Girl in Guatemala: A Peace Corps Blog: Happy Holidays, Felices Fiestas, and Tb’anelxix taq’en Qman te Kyaqilx

Making Chuchitos with my host momma!

Friends and family, Happy Holidays, Felices Fiestas, and Tb’anelxix taq’en Qman te Kyaqilx. I am filled with warmth thinking about the love and laughs that everyone will be sharing over the next week. I will be doing the same with my beautiful and kind host family here in Guatemala! We were warned that this is a hard time of year for volunteers. That’s an understatement. This is my first Christmas away from my family and I can already feel my eyes welling up as the reality sets in that I am far from home and far from comfort. But this experience is about challenging myself to be present here, with my new family, my new community, and new traditions, and new friends. I have been welcomed with open arms, generosity, and a whole lot of curiosity. “Seño, are your eyes real? Do you paint your hair?” I can say for a fact, no day is “beige” here; there is always a new taste, a new smell, a new color.

This week, one of our chickens had TEN lil pollitos (baby chickens)! They’re the absolute cutest and I’ve had the best time feeding them, watching them hobble around, and discover their new world. I’ve started naming them! I’m so excited to watch them grow over the next two years. My family promised not to eat them until my two years are over here! Vamos a ver… As far as Christmas plans, I’ve had so many different people, from my veggie lady in the market to my work partners, offer their hearts and homes to me for the holidays. I’m really excited to exchange traditions with them. In my family, back in the states, our family, Christmas Eve tradition is to read two versions of “The Night Before Christmas” – The original and the Cajun version. The Cajun version has always been my favorite to read. I loved the challenge of pronouncing each strange, Cajun word! I also loved that in this version, alligators pulled Santa’s sleigh! So this year, I decided I couldn’t let this tradition go. Why not add a THIRD version?! So y'all best believe, I butchered my way through the Spanish "Night Before Christmas" and kept the Usdin/Bingler tradition alive!

On top of that, I celebrated my first Noche Buena (Christmas Eve)! Here in Guatemala, the Noche Buena tradition is to stay up until midnight, drink ponche (warm fruit punch), and share stories. Once it hits midnight, hugs are given to every single person in the room, cohetes (fireworks) are set off, and dinner is served! And that’s only the beginning… My Noche Buena lasted until 3 am! We lit sparklers, had a fogata (bonfire), roasted angelitos (little angels aka marshmellows), and ended our night with a 2 am game of soccer! Today, we packed up lunch and had a picnic/cookout along the most beautiful river. It was so great to meet new family members today and to also be introduced to them as the “nueva hija” (new daughter). It made me feel absolutely loved and reassured that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my first Christmas away from home!

As for all y’all, I hope every single one of you experience laughter, gratitude, and happiness this holiday. I know in my little community of Guatemala, we will be raising a glass of ponche to you all tonight!