There is no peanut butter in Guatemala

We arrived in Guatemala City today and i was shocked how quickly excitement can turn to bone rattling fear. I had left the directions to our hotel in a notebook at home and there was no way to find the information at the airport so we said TO THE EMBASSY! Not that simple.

As we left the airport we were surrounded by a horde of guatemalan's as if we were hannah montana leaving a starbucks. We got into the taxi of the most persistent individual and realized he knew no english and we knew little spanish. After three near misses with pedestrians and fate we arrived and we kindly rushed out of the vehicle.

The square outside was filled with hopeful guatemalan's seeking a visa as we stumble by at a monsterous average height of 5' 11'' with massive backpacks on dumbfonded by our situation. Needless to say we were gawked at. After pacing around for ten minutes we came to the conclusion that the line was too long and went out seeking the internet. we wandered into a few stores asking in broken spanish where a cafe was then nodding, agreeing, walking away, and realizing we had no idea what they had just said.

After playing a few rounds of frogger with Av La Reforma, the second busiest road in town, we found a cafe, directions to our hotel, and chose from the number of taxis soliciting us for our business.

As we road up to the bed and breakfast we were staying at i noticed that many buildings in the area had electrified razor wire around their gates. Like anyone, i thought this was bad sign but after walking around the streets this afternoon i see that its a sign of prosperity in this poor nation.

After getting some food and being solicited by countless children to buy pirated dvd's or to shine my shoes (which i was not wearing) we went to find a market so we could buy some provisions for the next two days. We went in circles through the city asking people where a market was, getting directions, and finding there was no market there. We almost gave up a few times but held firm to the idea that people in this city eat. On our last long of energy we stumbled upon one with iron bars that was more like a walk up convience store and asked for bread and peanut butter. She didn't know what peanut butter was! The staple of every poor college student was not available in a city of 80,000. Substituting honey and banana we returned to the b and b and went to bed regretting that none of us thought to look into this issue when we were stateside. Had we know we would have reconsidered.

Vominos

So it's 12 am, we fly out at 8 am, and i doubt i'll sleep tonight i'm so excited. This trip still doesn't feel real and I think Eric said it best, "I won't beleive it until we walk off the plane, look at each other, and laugh because we have no idea what we're doing." It's true too, i don't think we know what we're getting into but that's always the draw. I know we'll be fine because each of us is level headed and we respect each other (feel better mom?).

Over the last couple of weeks family and friends have been telling me how amazed they are that i'm going to Guatemala to live for six months at an orphanage, but it's really no big deal. Each time i think about how i'm amazed at what they do. Some have a family and virtuous, well paying jobs, some are working the nitty gritty jobs to save for the big dream, some are joining the military, and other's simply impress me by their nature. All are amazing people.

So, that's all i've got for now. Everything i'm taking fits into one bag now weighing in at 60+ lbs. and another bag containing books to read on the plane. I'll talk to ya'll in Guatemala.

From the Rockies to Appalachia

For my first post i thought i'd just bring it back to my roots. I've returned home after 18 months and 1500 miles. Yes, i have returned.

After driving 850 miles in one day thanks to red bull (good idea ashley) and listening to some good music thanks to luke i spent the night in the woods near linville due to my late arrival. after waking up to the sound of traffic at 6 am i puttered around in the hills until my friend tim got out of class and we were able to wander around campus and bitch about how the place has changed.

I was able to see a lot of old friends among the small bar community of a college town over the next two days. I even did some tailgating before i had to drive another 150 miles to marion, va for a bluegrass concert with a couple of my uncle. The next day was spent going through boxes of all my worldly possession comfortably stacked in a closet. the rest of the time i was putting together my survival kit for the next 6 months. It was a very strange place looking at where you came from and wondering where you're going. Needless to say i didn't sleep that night.

From there i came back to my home town of corncob, nc. The penultimate of southern culture. Where all things are Nascar, sweet tea flows like wine, and both of my parents live in RVs. I slept in numerous homes during that time because i don't even have a key to suggest that i have a home of my own.

Thursday i went to the most dixie of events, the openning night of the new drag strip. It's the largest drag strip in the nation. Does it hurt Indianapolis? Yeah, i knew it would.

This past weekend I went to visit my bro, sis in law, and nephew Clark in New Hampshire. My favorite part of the weekend was my nephew's new found curiousity about the world. We went for a walk and Clark would point at something and say "wha dat?" "It's grass Clark." Then after a thoughtful repreve he would respond "Oh." My brother was quick to remark "I always knew Thad would be the one to teach Clark about grass." Jack ass.

Next weekend I meet up with Cole and Eric in Myrtle Beach, SC to fly out. I'll post something good when i get down there.

If they have computers.

They do have computers don't they?

-thad