On my own

I have now finished two weeks at the school in the city of Xela. Next week, I go to its sister school, called the Mountain School, out in the countryside of Guatemala. It’s supposed to be beautiful and tranquil and is said to be a true experience of rural life here. All that appeals to me.

What I have some trepidation about is that I will be the only student there. Normally, there are up to 14 students there, living in a dorm and eating meals with local families. But not next week, just me. On the one hand, it will be quite an immersion experience, with no English in the vicinity at all. On the other hand, I am concerned that my very limited Spanish will not be up to the task. And I know I have been exhausted each day here from listening to and trying to speak Spanish both at school (for 5 hours, one-on-one) and at my home stay. So who knows what my stamina will be like there? I’ll also be navigating my way there and back on my own, again with my limited Spanish. It’s a bit of a leap into the unknown, being on my own in a foreign country like this.

 My teacher says it will be a privilege for me to have the place to myself and that I should have a good learning experience. My home stay mom says it will be better to have no other students there because there will be no English to fall back on. Easy for them to say, my inner doubter tells me. I wonder how they would feel if they were in the US trying to do what I am doing, it says.

But there is no turning back now. I guess I could opt to just stay here in Xela. But then how would I know what might have been? So, onward I go. I catch the bus on Sunday morning, ojála.