Found but Not Lost

My head is reeling, but in the best way possible. Info is being crammed into my head left and right; I’m stuffing it into all my little cerebral squirrel pouches for safekeeping. I’m starting to get a feel for the program, poco a poco, although I’m still pretty lost on the overall structure of Camino Seguro. When my poor little brain can’t take anymore, I break for some quality coloring time. Those Star Presentation buttons won’t make themselves. Gah, I love that coloring is an acceptably productive use of time.

I miraculously already feel like I’m learning my way around here. I’ve already covered the three most important things in life: wine, yoga and 2-for-1 sushi. Falafel (we’ll call her an alternate) was also found. I’ve located a famous bakery nary 3 blocks from my house, to boot. I’ll be spending many a Sunday morning selecting from a myriad of gourmet doughy concoctions (for a mere Q5!) and swindling the barista into giving me a discount on coffee with my dizzyingly delightful Spanish. Watchate!

After 3 days, I ran into someone I know on the street in Antigua. It took me 3 years to do that in San Francisco. On Friday, we had a volunteer happy hour, and I ran into one of the Camino staff on the way. I won’t say it didn’t make me feel good to be one of the cool happy hour kids. The evening was delightful – we played darts and went salsa dancing – and I felt really lucky to have a chance to connect socially with the other volunteers right away. I’ve run into someone I know on the street every day since Friday. It’s extremely comforting to have this – both that I’m starting to meet people, and that other folks are milling about. I wasn’t nervous at all about coming to Guatemala in terms of my safety. I know the risks, know a lot of great tactics for taking care of myself and had made peace with the fact that I’ll probably have some minor run-in at some point. I mean, who doesn’t get robbed in Guatemala? Just don’t schlep everything with you, give them what little you have on you and walk away relatively unscathed. No big deal. But, I received some pretty dire warnings my first day or two here which really put a scare into me. That’s being quelched now that I’m learning my way around and seeing people out and about. Not many things bug me more than fear mongers; I do NOT want to be that person.

On Friday we had an excursion with about 200 mothers of Camino Seguro youth. The sports team planned a variety of activities and games for them, including kickball and trivia. My favorite was the Alf piñata. Least favorite: scary clown piñata. I was stationed all day at aerobics with a Camino teacher who will forever after be known in my head only as Ricardo Simmons. Not only is he a spritely little aerobics-guru-cum-sports-teacher-for-underprivileged-youth, he’s also a cage fighter. Yes, a real, live, MMA, no holds barred cage fighter. I can’t wait to go watch a fight. This is about the last thing I ever thought I’d be interested in. But, dude, I’m in Guatemala. What the hell?

The mothers were absolutely ridiculous on Friday. They were so ready to let loose because they have no opportunity to do so in daily life, struggling to put food on the table, raising a family and often doing so with no patner. It surprised me how much they threw caution to the wind; I thought they would be too shy. I guess it’s cultural™. One thing is for sure: what happens at Camino, stays at Camino. I’ll just say my jaw dropped more than a few times.

Sunday was phenomenal. I met up with 8 or so volunteers and a few others for a game of ultimate frisbee. One of the guys is a motorcycle tour guide. Love it. We played for a few hours. Now the existence of a whole lot of muscle groups is glaringly obvious. I’m sure watching me walk the past 2 days has provided more than a couple of chuckles. Clearly, getting in shape is in order. I’d say take it with the proper grain of salt that we’re the self-proclaimed Guatemalan National Ultimate Frisbee Team, but it’s probably pretty accurate. Ang and Nate, the Canadian couple who play, actually are semi-pros. Nate has traveled far and wide for ultimate championships, a fact proven by his frisbee proudly labeled Maple Plain, MN. Afterward, we went for rooftop Argentine barbecue and Gallo beer (the only Guatemalan brew) at a nearby hostel. A table of Minnesotans sat behind me. What is the world telling me?!