It's been over half a year since I've posted, and I can spout off tons of reasons why. The most frequent explanation I've given is that I just haven't felt inspired to write. I don't think that's true, though. I think I just didn't make blogging a top priority during the second half of my trip. I'm not regretting it yet, but I have a hunch that I will start to feel pangs of self-annoyance at some point for not sticking with it. You always think you're going to remember everything, but once you've transitioned back home (a word I'm starting to regard as a relative term), even the hallmark moments of the trip turn fuzzy.
But I'm going to strike while the iron's hot and share something to which I made a "heart commitment" very early on during my time in Guatemala. After being shown immeasurable kindness by a friend and his family the weekend of my birthday--and not just any old kindness, but the inviting-someone-into-your-home-who-you-know-is-alone kindness--I vowed that I would work to make foreigners feel more at home in Berks County, PA once I returned. Well, now I'm here, and that resolution has stayed with me, unlike so many others that I seem to make on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. It began when that same friend who invited me to spend my birthday with his family last year came to stay with us between Christmas and New Year's. How wonderful it felt to return the hospitality, and how much more compelled I am to do it again! I think back to my days at F&M and all of the international students I met, one of whom is now my amazing boyfriend, and with sadness I realize that I could have done so much more to make those students feel more welcome, included, and comfortable. WHY didn't I?
Now that I've spent time in their shoes, I've come to know veryyy well the real meaning of an invitation to join a family dinner or a ride to the doctor's office. Often, it means so much more to the person who is the receiver rather than the giver, but why can't the appreciation be mutual? An international student at F&M who has become a sweet friend comes to my mind. We met during my time as a tutor at F&M's Writing Center, where she spent a lot of time working on her already well-crafted essays and, eventually, her personal statement for grad school. I was so honored that she chose to work with me out of all the other tutors at the Center, but as I sit here on my couch feeling nostalgic about my college years and my "other" life in Guatemala, I appreciate that time I had with her even more. Recently, we've been in touch, and I was thrilled to discover that she's doing very well in grad school and has started working on a project with a consulting firm called Argopoint, located in the adorable Cafe Vanilla in Boston (http://www.argopoint.com/legal-management-consultants/about-us/). Of course, Tracy landed all of this without much help from me, but I am happy to have contributed in a very small way. From an enlightened perspective, I see that I could have done a lot more, and I'm grateful to the people who more actively supported her in pursuing her dreams. They stepped outside of their personal bubbles to encourage a talented, young mind to reach her potential in a new country and in a second language. And now I know what that feels like because so many colleagues and friends did that for me this past year in Xela. I think it's time to follow their examples and join them!
Looks like I've just made another new year's resolution.
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