Feel the love

A day of affection. A day for lovers. A day of friendship. If you ask a Guatemalan what they celebrate on Valentine's Day, they'll most likely describe it using one of these phrases unless they don't like the holiday, in which case you'll get various amusing responses complete with hand gestures. Now, my new friends and colleagues almost always love to find a good joke in my culture-related questions, but they weren't kidding when they described what February 14th would be like in Xela. All of those first three descriptions fit my day today, though I didn't directly experience the second one (don't worry, Adrian). In fact, most of my days here are filled with affection, love (again, platonic), and friendship.

I'm certainly no expert, but I'm positive there's no shortage of affection in Guatemala, including its many welcome and not-so-welcome forms. I'd even extend this assertion to all of Latin America. Why? Its cultural roots are surely various and widespread, but I'm convinced that we foreigners, in particular, make instant contact with this affection thanks to one simple thing: besos. I think these little one-cheek kisses are incredibly powerful. Exchanged during a first meeting or between old friends, besos break down barriers that handshakes often put up. Instead of coming away from a greeting with unsettling thoughts like, "Wow, he really gave me a dead fish with that handshake," you've already bypassed any akwardness with besitos by getting close enough to the person to put your lips to his or her cheek. And it's absolutely wonderful never leaving class without 20 besos from your students; it's respect, gratitude, and well-wishing all in one.

Friendship. I knew this would require patience, but I just haven't felt like waiting. I've shared with some people that it's often felt like freshman year of college. On one hand, you want to be super outgoing, and on the other, you desperately want to avoid being labeled "the clingy one." I've tried to find a balance, and while there's certainly much more time to develop relationships, I've stumbled upon some good beginnings. One of the students with whom I'm doing a language exchange outside of class (I help him with English, and he speaks Spanish with me) immediately invited me to hang out at his house with his family on Sunday when I mentioned that I didn't have any plans for my birthday. And one of my colleagues has now become my running partner, which always makes exercising before sunrise significantly more enjoyable. When she asked whether I'd want to help her with a marathon training plan, I was all hugs and besos..I was so excited. I'd missed running SO much and was anxious to have it back in my life. Now it's not only a regular part of my routine, but it's also great bonding time with a new friend.

Many people have very wisely warned me that my grant period will be punctuated with ups, downs, and plateaus. I 100% believe this, but it's comforting to know that even in the darkest of times, I won't have to look too far to feel the love.