Parasites Make the Heart Grow Fonder

To bring you all up to date, Aaron & I have been…

• Faithfully going to our internship every weekday (60 minutes of walking each day is rejuvenating!)
• Went to Guatemala City & visited FAFG (working with recovering bodies from the genocide) & the city dump
• Exploring numerous ruins in Antigua
• Enjoying fresh fruit smoothies & yummy piles of nachos
• Hanging out with our host family & attending numerous parades/processions

City Dump

Aaron at the San Francisco ruins.

Ruins!

Yum!

Now, back to the title of this blog. Parasites. Yep. On Monday, Aaron & I both work up early in the morning vomiting. Sorry for the bluntness. In basic terms, it was terrible. After about 4 hours of incessant vomiting and diarrhea Aaron finally felt better (no parasites for him!). But I could not even keep water down. I was so sick I was taken to the emergency room. The verdict: a parasite, an unfriendly bacterium, & severe dehydration. I spent the night in the hospital getting lots of fluids and medicines in the vein.

Now no worries, I am almost all better & it’s Wednesday. But during those hours I was really sick, I experienced an array of emotions. First anger, then sadness, then fear. I knew in the depths of my soul I would be alright, but I felt so bad. Finally after a few hours of sitting in a hospital I felt peace & understanding. Aaron stayed with me, curled up in a little chair all night waking at my every movement. He helped me more than words could ever express. Many Guatemalans face these very same problems on a daily basis and don’t have another person to take of them or can’t afford the excellent help I received. Malnutrition. $2 a day. These two epidemic issues alone cause thousands of Guatemalans to fall into serious illness.

All in all, this experience has taught me the true value of my family, friends, and humanity by reminding me of the fragility of the human body, mind, spirit, and soul. Who would have thought that parasites make the heart grow fonder? Little intestinal blessings in disguise, if you will.

Books & Beaches

Last Saturday our group headed to Monterrico, a black sand beach on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. The pictures speak for the beauty of that beach. We basically lounged around (me with a book of course) and drank delicious licuados (smoothies).

On an unrelated note, my internship is really beginning to develop. I will be observing a women’s empowerment group and going on home visits in the upcoming weeks. My field instructor also gave me the project of going to as many NGOs and nonprofits in the area and learning about their services. This is an awesome opportunity to learn more about the social and human rights issues occurring in Guatemala today.

I have also made friends with travelers from Guatemala, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Canada, and Burundi. I love Antigua and all of the diverse people the city draws in!

Last but not least, I ordered a sub from Subway today like a champ (completely in Spanish).

Oh wait...today my Mom & Dad called me and played me the greatest message! I have been accepted at the University of Michigan for the Masters of Social Work program. Go Blue!

Until next time!