Un otra quickie

Loved ones!

I haven't seen anyone get abducted today, which means it is a great day in Xela!

The good news is I have been continuing to feel better. Much better. Not 100%, but not miserable any longer. I have not eaten a single meal at home since Sunday breakfast, and that has become unexpectedly expensive and difficult to navigate. Hospitality is such a huge part of the culture here, and even though my family knows how sick I have been, they keep plying me with food. Last night I finally had the courage to say, "I think there is bacteria in the water and it makes me sick." And my house mother was like, "of course there is, you're in Guatemala after all." I had planned on trying to start eating there again once the Cipro was finished, but have been strongly advised against that by some folks with a lot more experience traveling here that me.

So, for now I am making breakfast at school, eating a PB sandwich at home for lunch and eating dinner out every night.

But something really fabulous happened two nights ago. I came home after dinner and was sitting on the bed with A., watching the Spanish Cartoon Network, and for about the first 15 seconds of the cartoon I thought they were talking in English because I was automatically translating it in my head. And then I thought, " I AM UNDERSTANDING THEM WITH NO PROBLEM!" And as soon as I had that thought, I stopped being able to understand it. Sad. But, it was a small victory nonetheless.

Tomorrow I head to Antigua for a little R&R and strategery with MRM. I have lots I want to share with you all about what I have been thinking about doing, about my wonderful teacher this week, and little anecdotes from my time here, but all that will have to wait because I have a dinner tonight at the school and I am already late.

So for now, ciao.