Different pace


5am the alarm rings and my day begins. I make breakfast, iron clothes, take a shower, brush my teeth, feed the dog, take the dog out to the restroom, and then off to work. Work ends around 5-ish if I’m lucky. Then it’s off to errands until I make it home, cook dinner, detox from the day and go to bed. It’s a very busy day, but a normal day. There really isn’t much time for friends, and barely enough time for me. That’s my life in the States. A life I left behind for my new life, here, in Guatemala. My days vary from day to day. Some mornings I wake up at 5 and others at 8am. Some days I go to the office, and other days I go to the field and work the coffee crops. Some days are completely filled, and others filled with pure relaxation. There’s no rush on time; and if we need more, there’s always tomorrow. What a complete change of pace?

At first, it was difficult for me to relax. I was so use to having almost every minute of my day mapped out. Now, I’m winging it. Some days I show up to work, and the meeting has been cancelled. Now what? Do I just go back home and sit idly or do I find something else to do? Do I stay with one of my coworkers, or do I do my own thing? Amazingly, I have spent most of those days working on my Spanish either alone or with one of my coworkers, or I catch up on things I had been meaning to do before.

I must say, I found it very strange to have so much free time on my hands, but now I put that time to good use. I work on small projects like painting my wooden furniture, or reading up some more on coffee, or finding ways to make my classes more fun. I’m finding new strengths within myself, and I am taking more time out for me….a luxury I did not have in the States.