Mixed Feelings

As I lay in my queen size bed, the one I purchased when I was 13, at 1am in the morning, I have many different thoughts swirling through my head. The reason for the circus going on in my brain right now is that I am returning to Guatemala tomorrow for an undetermined amount of time (I think 3 months). I remember laying here in this same bed a little over two months ago, on the eve of my first ever visit to Guatemala, feeling extremely excited, carefree, and ready for this adventure. This time, after spending two months in the country, I feel a little less excited, way more prepared, and a bit more serious about returning. Don’t get me wrong, I am still excited to be going back but Guatemala is no longer completely foreign to me, and I actually understand some Spanish. I now expect greater things of myself, namely vastly improving my Spanish in the next couple of months, whereas two months ago, I left on a whim without any expectations and having an extremely limited understanding of Spanish. Part of me wishes I could go back to that night two months, full of wonder, adventure, and a sense of the unknown. Part of me is ready to get back to Guatemala, ready to improve my Spanish, ready to dive into some serious volunteer work, and eager to learn more about the third world, the people, and the country. And part of me wishes I was staying home longer, sleeping in my bed for a few more nights, seeing more of my friends and family, and settling into a life in the United States, with a job, a career, and a more comfortable lifestyle.

I still do not know where I am going to spend my next weeks in Guatemala after staying the weekend in Guatemala City but I do know I will return to Xela soon. Stage 2 of Guatemala begins now….I am glad you all continue to share this part of my life with me and please do not hesitate to send me any questions about Guatemala, comments on my writing, or just general thoughts.

Surprise!!!

Guess where I am in the world at this moment? Well, some of you may know already, but for those that do not, I am sitting on the couch in my home in Jacksonville, Florida!

Wait, aren’t you supposed to be in Guatemala? Yes, I am supposed to be.

What are you doing in Florida? I spent the New Year on South Beach, went on a short cruise with my family, and am now in Jacksonville for three days, getting shots and seeing doctors.

Are you going back to Guatemala? Yes, on Friday.

How much longer are you going to stay in Guatemala? At least two months, maybe three, and then I need to make some money, so I may find a job or move somewhere else in the Spanish speaking world.

Hopefully, that answers your short list of questions but here is the true Hollywood story. Over a month ago, my parents asked me if I would be interested in joining them for a short family vacation in January. I said I that I was and after my parents decided on a cruise, everything set into motion. Neither my brother or sister should be told about my return…it would be a grand surprise. Hence, I could not write anything about this on my blog and could not convey this information to anyone I deemed unworthy of keeping secrets (and you know who you are). So if you have been wondering, “Why have there been no new posts on avirichman.com?”, you now have your a partial answer. It was easier not to write and keep the secret, I was on a cruise ship for three days, and having too much fun in Miami to worry about an update. Now I am home and have time to not only update everything, but upload my pictures as well!

Anyways, I found a cheap flight to Florida (9 dollars plus taxes) on December 30, and spent the next three days with Michael, Phil, and Jacob (three of my best friends), and Jacob’s random accomplices. The best part came next as I was able to surprise my brother, who came down in a car with my parents, and who jumped into my arms upon seeing me there and then became even more excited when he realized I was going on the cruise with the family and that I would be his roommate. The next morning, I hid behind the car as my sister arrived at the FTL airport from Maryland, and watched as she began to cry tears of joy when she saw me for the first time. It was touching moment that had followed a good solid month of lies and deceits from both my parents and me.

And as my brother and sister came back to reality after momentarily being seduced with surprise and amazement, they began to realize all the little clues and lies that could have unmasked it all. Why did we rent a bigger car? Why did we have more rooms on the cruise than seemingly needed? Wait, so we talked on New Year’s Eve while you were in Miami and I thought you were in Guatemala! Why did you never go to Belize when you were so close? My parents seemed to enjoy the lying the most and got a great kick out of it. So, parents, while I do not recommend lying to your kids, it apparently is a lot of fun.

Coming back to the States for even this short period has brought to light some interesting contrasts that I hope to write about in a later post.