Life in the Clouds: Weekend Welcome Party

This past weekend was the welcome party for El Quiché and Huehuetenango volunteers. I was so excited my state was combines with El Quiché because most of my best friends here are in that state so it was an excuse for all of us to get together. The party was held in my state capital, Huehue. Also a few other volunteers from Quetzaltenango made the trip up just because they knew it would be a good time- and it was!

Becca and I traveled the 4 hours south early on Friday morning. We have been more or less stranded up north for 3 weeks so we had a lot of errands to run and needed to hit up the big supermarket to get some important things, like cumin and chili powder! Friday night my loves from El Quiché, Susie and Sam, got into town. I think I almost knocked them over when I hugged them. It is such a great feeling to be reunited with my friends here. My friends keep me sane, give me the advice I need and understand what I am going through because they are here too. Without their support this whole thing would be impossible for me. Anyways having them there this weekend made all my stress from site disappear. Friday night we had dinner and went out to a bar in Huehue.

Saturday some more friends came into town and all the volunteers, old and new, went to these pools in Aguacatan, a nearby town. It was amazing to finally get in a pool. I have spent every summer of my life in a one piece suit either with swim team or guarding and the last few months just haven’t felt like summer without that. Sam and I were like kids in a candy shop when we saw the pool. We dropped our bags and dropped our pants and jumped right in! There was a slide and a Guatemalan style diving board and I couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon. I hardly got out of the pool the entire day. Ahhhh sooooo fun!

Saturday night we went out to the same bar and took over the place. The bar tenders let us put on our iPods so we had control over the music and we were all getting down on the dance floor. After a few drinks there we went to another dance club. I did not stay long since I am sick and was losing my voice. But I had a great time this past weekend. It was the break I needed. I am here to work but I am also here and fun can be had so I am going to have it! I now have the energy to work hard for another month until I can see my friends again!

Sam and Susie putting on sunscreen...safety first!

Me and Sam having WAY too much fun! I need to work on my air time (but i did only jump off the side, not the board).

This is an action shot of me jumping out of the water but my face is just so extremely hideously comical I felt everyone needed to see it. We laughed for a good 10 minutes straight after seeing this one.