Comings and Goings

Although my last blog post was about the monotony of daily working life here in San Lucas, I think it is important to mention that there are constantly changes going on in our personal lives and relationships with Gringos.

            Short-term groups are the first variable in our lives.  Since I have been here there have only been 6 or so, but they always interrupt our daily schedule for better or for worse.  Besides having to lead them on tours, orient them, and take them to their daily work, we often have to take days off of work to translate for medical groups.  Although I really like these groups and the variety that they provide, it can get taxing to have the same conversations with new people week after week, knowing that they will leave within a few days.  As we come into the holiday season, there will be weeks when the mission will be full with up to 7 groups—some 100 short-term volunteers. 

            Another variable is the time spent with long-term volunteers.  Because there is no set end date to the program and each volunteer stays anywhere from a month to a year, there are often volunteers moving in and out of the five-person volunteer house.  With people leaving comes moving for the other volunteers in the house, because there is a sort of “bedroom hierarchy” depending on how long each volunteer has lived at the house.  The rooms range from a tiny closet of a room without any storage (mine), to a large room with two beds, a closet, and a personal bathroom.  The first move came two weeks after my arrival, when Gus left, freeing up a spot for me to move from a separate hotel into the volunteer house’s newly vacated tiny closet room.  

My original group of roommates: Chris, Kelly, Katie and Lily.

            The second and third moves happened this week, and one was a surprise.  My male roommate, Chris, had gone home for Thanksgiving and was planning on returning Thursday of this week, but we received an email a couple of days ago saying that he had changed his mind and was not coming back.  It was disappointing because it was so sudden, but it is his prerogative in the end.  The one exciting part was that with Chris not returning, a nice room was freed up for me to move into for the remaining two weeks until I get my palace with a bathroom and internet.  The third move was planned, and very sad for the remaining roommates because we had to say goodbye to Kelly.  Luckily for me, I will be meeting up with Kelly in a month to vacation in Costa Rica together!

We will miss you, you goof.

            So now there are only three of us in the house, the remainder of the group of six that was here when I arrived almost two months ago.  In a week and a half, we will be saying another goodbye to Lily, who is returning to Colorado.  

Bring your Guate style back stateside!

 For two nights it will be only me and Katie in the house, and then on December 15^th, three more boys will be arriving, essentially turning life in the volunteer house on its head.  We will see how life turns out at the volunteer house without a team of four to play Hearts with for a while…