Ultimas Dias en Guatemala

I've been very neglectful of this blog as of late, partly because I'm unwilling to process the swiftly approaching Life Change and partly because the days and weeks are whipping by me with breakneck speed. Trying to keep up with the laundry to-do list that keeps lengthening as my time here gets shorter, and instead staying up most of the night thinking about it all while having extended Grey's Anatomy marathons.....

As much as I've tried to deny it, the time has Come to say my goodbyes, be grateful for the time and experiences that I've been given, the people and places that I've come to know.  My counterpart, realizing I had no weekends left here (ack!), invited me to Xocomil, the water park a short drive towards the coast from here.  It's been depressingly cold in Sija, having the effect of keeping me indoors to contemplate my imminent departure and preventing me from enjoying my site, project, and friends in my last days here.  So I accepted his generous invite, and we fled the cold at 8 am yesterday. 

So while you all were watching the Super Bowl and eating nachos and wings.....

Barely any people at the park, no lines on the rides-we rode everything at least twice!

Lazy River with Mayan themed facades

My awesome counterpart relaxing on the Lazy River

Workin it out on the lily pads

A Full day at the water park, partaking in some huge prawns and calamari

Stopping off at the fruit stand on our way home

After an exhausting day in the sun and awesome seafood, I came home and still layed awake until 3 am-during which time I could've been doing any number of things (writing reports, making a Power Point for my program director's visit on Wednesday, packing, writing this blog, cleaning.....the list goes on) but I felt entitled to a good slumber and sure that I would doze off at any moment. 

So now I'm up again after a powernap between the hours of 4 and 8 am.  Anxiety levels at an all time high, ambivalence about finishing Peace Corps, leaving my first real job and a life All my own without friends from high school or family close by.  But I have faith that the future holds many more amazing opportunities, and I assure myself that I will never forget the transcendent experiences that Guatemala has given me. 

The next (less than) two weeks-despedidas or farewell events that I (mistakenly) tried to guide towards outdoors, hiking, admiring the work we've accomplished in the last two years, as opposed to sitting awkwardly around, eating exorbitant amounts of (delicious) food and making small talk.  But Mother Nature laughed in my face on that one, with downright miserable cold drizzly weather since I planned those outings.  Exorbitant amounts of food and long winded speeches it is, then. 

A last hurrah at Lake Atitlan (in my top three favorite places in Guatemala) with my cousin Kerry of the San Luis Obispo County Moore clan (lol)  coming down to visit me in a trip planned months ago before I knew I was leaving the next week.  Fun will be had regardless, new ground will be covered, and I always love playing tour guide for a couple days!

The next 18 days, much like one of the water slides at the park yesterday, will be a rush of adrenaline and endorphins and over way too quickly. I'm just going to hang on and enjoy the ride!