will arrive in Oklahoma City around 7:30!

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone! I will continue to blog so check in periodically for my next adventures!

liz

The end has come...

2008-06-02T14:03:00.014-05:00

I'm back at the new coffee shop that has been a constant in my daily schedule this last week. My classroom is closed for the summer and all my paperwork is done. My kids left last Wednesday with a smile on their faces, waving and saying "See you tomorrow, Miss Crom-Well (that's how they pronounce it) not understanding that I may never see them again. Most of my friends left yesterday and I sit listening to the rain pound the roof. This place is very different after my obligations at IAS are over.

I sit here a little choked up and glassy eyed as I think back on this semester. I couldn't have asked for a better way to start 2008 and I pray that what is ahead will be as rewarding as what I have experienced over the last five months. I know that with each different season we have friends that come and go and as the over-used quote says, "will leave footprints on your heart" but I know that the impact that these people have had on me will effect me daily from this moment on. A few things I have learned and will always remember about these wonderful people:

Carrie M.-A little southern charm never did anyone harm (potentially...haha). I have loved spending this spring with you and I feel so incredibly blessed to know you in another capacity outside of camp. You are apart of some of my absolute favorite memories over the years. I'm looking forward to traveling with you for many more years and road tripping with you this summer! (p.s. no one can pull off white trash like you and I! )

Soups-You are one of the most loyal people I know. You love people so well and it was obvious in the way your kids responded to your leaving. I would have never expected to be living with you at this point in my life but the amount I have learned from you is immeasurable. You have been a constant encouragement to me over the last seven years and always remember I love you, BAAAABBBBYYYY! haha!!!
Randi-Five months isn't a very long time in the grand sense of things but to see how you have made your way into my life and become a very dear friend in that amount of time is shocking. I have enjoyed 'living' with you and our many Caurtito afternoons. You have challenged me spiritually, intellectually, and well, with your mad dance moves! I'm looking forward to hashing out episodes of LOST with you and maybe we can even squeeze another showing of Step Up 2 in there somewhere! I'm going to miss you and keep those Pac boys in line for me! No way, Jose. Ha!
McNabb-From the 'erosion' method to 'just five more minutes' it is obvious that you are a quality time person and I'm so blessed to call you one of my best guy friends. You finally 'eroded' me down and got me to come to Guatemala and I hope that our paths will continue to cross throughout the years and that we have many more adventures ahead of us. You are an incredible guy! Snoop Dogg anyone?!?
The Macy's-From the green mohawk so many years ago to Flo Rida's Low, you both have been great friends to me and I will continue making you be my friend! Thanks for always looking out and being so including in all that you do! I love you guys and wish you the best in the rest of your stint at IAS!
The Schnyders'-Thanks for being such a wonderful example of what a marriage should look like that has a wonderful balance of being involved in the social community and having 'date nights' (whatever those might consist of...haha)! I am thankful for the time spent with you both and thanks again for teaching us hand and foot! It was a wonderful procrastination tool!

Well, as you can see below, it took me quite awhile to write this blog but due to the tropical storm that decided to grace us with it's presences, my plans have changed and Emily and I are cancelling our weekend trip so I will be back in the states this Thursday! I'm excited to be heading back but as you can tell, this semester has been wonderful and it's hard to leave such a wonderful place and such dear friends!

For all of you that are in Oklahoma, I will be there this weekend! Love you all and I'm looking forward to spending time with all of you!

Vive La Vida!

Liz

Playlist:

A Country Boy Can Survive by Hank
Holy Water by Big and Rich
When All is Said and Done by Tyrone Wells
Jump (for my love) by The Pointer Sisters
Always a Women to Me by Billy Joel
Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
Intanbul (Not Constaninople) by They Might Be Giants
Writing to Reach You by Travis
The Long Way Home by Norah Jones
The Trouble With Love Is by Kelly Clarkson
Red Dirt Road by Brooks and Dun
Between the Lines by Sara Bareilles
My Oh My by David Gray
Bad by Micheal Jackson
Stay Beautiful by Taylor Swift
Angel by Aerosmith
Til Kingdom Come by Coldplay
Dig by Jars of Clay
Changes in Latitudes by Jimmy Buffett

Something new in a familiar place!

2008-05-25T18:31:00.004-05:00

Right when you think you are an expert on a town/city, you find a new aspect of something you have been missing! Let me describe my haven of the day: A café with a patio feel. Bright yellow walls with a staircase that is accented in orange. Skylight material roof that allows the rain that is falling outside to sing a beautiful droning that is way too relaxing. The most comfortable chair I have sat in since I have been in Xela upholstered with typica fabric. A great friend working on encouragement notes for her students. A delicious cup of Chocolate con leche. To sum it up, a little slice of Heaven on a Sunday afternoon in Guatemala.

Writing this post has been something I have been thinking about for the last week. How can I capture the last two weeks in Guatemala? This has been the question that has been running across my mind as I contemplate this post. I have so much that I want to share and explain but I know that it will be much better explained when I can describe each of these things face to face. My hope for the next two weeks is to view this country with the same eyes that I saw it the first two weeks I was here. I have found recently that I have been slipping into a ‘cruse control’ mentality. This is not something that I want for my final days here. I have made the decision to nip this and to open my eyes to those things that have become normal. Let’s see, what else is going on…I have come down with what can only be described as bronchitis (hopefully). I have been trying to fight it off with my own strength (yeah right) and finally caved in to buying some medicine. Hopefully I will be able to get rid of it in the next few days. Wednesday is our last day of classes followed by Graduation on Friday. The majority of the teachers leave on Sunday so I will have a few days on my own until Emily (my wonderful sister) arrives on Thursday. I am still trying to figure out what I will do with that time. I will either stay in Xela a few extra days, go to the Lake, or head to Antigua. Whatever I end up doing, I know one thing is for sure, I will be doing a lot of processing and looking ahead to see what the future may hold.

Now some things that have happened recently!

Last weekend we had a cookout at our directors house with a White Trash theme. I went as a pregnant lady…I will attach some pictures! We had a wonderful time ‘tailgating’, listening to country music, and eating some goodies off the grill!

Today was the beginning of the Guatemalan Rugby Association’s playoffs (that sounds much more official than it actually is). My friend Josh Macy helped start this organization and the Xela team advanced to the finals today by beating a team from Guatemala City 40-3! It was a wonderful game and they have improved tremendously since I have been here this semester.

I know there is much more I could talk about but my words are running scarce and I have a little work I need to do! I will be home in two weeks so be looking for updates as I decide what may lie ahead as well as the readjusting process to the states!

Finishing STRONG!

Liz

Playlist:
Come Monday by Jimmy Buffett
What I Need To Do by Kenny Chesney
Will I see You With My Hair Down by Zach Winters
Vertigo by U2
King of the Road by Roger Miller
Such Great Heights by Postal Service

Closing in...

2008-05-14T13:47:00.000-05:00

It’s official. 10 days of school left. My patience is wearing thin and I know that if I don’t take advantage of every moment here, I will regret it when I get home. So, it’s a combination that could potentially be dangerous in the sense of accomplishing those things that need to be done. I feel disconnected in a way that I am sure is due to my short stint of time here. We had a PTA dinner two nights ago at the Bonifaz (the nicest hotel in town, where they were playing Christmas music during dessert!) and it was incredible to see the reactions of the other teachers who were leaving versus my own. I feel like Guatemala has softened me in many ways but that night, I felt hard. I felt hard to the emotions that others were experiencing. I guess that’s just part of it.

The next few weeks are busy with end of the year festivities so that should keep us busy. My wonderful sister will be gracing me with her presence three weeks from today so I am more than excited about that! I think we are heading back to the lake to relax for a few days and just take it easy. We had such a wonderful time in China together, I’m sure this will be wonderful as well! I will officially be back in the states June 9!

It’s hard for me to think that this is the end of Guatemala for me. I honestly think that it isn’t the end. I know I will be back here some day to visit these kids and to experience the greatness of this country. I am excited to head back to the states for a few months and just be. My summers have been filled with camp, basketball, and horse shows since I can remember. The last memories of a free summer consisted of swimming at the country club everyday and jumping on the trampoline. I would imagine that this summer will be slightly different than the last free one but I wouldn’t mind squeezing some swimming and trampoling in there somewhere!

Enjoying the Adventure!
Liz

Playlist:
Dress Up in You by Belle and Sebastian
A Glance in My Direction by So Long Goodbyes
The Quick Escape by So Long Goodbyes
Till It Happens To You by Corinne Baily Rae
Trust Me by The Fray
Gumboots by Paul Simon
Follow Through by Gavin DeGraw
Picture to Burn by Taylor Swift
St. Apollonia by Beirut
Beauty School Drop-out by Frankie Avalon

Welcome to the Jungle!

2008-05-08T10:42:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks have been filled with traveling and adventure! I have been able to see different areas of Guatemala that I had yet to see and I was blessed with the company of my mother and step-father for ten days. We went to Lago de Atitlan and Tikal.

My adventure started as I headed out to Atitlan for the weekend. I was able to leave school at noon to catch the bus. I headed to the bus terminal with a few things to do on the way. It took me an hour to get to the place that should have only taken me 20 minutes! I had to wait for a bus for a little while but when my bus finally got there (a chicken bus, of course!) I happily boarded knowing that I would see my mother soon! After we had traveled the long and windy road, I hopped off the bus knowing that I could find the hotel on my own since I had driven through Panajeche before (this is my stubborn, independence coming out in full force!) As I headed up a hill (to get ‘onto’ of the city to see where I needed to go), I began to realize that maybe I didn’t know where I was going. There is a certain amount of pride that comes into play when you are walking down a street and you realize that you are heading in the wrong direction because you have to decide if you are going to turn around and go back the way you came (this allows everyone that you just passed to know that you were wrong) or if you are going to make the block (so no one will know, but you end up walking an extra three blocks to get back to the place where you began!). I decided to suck up my pride and just turn around, but I did do the ‘cool’ thing and went down to the next intersection and looked both ways and acted surprised that I didn’t see what I was looking for. I’m sure that everyone on the street could see through this whole act! As I headed back towards the way that I came, I figured that I should ask. I found an official looking guy and asked him where the main street was and he started talking really fast and said a whole lot. My Spanish is still lacking so with this, I just nodded my head and smiled. He saw through this act and finally just said, “Pana?” I shook my head yes and he pointed back to the bus. I had gotten off 15 minutes early! Luckily, the bus I came one was still there so I jumped back on the bus to be greeted by a sly smile from a young Guatemalan guy that knew exactly what had happened to me! When I finally arrived in what was actually Pana, my friend turned around and nodded at me in a way that I knew he was still laughing at me. It was pretty entertaining. I was happy to finally make it to Pana and I did find my way to the hotel. I had a wonderful weekend with my mom and step-father. We toured the lake and three villages around the lake.

The next week was a three day week due to Guatemalan Labor Day so we were able to head to the city on Wednesday and catch a flight to Tikal on Thursday morning. We arrived to the Jungle of the Petan region of Guatemala at 7:30am and the humidity was already there to greet us. It was truly incredible to see the difference in climate and landscape. I didn’t feel like I was in Guatemala anymore.

When we got to the National Park, we dropped our stuff off at the hotel (which was conveniently located right next to the entrance) and headed out on a tour. Our guide was a man that was raised at Tikal. His father was one of the men who was involved in the archaeological dig. He was very informed and it was absolutely incredible to see this ancient civilization that disappeared 1100 years ago. When we finished our tour, we headed back to the hotel for lunch and to get settled in our room. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the pool and watching the monkey’s swing overhead.

As we were going to sleep that night, we remembered that our guide had told us about the howling monkey’s and how they would probably wake us up in the night. Little did we know that not only would they wake up us but they would scare the mess out of us. I can’t remember a time that I was as frightened as I was that first night in the jungle. I knew that the noises I was hearing was only a monkey but all I could think of was something awful right outside my window just waiting to devour me and enjoy my mom as dessert! I had been told earlier that the monkey’s had been used as a the sound in Jurassic Park for the T-rex’s and I now believe it!

I had a 4:15am wake-up call (this consisted of someone coming and knocking on our door) for a sunrise tour from the top of Temple 4 (the largest standing temple in Central America) but just after the guy came and knocked on our door, the monkey’s started howling again. I was seriously considering just getting back into bed because I was terrified about what was in the trees right outside our little bungalow. However, I convinced myself that it was safe and if I did die, it would be a good way to go!

Needless to say, I survived the monkeys and the sunrise was breath taking. I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to visit Tikal and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Mayan civilization or a jungle adventure!

The school year is coming to a close very quickly and I don’t know how often I will be updating my blog between now and then. I will update it when I get a chance with some of my final reflections and future plans!

Vive la vida!

Liz
Playlist:
River of Dreams by Billy Joel
Bad by Michael Jackson
Oklahoma Hills by hank Thomas
Merry Christmas From the Family by Robert Earl Keen
Sleeping To Dream by Jason Mraz
I’m A Mountain by Sarah Harmer
We Love You Jesus by Shane and Shane
Fell In Love With A Girl by The White Stripes
Shadow by Ashlee Simpson
Red Red Wine by UB40
Beat It by Michael Jackson
Be Careful by Patty Griffin
Don’t Forget to Remember Me by Carrie Underwood
Beloved by Caleb Carruth
Hello, Goodbye by The Beatles
In Da Club by 50 Cent
All You Need Is Love by Lynden Dale Hall

2008-05-04T17:30:00.001-05:00

So, I just wanted to check in and let you all know that I am still alive...I've just been really busy! I got home from Tikal today with my mom. It was wonderful! I will update you all in more detail later! Hope everyone is well!

It's getting hot in here!

2008-04-20T18:43:00.002-05:00

What a weekend! I traveled to Antigua Guatemala with three of my friends. We left Sat. morning and had quite a ride on the way there. The driver of our chicken bus was the wildest, most experienced, daring driver I have ever ridden with. Instead of waiting in the construction lines, he would simply bypass everyone who was waiting patiently and pull up to the front of the line. At one point, the ayudante got out of the bus and went and talked to the guys that were blocking up off, I’m pretty sure that he slipped him some money because the next thing we know, there are orange flags waving and three buses that were ‘on the line’ took off in the beginning of a race kind of way! We were taking corners at speeds that I wouldn’t dare to go in my little car. I’m not sure how we didn’t roll but it was like we were on a 3 hour roller coaster. You had to hold onto the bar in front of you. Otherwise, you would have ended up in the lap of the Guatemalan sitting next to you! By the time we got to Antigua (in only 3 ½ hours) we found a hotel and headed to lunch. Our goal for the weekend was to climb Pacaya and just relax. Luckily, we were successful in both goals and I am now home safely in Xela.

Pacaya was one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I have always been fascinated with volcanoes but I never thought I would be this close to actually lava. We hiked 3km up to the base of the volcano and when we finally crested the hill, we saw the lave for the first time. We were still a little ways from it, but we could already feel the heat! We climbed down to it and I was so close to it that the soles of my shoes started getting tacky. It was absolutely incredible!

Other news in Central America…not much. We only have 4 full weeks of school left and two weeks that consist of three days each so we are getting closer to the end of the school year. As of right now, I have the next couple weekends planned because my mother and step-father are coming! I have been so blessed to have family come down and visit! We are going to Lago de Atilan next weekend (the deepest, most beautiful lake in Central America) and then off to Tikal the following weekend! I will keep everyone updated as things happen! Let me know where you will be this summer so I can come by and tell you other stories as I travel around the states!

Until then!

Playlist:
Steady as She Goes by The Raconteurs
A Change would Do You Good by Sheryl Crow
These Days by Rascal Flats
Gotas De Agua Dulce by Juanes
Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann

I want to hold your hand!

2008-04-13T19:19:00.005-05:00

I know that I have promised other spring break stories but quite frankly, that was a long time ago so I’m just going to abbreviate those stories and include some fun pictures!

As you know by my last posts, I was in a class to get scuba certified. After many classroom sessions and reading a few chapters, we finally headed to the sea to practice some of our new skills. Earlier that day, we had learned all the hand signals so we could communicate underwater. As we practiced our new skills, we also practiced our hand skills. This included things like ‘watch me’, ‘let’s go up’, and ‘I’m having problems with _______’. After we learned how to clear our masks and stay at a neutral buoyancy, we headed out for our first exploratory dive. We were a group of six and we all had a partner. As we were swimming away, our dive instructor (Vera) turned around and gave us the signal to hold hands with our partner. My friend Randi was my buddy and we happily found each other’s hand and continued swimming. We saw all sorts of incredible things and beautiful fish. Vera continued to lead the group and every time she turned around to check on us, she would remind us to hold hands. By the time our dive was over and we safely back on the boat with our BCD’s and flippers in their respective places, Vera turned to Randi and I with a smirk on her face. She said, “Did you think that every time I turned around I was telling you to hold hands?” Because both of us are competitive students, we shook our heads enthusiastically. She laughed and said, “That is just the resting position of my hands. I wasn’t telling you guys to hold hands but it sure was funny!”

Needless to say, we got quite a kick out of it and we have continued to joke about, ‘I want to hold your hand….underwater!’

The next adventure was the trip home with Dad and Kitty.
I’m not going to say much about it because I don’t want to stir up unpleasant emotions with Mark Cromwell. All I will say is that I made it back from Beijing China quicker than I made it back to Guatemala from Honduras. I know, I know, this doesn’t make much sense but it was quite a trip. If you are interested, let me know but whatever you do, don’t ask my dad about it! He will surely get angered and start raving about the Roatan airport officials or the Adrenalina tours bus drivers!

With all of that, things in Guatemala are going quite well. I have officially told the school that I won’t be returning next year and it went well. I am planning on attempting to travel and do some volunteer work. I have recently gotten in contact with an organization that places camp professionals in international camps. I think that this would be a very good opportunity for me as it would combine the best of both worlds for me: camping and travel. I will keep you all updated on where that leads but I am going to try to keep my mind and focus here in Xela until I return to the states in June. If you have any contacts over seas or if any of you have done any mission work or volunteer work, please let me know! I would love to hear about things that you would recommend for me!

Until then, I will continue to enjoy my time here and try to stay dry as rainy season is creeping in a little early this year!

Playlist:
Southbound 35 by Pat Green
Vegas by Sara Bareilles
Swallowed in the Sea by Coldplay
Time of your Life by Green Day
Bullet and a Target by Citizen Cope
Breathe by Anna Nalick
Will He Be Waiting For Me? by Sarah Harmer
What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flats
I’m Your Man by Michael Buble’
I ain’t in Checotah Anymore by Carrie Underwood

something worth living for...

2008-04-07T17:20:00.001-05:00

I have recently been aware of the lack of world consciousness that I have. To solve this problem, I have added cnn.com and enidnews.com to my daily internet ‘surfing’ (to get the news that is important to me!). I am amazed daily at what makes the ‘top’ news on an international website, and I am also disturbed at what I find in my hometown newspaper. I am taken back by the news that I found Saturday morning. I was faced with two deaths: one, a fallen Soldier, and another, a life in prison. Although the second isn’t death in the sense of the physical word, more in the sense of the loss of freedom and choice that was brought about by the killing of someone. Both of these men were acquaintances of mine. As I sat and read about the family that was left behind from our hometown hero, I felt a wave of emotions that brought tears to my eyes. He had lived a life that was honorable and he gave his life to something that he believed in. I will forever be grateful to the sacrifice that he gave to all of us. He is the reason that someone can carry a gun. He is the reason that we can drive to a gas station without worry of attack. He fought for the freedom that the other guy willingly gave up when he pulled the trigger and took another mans life. I don’t know the reasons behind the killing, but I do know that if you believe in something strongly enough, you will go to great measures to fulfill that.

I am not questioning that either of these men believed that what they were doing was right. To go to the measures that each of them went to will show that they believed in what they were doing. What I am doing is using this as evidence that what you believe in can consume you, either for good or for bad.

There will be families that will forever be affected by the decisions that both of these young men made. I hope that we can all learn from both of these situations. To be passionate and to live with vigor is what we are meant to do. My wish for you is that you will find something worthwhile to give your life to, because ultimately, it is what will be said about your life in the end.

Playlist:
Reasons Why by Nickel Creek
This Land is Mine by Dido
Amazing Grace by Ani DiFranco
Track 12 by Amos Lee
Blue Eyes by Cary Brothers
Birthday by The Beatles
What it Takes by Aerosmith

A surprise stay in Guatemala City!

2008-03-31T15:31:00.002-05:00

As promised, I will write in more detail about a few things that happened on the trip to Roatan Honduras...

The trip began with a half day of school on Friday and we headed to Guatemala City. Our plane was leaving at 8am the next morning so we needed to get there the day before so we could make it to the island with plenty of time to lay around on the beach before we began Scuba classes on Monday. We arrived at the airport and checked in with TACA. The first three of us (Michael, Carrie and I) all were given seats but Randi was told that she needed to check at the gate for her seat. When we got there, we were told that the plane was over sold and if she would take a later flight, she would get compensation. They realized that we were traveling in a group and said that a friend could stay back with her. The flight that she was on had only one connection and me being the rational person I am, I figured this would be better for me considering my severe motion sickness. So, Randi and I sent the other two on their way and waited for our compensation…which happened to be two free breakfasts…we weren’t too happy with this but we took it anyway.

When it was time for us to head back down to the gate, we packed up our stuff and went that way. After sitting there for about 15 minutes a man comes and informs us that our flight is canceled. At this point, we try to get a hold of the other two because we were suppose to be on the same flight into Roatan and with this information, we know that we weren’t going to make it. The thing that through us off was that we couldn’t call from our cell phones to their cell phones. So, we started calling family in the States to have them try to call Michael and Carrie to let them know that we wouldn’t be there when they got there. They led us out of the terminal, out through security, outside, and into the parking garage. At this point, I was seriously questioning if I was going to see anyone I loved again. I mean, why are they taking us out of the airport? I found out quickly that was the only way up to the first floor. They led us back into the airport and to the TACA desk. At this point, we stood in line for 2-3 hours. When we first got there, the agents at the desk didn’t even know that the flight had been canceled. I figured it would be in our best interest if we took matters into our own hands and be proactive with the situation. I started walking around to the other counters to see if another airline could help us. Randi stayed in line and waited for other instructions. When it was finally our turn to talk to the lady at the counter, they told us that they would get us on a flight that day to Roatan. We stood at the counter for 2 hours talking to the lady. When we finally realized that we weren’t going to make it that day, we tried to let our other friends know but we had no luck. TACA ended up giving us $250 travel vouchers, three meals each, and a very nice hotel room.

Needless to say, it was quite a trip there. We showed up Sunday morning with boarding passes already in hand. We were a little nervous that the whole thing would happen again but we made it to Roatan and had a nice Sunday (except for the fact that it took my Dad 1 ½ hours to get through passport control and considering they came in 2 hours after us and we stayed and waited for them…)

We finally made it to our rooms and it didn’t take us long to change into our bathing suits and hit the beach just in time for a beautiful sunset!

It was a wonderful trip even though it started a little rough. I was happy to get a travel voucher. But with this whole ordeal, I learned first hand why they call TACA, Take A Chance Airlines!

On deck…I want to hold your hand…underwater!

Until then!

liz

Playlist:
Humble Me by Norah Jones
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
On the Radio by Regina Spektor
Touch and Go by The Cars
Songs About Texas by Fallon Franklin and Blake Powers
Song of the South by Alabama
Outta Here by Kenny Chesney
King of Glory by Third Day

Decisions, Decisions

2008-03-28T14:22:00.002-05:00

Front (L to R); Adriana, Ashley, Pily, Andrea
Middle Row:Julian, Marcela, Katia.
Back Row: Esteban, Alejandro, Danka, Me!

Decisions: A simple choice between two options. As I sit and watch my class play, I notice that with every action they take, they are making decisions. So, why is it so hard to make a decision? A four year old makes plenty of them everyday, so why can’t a 25 year old make a decision with the same sort of confidence that a pre-k kid does? I have come to the conclusion that too much pressure is put on people to make the ‘right’ decision. I think it is more about making a decision about your attitude and going confidently in that direction. Decisions can make a difference in your experiences but I don’t think that if you are pursuing God’s will (Love God, love others) for your life, that the course of your life will be drastically different depending on what you choose.

So with that, I’m sitting at a cross roads. Do I stay here or go travel. I thought my mind was made up, but after a few conversations (ones that didn’t know they were influencing me) I question what I should do. And if I take my own advice, it doesn’t really matter…

Okay, enough about that…I will let you all know what I decide by next week! Stay tuned!

Now on to Semana Santa (spring break!):

My father and step-mom joined me and my friends on the Caribbean Island of Roatan Honduras. We spent the week on the beach. It was wonderful getting to see them and spend time with them. While I was in my scuba class, they explored the island, taking pictures the whole time (I hope to get some of their pictures soon and when I do, I will try to post some of them!) After the week was finished, we headed back to Xela. After a very long trip back, we were able to spend a few days here. They got to meet my class and see that where I live is secure (every parents dream!) They headed home yesterday and according to an email I received this morning, they made it back to the good ‘ol US of A! I’m sure they are exhausted but hopefully it was worth it for them!

That is a very brief overview of the week and a half that they spent here. I will be writing about a few humours situations that happened over the week in more detail later when I have a little more time…a few things to be looking forward to…
1. A surprise stay in Guatemala City
2. I want to hold your hand…underwater
3. The long journey home…

Until next time!

Liz

Playlist:
I Think We’re Alone Now by Tiffany (courtesy of Shenold)
Camp Song by the original people who sang it!
Grease Lightning by The Original Cast
Highways and Broken Hearts by Eli Young Band
Low by Flo Rida
The Light of A Burning Bridge by George Strait
Did I Shave My Legs For This? By Deana Carter

The chapters that follow...

2008-03-12T19:32:00.002-05:00

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
St. Augustine

This quote has been haunting me as of late as I have been trying to make a decision about next year. Yes, I am traveling but according to this, I have just turned the page and I’m looking at the second chapter. So, what does the rest of the book hold for me?

As I write this, I find myself at a place that I have become very comfortable. I am sitting in the window seat of the ‘little room’ coffee shop. Yes, this coffee shop is very different than most in the states. First of all, everyone smokes. This took some getting used to since I recently moved from Austin, Texas (a clean air city) and wasn’t used to all of the smoke. As I look out the window, four gringos are sitting just on the other side, enjoying their mojitos and a delicious looking brownie.

I came here this evening to try to find some sort of clarity for next year. I have been trying to convince myself that staying here another year is the right thing to do. And I know that if I did make that decision that I would also make a decision to be happy here. But I can’t help but ask myself, What else is out there? What would I miss that I haven’t yet experienced? I have recently got in touch with an old high school friend that has done more traveling than most people could do in two lifetimes. After exchanging a few messages with him, I realize that there is a lot more out there. I know that my experience here next year would be totally different but what about my original desire to see the world? What about my plan from 4 months ago before receiving the call about Guatemala and the same plan from the previous year before I tore my ACL? Has my timing just been off? Is now the time to take the plunge one more time? I would love to believe that once I travel to a few places that I will get this itch out of my system but I know that the more places I go, the more places I will want to go. So, when is enough, enough? How do you know when you should ‘settle’ in the states? Or do I have to ‘settle’ in the states? And what does it actually mean to ‘settle down’? These are the questions that are running through my mind.

I was cruising the internet this evening and randomly searched for volunteer opportunities in Africa. There are quite a few possibilities out there and I haven’t even scratched the surface. Please pray for me and clarity in this decision. I appreciate all of you more than you know!

Liz

Playlist:
Let It Be by The Beatles
Song of the South by Alabama
Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett
Think It Over One Time by Robert Earl Keen
Little Moments Like That by Brad Paisley
Oklahoma! By Original Film Cast

Oh, The Place I could go!

2008-03-06T10:41:00.005-06:00

The internet is down for the second morning in a row, thus, the second day in a row for a posting! I figured I would hash out my options for next year with all of you!

Option A:
Stay in Guatemala. Teach fifth grade. Maybe live by myself so I can have an extra room for visitors (that means that you, yes you, have to come visit me and stay in my extra room). Continue the adventure and see all the places that I won’t get to see this year (ie, Tikal, Antigua, ect.). Play basketball for the Xela women’s team. Eat fresh veggies. Be daring. Be alive. Be happy.

Option B:
Move to DC. Get a sweet job with a non-profit or on the Hill. Live with my sister and Charlie (at the beginning). Explore DC. Learn lots about the US and the history of the US. Ride my bikes. Eat food from the states that I miss (ie. Mexican food, Sonic, Bueno, Thai food). Meet lots of young people from around the country all in one place! Be daring. Be alive. Be happy.

Option C:
Explore the world. Be a nomad. Sleep where my head finds a place. Visit Europe and Asia. Climb mountains. Ride on trains. Meet other travelers. Spend part of my savings. Eat strange and wild food. Be daring. Be alive. Be happy.

I’m sure there are other options out there and I would love to hear any suggestions that you may have! And I also know it’s a little strange to say that I miss American food and then I went and listed a bunch of international food…we just have a really good selection in the states!

Okay, hopefully the internet will come on soon so I can actually post this!

I miss you guys. I miss home. I miss Oklahoma and I even miss texas (a little). But with that, know that I am happy here and I am slowly making it more home like! Come visit me if you get an itch to travel!

Blessings,

Liz

Playlist:
The Quick Escape by So Long Goodbyes
Just a Dream by Carrie Underwood
Morning Yearning by Ben Harper
Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus) by Chris Rice
We Love You Jesus by Shane and Shane

chicken bus adventures

2008-03-05T14:52:00.007-06:00

At a Super Chivos futbol game with some of the girls I work with.

I read something the other day that said your work expands to the amount of time that you have. If you have a week to do a project, it will take you a week to do it. If you have half a day to do the same project, you will get it done in half a day.

With this being said, I believe that the longer you anticipate something, the excitement grows with each passing day. We have Semana Santa (Holy week that serves as spring break) in a week and a half. I feel like I have been waking up each morning counting the days until I get 9 days of rest and relaxation with my dad, step mom, and some wonderful friends. I am absolutely ready to hit the beach and explore the underwater world while receiving my certification in scuba diving. We are going to Roaton Honduras for the week of March 15-22. I am very excited about this time!

Since I last wrote, we had our staff retreat. We went to this place called Irtra. It is paid for by the Guatemalans with some of their tax money. It was beautiful! It is a complex that includes a water park, a theme park and one of the nicest resorts I have ever been to! The resort consisted of four different hotels with three pools, a workout complex, golfito (miniture golf), boliche, (bowling), tennis courts and many restaurants! There were peacocks, parrots, and wonderful landscaping.

The next weekend I was all by myself all weekend because the rest of my friends were in Antigua at a missions conference. I wasn’t able to go because I got here in January and the hotel was already full. I spend the weekend exploring and expanding my knowledge for this area. On Friday, I went to one of my kids birthday parties. Let me tell you this, the Guatemalan culture knows how to throw a party! There were horses, a huge piñata, a trampoline, and a moon bounce. The girl who was turning five, had a three tier ‘my little pony’ cake. It was quite a production! On Saturday, I got up and decided I was in need of an adventure. I looked in my guidebook and found a little town that sounded interesting: Momostenago. The town is known for the wool products that it makes. I was aware that the market days were Sunday and Wednesday but I figured I would still be able to get some cool stuff. I headed to the terminal (which I had never been to) packed on a micro bus. I will explain more about a micro in a later post…they are pretty entertaining! They let me off at a market that is known for pickpockets so I took my backpack and made it a front pack. As I was wondering through the market, I realized that I had no idea where the buses were. After cruising around for 15 minutes, I decided that I would just go home and call it a short lived adventure. I was heading out and passed a few buses and the drivers said, “Donde?” I replied and they pointed me in the right direction. When I arrived in the real terminal that was full of brightly colored chicken buses, I found someone who took me to the Momos bus. I boarded the bus and was off! When the attendant came by to collect our fairs, he asked me where I was going and I told him. He informed me that the bus I was on wasn’t going to Momos, it was going somewhere else! He told me I could go to San Franciso Los Altos and wait for another bus there. I agreed but was a little nervous about switching buses. They let me off in SF and I stood on the side of the road for 20 minutes waiting for the next bus to come by. Finally, a bus came that was going to Momos and I boarded with enthusiasm! Once I arrived, I walked around and figured out that there wasn’t much for me to see there ☹. I consulted my guide book and it said that I should walk to the edge of town and see ‘Los Riscos’ so I went. They were pumice formations that were caused by erosion. They were kind of cool but not cool enough for a 2 ½ hour bus ride! I walked back to town and caught the next bus out of town. I made sure it was a direct bus to Xela. I had to wait 30 minutes for it to leave and a group of 4 teenage boys came and sat next to me and tried to talk to me. They got a kick out of my lack of Spanish! Needless to say, it was an eventful day but I was very happy to get back to Xela!

Sunday, I got up and went to the Artesian Fair that is in town once a month. I got the most beautiful quilt that is made out of the dresses that the indigenous women wear.

Other than that, things are going well. We finish up our quarter next week. It amazes me that I have been teaching for ten weeks! I can hardly believe that my time here is half way over. The decision of whether or not to return in hanging in the air and I will decide by the end of March! I will keep all of you informed!

Hope you all are doing well!

Liz

Playlist:
Not Counting You by Garth Brooks
Milk and Cereal by ___________
That’s Just the Way it is by ___________
No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley
Fat Bottom Girl by Kevin Fowler
La Musica en mi by High School Musical (Spanish version)
Crashing Down by Matt Kearney
Be Near by Shane and Shane
Wrong Side of Town by Pat Green
Love Will Tear us Apart by Joy Division
I’m Slowly Turning into You by The White Stripes
Sleeping to Dream by Jason Mraz
Lifellight by Kelsey Weston
Austin by Blake Shelton
Red High Heels by Kelli Pickler
Enchantment by Corinne Baily Rae
Fireworks by the Neighborhood

...the normal life...

2008-02-20T20:05:00.002-06:00

As I sit down to write this, I realize how long it has been and I want to start by saying sorry. I know that there are those of you who anxiously await my next post and you lose sleep wondering what I have been doing. Well, here it is! Okay, maybe that is a little of an over-exaggeration but it makes me feel better to think that I am missed!

Things in the third world have been, well, a little boring lately. That’s why I haven’t written, because I don’t feel like there has been much to actually write about. Then, yesterday, as I was walking home from tutoring ,I came to the realization that life hasn’t been boring, it has just become normal. The strange things that are done in the country are no longer impractical and crazy. They are a part of my everyday life. This consists of the internet going down in the whole city for a day, you know, no big deal, that’s just the way it works in Xela, it always happens. And then there are the dogs on the roof (I know I have mentioned this before), I mean, why do they keep dogs on the roof. And speaking of dogs, there is this dog that I pass 2-3 times a day. I have named her Chubs because, well, she’s fat (I think she is pregnant) and the thing is with Chubs, we are friends. And there is this other dog. He lives in a pen right by my front gate. Most days when I walk outside he has a hunter green sweatshirt on. Our normal conversation goes something like this, “Hola Perrito, Como estas?” I’m sure that one of these days, he is going to turn to me and answer. I think that will happen the day he is wearing pants. On Sunday, half of the city didn’t have electricity. And when I say we didn’t have electricity, I mean, for the whole day! And it was no big deal; everyone just went on with his or her lives like nothing was going on. AND THEN, there are these guys that come every Friday. They wear hoods that are either black or purple. Honestly, they kind of freak me out but I have done my research and everyone says that if we stay away from them, they will stay away from us. I hear they are from the national university and every year they collect money to give to the poor. The rumor is that they actually throw a huge party with all the money they collect. If Guatemalans don’t give them money, they come to their business right before Holy week and tag it with graffiti. But no big deal, it’s normal here! As I was walking home from school today, I realized that in some ways, Guatemala and China are very similar. Like, they both have people that walk around and sell random things. For example, I have seen the same pecking chicken game that Emily and I got for our stepfather in China here in Guatemala. So the question is, do they make it in China and send it to Guate or make it in Guate and send it to China. But, they are also very different. For those of you that have visited the Li River in Southwest China, you can imagine the complete opposite river running through Xela. For how clean the Li is, this body of water is just as dirty. It is worse than the run-off from the pig farms in Arkansas. I seriously have to hold my breath when I am near it. I also realized what a giant I am in this crazy place. When I am at the grocery store, standing in line, waiting to check out, I realize that I always have to duck to get under the special clearance of the week. But there are advantages to this, I can find people in a crowd. However, I have found myself being attracted to any man who walks by that is over 5’10” because that is tall in this country! Last Friday night we had a girls night and went to the mall. We also went to the local video casino where you can play on 5Q for 100 credits.(1USD equals 7.65Q) I got up at one point and decided to cash out. I felt like I had made quite a bit of money. When I realized that I was cashing out for 10Q (about $1.30) I felt ridiculous. I guess it was more about principal than the actually money I was winning…oh well, again, just something that is a little different about this place! (I just thought of something else that was really funny, but as soon as I began to write it, it completely went away…alas, I guess I will have to have a second addition of the normalcy of Guatemala!)

Other than that, things have been normal around here. You know, the normal being hanging out with the girls, watching Grey’s and tying the shoes of my four year olds! We have our staff retreat this weekend. It is at a water park that is suppose to be really nice. We don’t have school on Friday so I am looking forward to that! I will try to be better about writing and keeping everyone updated! I need to know what is going on with you all as well! Don’t be shy with the emails!

Continue on the Adventure that God has set forth for you!

Liz

Playlist:
That Thing by Lauren Hill
You Can’t Hide Beautiful by Aaron Lines
Everything by Michael Buble
You Say by
I will wait on You By Shane and Shane
Waiting for Daylight by Rascal Flats
The Longest Time by Billy Joel
Roscoe by Midlake
Through With You by Maroon 5
Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
Icky Thump by The White Stripes
Majesty by Matt Redman
What Goes Around…/…Comes Back Around by J. TImberlake

Links to pictures!

2008-02-10T16:56:00.000-06:00

For those of you who aren't on Facebook, the links to all my pictures are below if you want to check them out!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2194258&l=335b0&id=9601504

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2193511&l=4a4fe&id=9601504

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2191867&l=f1f47&id=9601504

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2190509&l=cb96a&id=9601504

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2189236&l=08c55&id=9601504

The Joys of the third world money systems!

2008-02-09T09:32:00.000-06:00

So, a lot has happened this week…and it’s not quite over yet…I guess we can see how this weekend goes! From the ‘Flouring’ event on Tuesday to a run around the city of Xela on Wednesday and then, tonight, I was able to test my American test system on how I can get information that I need…details to follow…

Let’s start with Wednesday. To be honest, Wednesday was a crappy day. My kids were a little crazy and they weren’t listening at all…it seemed that my patience had totally worn out. And that bad thing was that it was gone by 8:15 am! By the time they went home, I was totally worn out and I had all of my afternoon kids to work with. I was quite relieved when I was reminded that it was Wednesday and we had female staff Bible Study. We met at this cute café in the center of town and talked for a couple of hours. One of the girls was interrupted by a phone call that seemed to be rather important. The expression on her face soon turned to panic and she hung up. She said that it was one of our Guatemalan friends who called and he called to let us know that the bank we used was crashing. Are you kidding me? A bank can just ‘crash’ and take all your money? Well, I (luckly) had cashed my first paycheck so I didn’t have any money in my account at all but everyone else did. I covered the tab while everyone ran out to get there bank card and get as much money out as they could. Two of the girls went straight to the ATM’s while two of the other ones had to run home (a good 10 minute walk). By the time I had made it back to our apartments, I had pasted two of the girls I had been meeting with (both running through the cobblestone streets of Xela) and one of the other girls (who had been taken by surprise by the news and ran out of the house bra-less!) It was quite a site to see all this gringas (white girls) running around like chickens with their heads cut off! Seriously, where is FDIC in a situation like this. At this moment, I realized how many times I have taken the USA for granted. I mean, we don’t have to worry about our money just disappearing and dissolving into the bank owners hands…anyway, by the time I got back up to my apartment, my roommate was on her way out so I offered to go with her for moral support. We caught up with the other girls and found that they could only take out a certain amount of money per day. We still weren’t sure how legitimate the sources were about the bank rumors but we figured it was better be safe than sorry! By the time all the fiasco was over and all the girls had taken all the money out that they could (and they were now prime targets to be help up!), it was dark and we all needed to head home. One of the girls, Danielle, lives on the other side of town so Stef and I volunteered to walk her home. It was a nice walk. On the way back, we were walking along a very narrow road with narrow sidewalks (probably 2-3 feet) when a large moving truck was coming down the road. At the same time, Stef and I both flattened against the wall we were walking next too because not only was there a huge truck but the truck had huge mirrors that would have taken us out…we both looked at each other and laughed. Of course something like this would happen…I mean, we do live in Guatemala! Something else that I don’t think I have mentioned yet is the ‘logical’ place the Guatemalans keep their dogs. It is nothing to be surprised at to see a huge Huskey or German Shepard on the roof of a house. Yes, that is right, you may be walking down the road and hear a ferocious bark and have no idea where it is coming from only to realize that the dog is above you! It’s a little strange but it has become something that is now ‘normal.’

Today was actually a pretty good day, of course it was only good until I turned into a complete idiot (Thank you Sarah Shenold and Cory Bigham for helping me clean up my mess!) But more on that in a little bit. My day at school went well. It was a typical Friday that was survived by the knowledge that it was Friday if that makes any sense at all. I went to the Mennonite Bake Shop after school (ohmygoodness, SOOOO good!) and headed to Dos Tejanos with the girls to wind down after a hectic week. After we left, we thought that a movie sounded like a great idea so we headed to the ‘mall’ and watched 27 dresses (very cute for a chick flick). We caught a taxi on the way home and by the time I reached into my purse to pull my keys out to unlock my door, I realized that my purse was a little lighter than it should have been! Crap! My wallet had fallen out when I paid for the taxi. This sent me into a fury of activity of calling people in the states to get phone numbers to the card companies that I had in my wallet (thanks Sarah for looking these numbers up!) and making all the calls I could from an international country. When I called Bank of America, the guy that was helping me must have been bored because he started up a conversation with me about what Guatemala was like and what vaccinations you needed to come down there. I was seriously laughing and Randi (one of the 6 girls) was cracking up because here I was, trying to protect my ‘life savings’ and this guy just wanted someone to chat with! By the time I had 2 out of 3 cancelled, I couldn’t get the other number to go through (sorry to all of you who I called but thank you to Cory Bigham for actually answering and helping out a TON!). Cory helped me out and made a local call or two and I think we have it all figured out now. So this is how I became an idiot this week…I have never lost my wallet before. I don’t know why I thought that doing it in a foreign country would be a good time to do it but I now have the training. Hopefully I won’t have to do that ever again!

(And Dad, do you really think that you could have a daughter go to another country and not lose something! At least it wasn’t my passport!)

So, now, looking ahead to my once clear weekend, I see visions of wallet shopping now on my list of things to do. As well as make a copy of everything that goes into my new wallet.

I hope that you all are doing well and that life in the states is treating you well! I have gotten a few updates and to those that are sick, I hope you and your family gets well soon and if any of you have been effected by the weather, I hope it is getting better for you! Take care and Find your own adventure where you are!

Playlist:
I know what I know by Paul Simon
Juicy Fruit by Jimmy Buffet
Your Love Is Amazing by Caleb Carruth
Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta by Carter Falco (country version, you should check it out! It’s hilarious!)
Babylon 2 by David Gray
Summersong by The Decemberist
Shout Out Loud by Amos Lee
Mmmbop by Hanson
You Are Not Alone by Michael Jackson
Twisted Logic by Cold Play
First Breath After Coma by Explosions in the Sky
Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Leona Mitchell

Rubber Farm...

2008-02-06T12:50:00.000-06:00

Well, I have a lot of cover and I don’t want to take too much of your time. This last weekend, I went to the rubber farm that belongs to the director of the school. It was such a neat experience. We learned all about the trees and how the latex is collected. I will put a few pictures up so that you can see what it is like. If you have any questions about it, please let me know. It is an extensive process. One of the really interesting facts is that all the rubber trees come from clones. All of the rubber trees in the world are clones for 13 trees that were decided to be the best producers in the late 1800s.

I learned a new costume of the Guatemalan culture last night. My roommate, Stefanie, and I were walking through the local park that was all hosting a carnival for Super Tuesday. All the children were walking around and running from eachother. Stefanie and I visited the local DVD guy and were browsing to see all the carnival food and activities. We passed a few children that were throwing flour at eachother and thought this must be something that the children do. It didn’t take us much longer to figure out that we were going to be targets of this flour throwing as well. Stefanie got it first and as I was thankful that I wasn’t a recipient. About 15 seconds later, a group of children came up and absolutely covered me in flour. Stef and I both broke out into hysterical laughter and this apparently called more attention to us and we became the main targets in this game for kids. We ended up running from the children and ran most of the way home, laughing the whole way!

One of those Days...

2008-01-31T14:55:00.000-06:00

Well, I am about to complete my forth week down here and it amazes me that time is going so quickly. Each week is going faster and faster. This week my kids have finally settled into my schedule and I am understanding them more and more. Yesterday was, ‘one of those days’ which always makes things a little tough. Luckily, I woke up in a great mood so I was able to laugh most of it off. It all started with it being trash day…that’s right, trash juice all over my very clean pants. (I feel like I need to take a second and explain the different levels of ‘clean.’ I say these pants were very clean because I hadn’t worn them yet. They were fresh out of the laundry bag. Today, I am wearing clean pants (but not very clean) because I have already worn them once or twice. I had some ‘soft’ pants that I just washed for the first time this weekend since I have been here. I had worn them 2-3 times a week since I had been here and I hadn’t washed them yet. Granted, they were jeans but I just wanted all of you to understand how disheartening it was to spill trash juice on my very clean pants…) Okay, we are back…so, then, on my way to the bus (about a ten minute walk), I trip and stumble in front of a guy that is always out sweeping the streets (always reminds me of Brian Manhart!) The day with the kids was great. I had to stay after school and help test a child that I will be working with and his grandmother gave me a ride home from school. I sat down in the backseat and immediately felt something wet and cold on my bum. My first thought was that my water bottle had leaked all over her seat but to my amazement, when I turned to look, it was a half finished Butterfinger McFlurry! So, at this point, I start laughing and pointing to what had happened (the g-mom didn’t speak English). She handed me a towel and I sopped up as much of the milky-wetness as I could knowing that my pant were already dirty so I just sucked it up. What I forgot was that I was still going to have to walk 10 minutes to my house from where she dropped me off. So here I was, dried trash juice on my leg and a McFlurry bottom walking around the center of Xela.

Regardless of all of that stuff, it was still a good day. After I got home, I headed up to McNabb’s for dinner (I think we ate something called Pichatas or something like that. It was a Guatemalan food and it was really good. They are cooked in a big leaf like a tamale but they have a potato substances in them) and to meet the newest addition to the family down here! A beautiful Golden Retriever puppy that remains nameless at this point! Let me tell you, she is a butterball. I figure she will be a good companion to take for a run around the city when she gets a little older this spring.

So, overall, things are still going well. I have started thinking more about what I will be doing once June rolls around. I have a few new ideas but I think I’m just going to try to not think about it for awhile and just enjoy being in Xela!

Be looking for another update in a few days! I’m going to the rubber farm this weekend!

liz

Playlist:
Roscoe by Midlake
Saving Grace by The Cranberries
Breakin’ Up by Rilo Kiley
I’m Alright by Jo Dee Messina
It feels like home by (I forgot)
Who’s to Say by Pat Green

The Beginning of my 25th year!

2008-01-27T17:18:00.000-06:00

The first picture is from my birthday. These are the girls I live with!

The second picture is from our Sunday afternoon cookout! Yum!

First of all, I can't believe that it has been a week since I have written...this week has been full of fun and settling in.
I have realized that this crazy place is my home for the next 4 months (and maybe another year?) and I need to make it my home.

This week, I celebrated my 25th birthday and let me tell you, it was probably the best birthday I have had so far! I wasn't expecting anything (even though I knew that birthdays were a big deal down here) and I was absolutely swept off my feet!
The mothers of my pre-k kiddos threw me a surprise party (the first surprise party that I have ever had) with cake, food, flowers (yellow roses since I lived in Texas!) and homemade cards from the kids! They also gave me a beautiful native purse that I love! Later that evening, about 20 friends (from school and friends or significant others of teachers) and I went to eat at the best Italian restaurant that I have eaten at in a long time. I was blown away by the support that I have here in such a short time! I also got a Super Chivos jersey. They are the local soccer team. With all of this, it has been a great start to the 25ht year of my life!

My class was really great this week. I feel like the kids are listening better and we are actually getting somewhere!

This weekend was also a lot of fun. Friday night, I just hung out with the girls and watched Grey's Anatomy. And when I say the girls, I usually mean the girls that I live with (Stefanie, Carrie, Randi, Tiffany, and the other Liz). They are a great group of girls and it's nice to actually be in a community that has more than one other girl around...I'm not one to be around girls all the time but the time that has been shared with these girls has been so great thus far! We had a Reading workshop at school Saturday morning so I got up and went to that. After that, I went and ate with some of the girls and then met up with McNabb to get tickets for the Super Chivos game! This was actually quite an experience. He was with two of his Guatemalan friends and they are characters! We ended up getting stuff to grill and we were going to head back to my apartment to meet up with rest of the crowd. The grill wouldn't light so that meant that we were once again given the oppurtunity to eat the 'chicken that will change your life!' And once again, it was wonderful! We made our way to the stadium and it was incredible. We were playing the big rivals, the Rojos from Guate City. Luckily, I was well prepared in my new jersey!
The game was great. It was the first soccer game I had ever been to and it was one to remember. The game ended in a tie but it was still fun. I was able to work on my Spanish even though the things that I was learning are not repeatable! It was much more fun saying them when I didn't know what they meant! After the game, we went out to a dance club and had quite a time! Today, we ended up grilling the meat and veggies that we couldn't last night. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon...

I hope that all of you are doing well. Sorry this update doesn't have anything that is too fun...I guess that is part of settling into a place...the normal things that happen...this coming up weekend we are going to our directors rubber farm so be expecting an update from that! Continue to Live it Up!

Playlist:
I've Never Been to Spain by Three Dog Night
You're All I Have by Snow Patrol
Low by Flo Rida
Sorry Am I by Ani Difranco
For the First Time by Kenny Chesney
Needful Hands by Jars of Clay
It's Raining Men by The Weathergirls
Broken by Norah Jones

A walk in the Clouds

2008-01-20T16:48:00.001-06:00

The first song on the playlist is quite appropriate today because of the topic that I will be telling you about! Yesterday I went to the Hot Baths. They were located up in the cloud forest. I have never been to a cloud forest before but let me tell you something, it was amazing. It was like the rain forest but much cooler and less muggy. The trip was just as exciting as our time in the Hot Baths. Stefanie and I went with the Macy’s (Lorrie, Josh, and Josh’s Dad, Papa Macy aka doug). We started out on a Chicken Bus (an old school bus that is painted in all sorts of colors and they pack people in…they also pack whatever they may be caring with them…thus the name, Chicken Bus.) We drove through a town that is known for growing the largest vegetables in Central America. I’m talking carrots that are 1 lbs.! It was absolutely beautiful to see the patchwork fields and all the workers. The people of this village believe that God shows favor to them so 90% go to church. I didn’t know get the whole story but 15-20 years ago, a missionary came and shared the Lord with them. They had lots of bars and now they are all churches. Before the missionary came, their vegetables weren’t as big as they are now! It is pretty interesting. We continued on our trip up to Zunil. This is where we caught a truck. We rode in the back of the truck up a long and curvy road. As we climbed up the mountain, we entered the cloud forest. It was one of the coolest things I have experienced. Not only did we get to see the difference in the vegetation and climate, we experienced it because we were standing in the back of this truck, exposed to the elements. Again, Mom and Dad, don’t worry...I’m not stupid, I wouldn’t do anything that was terribly dangerous! We arrived at the Hot Baths and walked along a path that was lined by calla-lilies. The Hot Baths were so relaxing and inviting. We could only stay in for a short time. Stef, Lorrie and I enjoyed just getting some hangout time as well. On our way down the mountain, we picked up 3 different groups of indigenious people caring everything from cut wood to radishes. It was truly a wonderful day!

It was nice to get away from Xela for a couple hours. I have been here for two weeks now and I have just been in the city. I have enjoyed the luxuries of McDonalds and Wendy’s but it was great to see a few villages and get in the mountains.

I have also been thinking about next year a lot over the weekend. I know that the decision to be here will be a hard one. I love it here. I don’t want to miss things at home but I don’t know if five months will be long enough to experience everything that I want to see and truly be a part of the community here. I guess we will see!
Hope all of you had a wonderful weekend! Email me (liz.cromwell@gmail.com) and let me know how things are with you! I miss you and the states!

Playlist:
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Sons and Daughters by The Decemberists
She’s My Kind of Rain by Tim McGraw
Fix You by Coldplay
Long Ago and Far Away by James Taylor
Package Song by Zach Winters
Open Your Eyes by Snow Patrol
If Tomorrow Never Comes by Garth Brooks
You’re My Home by Billy Joel
All At Once by The Fray

2008-01-18T14:31:00.000-06:00

So, today is Friday and I am about to finish my first full week. Before I came down here, I thought it would take me some time to get adjusted but 10 days into everything, this whole thing is starting to feel more like normal. Whatever ‘normal’ is. It amazes me at what it is considered ‘normal’. Everyone has their own definition of what constitutes normal.

I have adjusted quite well to life in Xela. I have 5 great friends down here so it was like walking into a family. Without them, I know that this whole process would have been more difficult. I have also become an American TV show series junkie. I have described it to a few a my ‘comfort food.’ Speaking of comfort food, I ate McDonalds the other night. I never thought I would think of this fast food chain as something that was ‘home-like’ but it is amazing how identical everything was. The burger even had pickles! (This is the first time that I have eaten to seen pickles since I have been here)

Well, I don’t know when I will get to put this up. Our internet is down. Some say it is because it is really foggy this morning, others claim it is just Guatemala. Either way, it seems to be ‘normal’ around here!

Life Continues...

2008-01-15T15:06:00.000-06:00

From Jan. 14
Well, I guess I have dropped the whole mile thing…oops…It all started with forgetting my pedometer in Oklahoma. Oh well…I will add it all up eventually…So I am in my second week and it is going well. I do feel like the kids get a little frustrated with me when they try to tell me something and I have no idea what they are saying. Socially, things are going really well. I really like the teachers that are down here. In a way, it is a lot like camp because we work together and play together. Our time isn’t quite as structured but it resembles camp life. I have really enjoyed being around the old school CBSers. There is something about being with old friends that is so special. It makes me feel like my parents and there old friends, just getting back together to experience another aspect of life. I am so grateful for this.

Playlist:
Honesty by Billy Joel
Somewhere Down in Texas by George Straight
The Crane’s Wife by The Decemberists

From Jan. 15
Today is a very special day. It is the first birthday of my precious ACL. It is hard to believe that one year ago today, I was in Temple Texas ‘under the knife.’ So, not only is it good for me to be here to experience all the newness but it also really good for my knee because all the walking and exercise it gets! We (my knee and I ) will both come back changed!

Anyway, the kids were good today…well, all of them except one. I have a girl who is very smart but she is also very emotional and has cried 3 out of the 5 days that I have been her teacher. I mean, I have dealt with homesickness on my occasions at camp but this is a totally different scenario. At camp, there is a period where you just let them cry it out but when I am only with them 4 hours a day, what am I suppose to do? Well, McNabb to the rescue…I guess that is what principals are for (or is it because he’s one of my best friends and he feels bad for me)? Who knows, either way, he was able to translate for us and she finally stopped crying after an hour and a half. Mind you, this is the same cute girl who was singing ‘Jingle Bells’ last week like this: “Tinker Bell, Tinker bell, tinkle all the way!” So cute! Anyway, enough about my students.

I went to the Democracia yesterday and got the most beautiful vegetables that I have ever seen. I’m talking Avocados the size of softballs! Huge and Delicious! And fresh limes! So good! I also got a fresh bell pepper, potatoes and an onion. I sautéed all of this together with garlic and called it dinner last night! I will def. be spoiled with all the fresh veggies when I get home. I promise to take pictures soon of all of these things! There is a part of me that doesn’t want to take pictures yet because I feel like a tourist and I’m not a tourist, I’m a resident and I want to be known as a member of the community instead of someone who is just passing through…but maybe that is all I am…I’m just here a little longer than what I consider tourisy. But this city is full of people who come for a couple of months to study Spanish.

I do have a different view on living aboard now. I used to think that it would be really hard and foreign. But now I realize that life goes on. No matter where you are, there will be things that are challenging and there will be things that you don’t understand but there is still a sense of normalcy. I can’t believe I have waited this long to live somewhere other than Oklahoma or Texas. Honestly, Texas feels a lot more foreign than Guatemala. Okay, maybe I’m kidding a little bit…that’s was just to give all my Texans a laugh…but then again, I have to remember that I am a legal resident of texas…oh well…

I know there are stories to tell but I can’t think of any right now. Everyday, something comes up that is humorous. But that comes with the territory of living in a third world country. Well, until next time…live the adventure, no matter where you are!

Playlist:
A Case of You by Joni Mitchell
Everything by Michael Buble
You’re My Home by Billy Joel
Let it Be by The Beatles
Little House by The Fray
When you Come Back to Me Again by Garth Brooks
Always on His Mind by Misty Edwards

we've only just begun!

2008-01-10T13:39:00.000-06:00

I wrote this yesterday...

So I just finished my first day with my precious 4 year olds and I was quite surprised at how well it went! I arrived at the school at 7:20 and talked to the previous pre-kindergarten teacher. She is great and helped me out a lot. I went and got my kids at 8:00 and they didn’t seem to be bothered that I was new. I guess we will see how long that lasts. I must say, they are the cutest group of kids I have ever seen! Their English isn’t very good and my Spanish is minimal so that combination may cause some problems for us but it’s nothing that we can’t work through!

The view from my classroom is amazing! Our school sits on a hill on the outskirts of town. There are trees that hide most of the city from my view but above the tops of the trees are beautiful mountains, including a 12,500 dormant volcano that we will climb later in the semester! Xela sits at just under 8,000 feet so it is cold in the morning and very warm in the afternoon. I hear that it will start being more consistently warm in March.

Oh! Last night we ate ‘chicken that will change you life’ according to Josh Macy. And I must say, it was pretty remarkable. It was called Pollo Asado and it was served out of a truck next to the local soccer, I mean football, stadium. I know Dad, I’m not suppose to eat food off the street but this was seriously the best chicken I have had in a long time if not the best ever. It was cook on a grill but then the sauce they put on it was very lemony with cilantro and parmesan cheese. SO wonderful! I wish I send some to all of you!

On a personal note, I think I have found an apartment! Stefanie (my friend from camp that is down here, well, one of my friends from camp) and I will live together. We are going to go look at the apartment today so I really hope it works out. It sounds like it has everything that we need and we would be in the same apartment group that 4 other female teachers live in so that would be nice to be close to them. We would also be a 5 minute walk to the Macy’s and to McNabb house.

I feel really good about this spring (even though it sounds like there are gun shots being fired in the next neighbor hood over!). I’m excited about learning the language. I can tell a difference in my Spanish just in the last two days. I hope that this continues and it will continue to improve over the next five months.

Playlist:
Through You by Alanis Morissette
God Only Knows By The Beatles
Set the Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol
Southbound 35 by Pat Green
What Am I to You By Norah Jones
Oklahoma Girl by Eli Young
Life for Rent by Dido
Visiong of You by Shane and Shane

Later that night…
So, a funny thing happened to me after work today. I went to see Stefanie’s classroom and visit with her. As we were talking, we decided that we were going to walk home today (it’s about a 40-45 minute walk) and I insisted that we stop at a tienda as soon as we could because I was so thirsty. I explained to her how I was planning on buying water on the way to work today but nothing was open yet. I was a little concerned but I figured I could make it until after school to drink something (I hadn’t had anything all day because we can’t drink the tap water!) At this point, Stefanie looked at me slightly bewildered and informed me that the tap water at the school was drinkable. Much to my dismay, I grabbed a cup and chugged two of them because I was so thirsty (not only because I was parched, but also because of the elevation.) It just goes to show that sometimes the small things that are left out tend to be really important…like, it’s okay to drink this water…I feel like this should be a sign that the school is a little slice of home…because I have now changed my slogan of ‘home is where my bed is’ to ‘home is where my bed is and where I can drink the tap water without getting sick.’

2008-01-08T20:41:00.000-06:00

So, I made it to Xela after traveling all day! My day started at 330 this morning and it hasn’t stopped until now (11pm). I had my first bizarre Guatemalan experience on the plane today. I was sitting next to a father/son combination, they were probably 55ish and 75ish. Well, the son who was sitting in the middle seat, got up and moved to the row behind us, leaving the cute old man and myself. Before I know it, grandpa has gotten up out of the aisle seat and proceeded to sit down in the middle seat. That’s right, it’s just the two of us and he gets up and sits right next to me. Then he starts speaking in Spanish and he doesn’t get it that I don’t know Spanish. I tell him I don’t understand but he just says it a little slower…it made me laugh.

By the time we got to Guatemala City, we (Stefanie, McNabb, and I) had made a new friend who was also going to Xela to study the language for 3 months. He is from Seattle so that made Soups happy. We had to take a bus to Xela. It turned out to be a 5 hour trip on the longest, curviest, mountainest road I have ever been on. And that’s not mentioning the smoke on the raod that we had to stop for. I still don’t know if it was an intentional fire or an accident. I thought I would make the trip without getting sick because I am wearing a motion sickness patch, but alas, I ended up getting sick in the bathroom of an old charter bus, still on the curves so it was really hard to stand still. It was defiantly the most difficult place I have ever thrown up! (sorry for the details!) When we finally arrived, we took a cab to McNabbs place and got something to eat. I am very anxious to see what the next 5 months has in store! It should be quite an adventure! Love you guys! Thanks for reading!

Leavin' on a jet plane...

2008-01-07T05:48:00.001-06:00

I don't have long to write but I thought I would at least check in and say hello because I don't know when the next time I will be able to access internet is. It may be tomorrow or it may be next week.

I am currently sitting in the airport terminal in OKC getting ready to leave for awhile. I'm feeling really good about everything right now although I"m a little tired since I've been up since 3:30am...but that's how it goes!

I hope each of you are doing well. I will update as soon as I can with what the city is like and what my kiddos are like! Thanks for checking back and reading this!

A year in miles...

2008-01-02T00:45:00.000-06:00

As I sit in Doyline Louisiana on the last night of 2007, I realize how appropriate it is that I am here, in this place at this time. When starting a new project like the one that I am about to begin, the right place, the right song, and the right frame of mind must all be present. I do think that the easiest of these things to come about it the place considering I have no choice where I am at this very moment. The harder decision in all this was the song to accompany this writing…after much debate, I chose to put the ever trusted ipod on shuffle and see what came up: Boston by Augustana. This is convenient considering this is a song about newness and getting away from something or someone…and getting to a place where you are isolated from all those around you that truly ‘know’ you. I, on the other hand, am going somewhere totally new and different but I have entering in to a group of friends that have seen me through some of my biggest times of growth that I have ever experienced. I will introduce each of them to you at a later time. Now, more importantly, I want each of you to know what I will be doing in the process of this year. As most of you know, I will be teaching pre-kindergarten in Guatemala for the next five months. With this, I will be living with friends in the highlands of the second largest city in the country. The cities name, Xela (it’s a nickname, I will get the actual name at a later time), is surrounded by three volcanoes. I will be an hour from the beach and I will be consuming some of the worlds best coffee! I plan on keeping track of the miles that I travel and logging them daily. I will record all travel which will include on foot, plane, train, water…everything really. We’ll see how it all turns out! I will always be able to be reached by email (Liz.Cromwell@gmail.com) and I would love to hear from each of you since I won’t be able to talk to you or see any of you. Please check in with the blog occasionally as I will try to update it weekly if not more. I’m not sure of what my time will be like but again, I would love to keep in touch with you. With this blog, you will have to realize that you are going to see quite a bit of randomness of Liz Cromwell. I have strange thoughts and I will be most obliged to share them with any and all who are reading this. Please bare with me. A few requirements that I am setting for myself will be always wearing a pedometer to get an accurate reading of distance traveled, I will update at least once a week with outtakes from my personal journal, and when I write, I will put my ipod on shuffle and keep a record of what songs are playing as I write these entries (this is just for the fun of it! I don’t see any real reason behind this!) When I am traveling by other methods other than foot travel, I will simply mapquest the distance or do something equivalent. Well, happy 2008 to you all. I pray that God will bless each of you in extraordinary ways and that He will challenge you in ways that will cause growth and uncomfortableness that will make you turn to Him in a real way that makes you truly acknowledge that you have no control over your own life. He is the only one that sets forth your path! Thanks for being someone who is special enough to me to make the list of those-I-would-like-to-keep-in-touch-with! You have each touched my life in way that is unique. Please pray for me over the next five months. Thank you all.

elc

Playlist:
Boston by Augustana
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Till Kingdom Come by Coldplay
Austin by Blake Shelton
Don’t Miss You At All by Norah Jones
Sweet Pea by Amos Lee
Under the Sea by The Little Mermaid
Hello Darlin’ by Conway Twitty
Say Hello Wave Goodbye by David Gray

another moment in transition...

2007-12-13T16:18:00.000-06:00

So, with this being my first 'official' blog, I feel like it should have an incredible amount of wit and wisdom but I'm afraid to tell you that it will have neither. Actually, it will most likely be some metaphorical hypothetical situation that will bore most of you, if there is anyone even reading it. I have come to realize that life after college is all about change. Changing jobs, changing locations, changing relationships, changing goals and changing plans. College didn't do anything at all to prepare me for this. I guess that is because everyone is still stuck in the dream of finding the perfect job that will start in August after you graduate (in four years, of course). Some would wonder why in August but that would be so that you can travel to Europe that summer and 'find' yourself. You will be at the job for 30 years while growing your IRA and retire somewhere in Florida. When I think about this, it kind of makes me a little sick. It seems like the word change has a negative connotation but I'm beginning to realize that it is more about new discoveries and learning about the world around you, even if it is as simple as changing your latte from a vanilla to a hazelnut. For that moment in time, you will see what the person at the next desk over is experiencing. I have learned so much in this transition of the last 3 months. Leaving a place where I had a job that was 'going to take to to where I want to go professionally' to being a barista at the local coffee shop has been quite an experience. The interactions that I have had with the people that work there and our costumers have been priceless. I have been able to look at the world from a new prospective and I haven't even left Marble Falls yet. I have also learned that being honest with feelings can be really hard. I tend to keep everything to myself so I won't inconvenience any one else but I finally figured out that is selfish and I am not doing my part as a member of the community which I am active in. Although communicating what needs to be communicated is important, the harder part for me is how that may make the other person feel. It actually crushes me.

Well, I need to get going. I should be writing more often. I am about to head out of the country in Jan. so I will be updating this!