Chasing the soul of the Quetzal: If all the rain drops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh what a world it would be.

I am happy to report that all is well here in Guatemala. It’s hard to believe how the time passes, but now that I've made a life for myself here, everything is happening in the blink of an eye.

For starters, I have been in my permanent site for over two months…22 more to go. After ten weeks of intense training near the main tourist city, Antigua, I moved six hours north to Nebaj. Here’s some background information on Nebaj:

· Nebaj is located in the North of the department of Quiché

· It’s part of the “Ixil triangle” and is the largest of the three cities. Chajul and Cotzal make up the other two points.

· Nebaj is 98% indigenous Ixil (pronounced ishil).

· The native language of Ixil is very well preserved here. It is most native Nebajense’s first language and Spanish is rarely spoken in the aldeas (small towns outside of the city center). This makes it a bit challenging to communicate with students, but all of the teachers can speak Spanish.

· It’s famous for its beautiful traditional dress that is worn by the majority of women here. It consists of a brightly woven top, known as güipil (pronounced wipil). The güipil is tucked into a long, red skirt known as corte, which is wrapped around the waist several times and fastened tightly by a colorful belt known as a faja.

· The municipio of Nebaj has a population of about 80,000 which is big for a Peace Corps site.

· There is a daily fresh market (which I take full advantage of).

Nebaj has been treating me well thus far. I’m working in 10 schools overseeing the Healthy Schools project where I teach teachers how to instill healthy habits in their students. It is definitely a work in progress. Eventually I also plan to work on nutrition, school gardens, and mental health in the schools. My schedule is made by me (a big plus). My mornings are usually filled with school visits, meetings, or trainings. The afternoons I have relatively free and I use them to plan, spend time with my host family, and integrate into the community.

The people here in Guatemala continue to amaze me with their generosity, humbleness, and timid manner. Working in the small towns surrounding Nebaj has shown me the more conservative, rural side of life. In one of my schools, about a 40 min microbus ride through rocky, windy hillsides, I was greeted by children with a Buenos Dias as they bowed and waited for me to touch their head in approval. This, I soon learned, is an old Mayan custom that is rarely practiced anymore, but can be found in some of the small villages. In this same school several classrooms had dirt floors, the sound of pounding rain on the laminate roofs made it near impossible to teach, and there were two teachers absent the day I went, which meant no school for those students. They have such strong traditions that have lasted for centuries, but it’s still a struggle for many to place importance and priority on education.

Rainy season has settled in nicely here in Nebaj. Upon my arrival in Guatemala, I began asking people what the rainy season was like and built this inexplicable fear of the inevitable rain. After all the pre-rainy season nerves, I must admit that I am quite enjoying this season and I've settled into my own routine which is dictated by the weather. In the morning I wake early to sunshine, birds chirping, and pigs snorting. I normally go for a run, as I’m training for Antigua’s half marathon in July. The beautiful mountain sides are green from all the rain and the air is fresh. Nebaj’s farmers are up early and greet me as I run past their plots of land while they tend to their crops. After my morning routine, I head out to a school, and I make it back home in time for lunch and for the afternoon rain to start. Typically it rains on and off the rest of the afternoon. This creates excellent background noise for afternoon reading and naps. My rain phobia has now dissipated and I look forward to my afternoon siestas and relaxation.

On my way home from visiting a friend, I was on a microbus listening to the latest podcast of This American Life. I was tuned out from the world when suddenly I overheard a melody that was all too familiar. I looked up and saw the backs of two mother’s heads, both with a young child in their laps. The kid’s heads were bobbing in harmony to “Ah ah ahah ah ahah ah ahah”. I took out my headphones and smiled when I confirmed what they were singing. “si las gotas de lluvia fueran de caramelo…” If all the rain drops were lemon drop and gum drops, oh what a world that would be”. And I thought to myself…what a world that would be.