"Yo vengo de todas partes,
Y hacia todas partes voy:
Arte soy entre las artes,
En los montes, monte soy."
~ Jose Martí
Jose Martí was a Cuban poet, but it really is an appropriate quote for the moment... "I am art among arts, in the mountains I am a mountain."* Fitting for a high altitude destination, right?
After a semester of preparation, including several group meetings, a paper, a research proposal, reading guidebooks, and lots of $$, I'm about to head off for four months in Guatemala. My destination is Quetzaltenango, or Xela as it's known to the locals. I'll be living with a host family and taking intensive Spanish classes, as well as a theater course and a Guatemalan history course.
Until recently, with the exception of the money, all of these preparations have seemed somewhat abstract. Then came the part about packing. Amusingly, the packing list reflected a side of Guatemala that was downplayed during the application process...
After a semester of preparation, including several group meetings, a paper, a research proposal, reading guidebooks, and lots of $$, I'm about to head off for four months in Guatemala. My destination is Quetzaltenango, or Xela as it's known to the locals. I'll be living with a host family and taking intensive Spanish classes, as well as a theater course and a Guatemalan history course.
Until recently, with the exception of the money, all of these preparations have seemed somewhat abstract. Then came the part about packing. Amusingly, the packing list reflected a side of Guatemala that was downplayed during the application process...
Packing List:
"Pepto for the days you’re a lil’ loose. Imodium for when you can hardly hold it in! Only take Imodium when it is absolutely necessary, you’ll be backed up for days!"
Ehuh, that's right - written between those lines is the implication "you will most likely be sick!" at one point on the list they recommend packing an extra pair of underwear when you go out - admittedly wise. I confess that I'd thought of this before, but the sheer quantity of pharmaceutical type products suggested for packing kind of floored me. Take a look...
Yup, that takes up about a third of my pack. The only luggage I'm bringing along is a 60 liter hiking backpack, and my anti-explosivepoo (and other health) products take up about a third of it, and this is sans the prescriptions, like anti-malaria pills, that are all packed in my carry-on.
Now, this is what I call an adventure! :D
Next challenge? Getting my entire life for the next 4 months to fit into one 60 liter pack and only weigh 50 lbs. Challenge Accepted!
* Translation is my own, and probably quite crappy!
Now, this is what I call an adventure! :D
Next challenge? Getting my entire life for the next 4 months to fit into one 60 liter pack and only weigh 50 lbs. Challenge Accepted!
* Translation is my own, and probably quite crappy!
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