Well, here I am with less than 24 hours until I am flying my way back to Canadian soil. I kinda feel numb about it all. I am excited to see everyone back home again but I am very hollow at the thought of leaving this place, my new home. So many friends, so many places that have become as familliar as my my own streets in Canada, and so many of the daily parts of interaction here that I can't imagine life without them anymore.
All of us long termers down here have headed home over the past couple of weeks and we are all left speechless at the thought of answering thre inevitable question of "How was it?". How am I going to answer that?
How was it...well, it was
the constant smell of wood stoves,
discovering that rubbing limes on mosquito bites takes away the itch, realizing that life is not complete without avocados,
saying buenas dias/tardes/noche to everyone you pass on the street, Gallo,
the amazing people from around the world I have met down here,
community dinners with my housemates,
the two inevitable two questions of "cuantos anos tienes?" and "tienes un novio?",
being told I look like Nicole Kidman by more than one drunken man in a bar and then listening to them confess their true love to me(before they have even asked me my name),
the insane honking of the chicken buses at the crazy corner,
watching the ayudantes haul massive baskets and bags on their backs up to the top of the buses,
the colours everywhere that make the whole world seem alive,
all the dead dogs I have seen,
the constant crowing of roosters,
REGGAETON,
saying goodbye to my kids,
the never-ending chorus of whines "Seno...MIRA!",
the rhythm of life in Parque Central,
some of the best ice cream I have ever had, instant coffee and massive Chapin breakfasts,
the cobblestone streets and the whitewashed walls,
the smell of copal incense in the churches,
the smell of the basurero after the rains (really...ya got to smell it to get it),
playing tag with the kids when I somehow am always it no matter what I do,
more Gallo,
Amy and Marin and Malgosia and Kevin and Shawna and Andres and Martin and Bruce and Paolo who lives in the UK and Gabriel and Jose and Casey and Andrea and crazy Carla and Fernando and Patty and Carlos and and and......
Hasta luego Guatemala. I miss you already.
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