EIL Intercultural Learning

Well its been a while! Its very very overwhelming sitting here right now trying to think how on earth I am ever going to be able to explain my experiences of Guatemala and please know that it is simply impossible for me to say all that has happened here, even if I spent the whole night writing! To explain all the cultural differences that I have come across during my experiences here would take a book in itself, as would to explain the emotional cycles I have been through. Of course everything that I see, do and feel is intertwined, but it can be suprisingly difficult to see how all of the things going on inside and outside of me connect up sometimes!

I am on my final week here in Guatemala at the moment. I can well and truely say that I've settled into 'Guatemalan time' at this stage, so where the Irish part of me is getting sad that I have only five days left in my intensely diverse and interesting world of Guatemala, the new found Guatemalan-style me is as relaxed as can be, and is thinking of all the wonderful things that are still ahead of me before I set off on my 20 odd our trip back to my homeland! For those of you who are not familiar with this 'Guatemalan time' that I refer too, it may be a tad difficult to understand. Being punctual is just not part of the culture! If somebody arranges to meet you at 7am, there is a 95% chance that you will not see that face before 8 and thats on a good day! There is another aspect to 'Guatemalan time' aswell, in that the the hours in the days are actually longer here. It sounds completely and utterly crazy but its true! I don't think I have ever done or seen as much in any one day in Ireland as I have done in my days here. Yes that could also have something to do with the fact that I am just 'un poco loca' and at times say yes to doing every single thing under the sun and moon, but despite this, I do truely believe that time moves by much slower here.

My time in Guatemala has been one that I will never forget. To echo my last blog, I will say that it certianly has not all been fun or easy, but it really has been such an incredible learning experience.

In a way, the experience I have had here could not have been any more different from my initial idea of what it would be like, but one of the biggest realisations I have had throughout my time here is that everything does happen for a reason. No joke, I have been stretched and pulled and pushed and shoved above and beyond my comfort zone, (both physically and mentally), and no it didn't always feel good at the time, but I can now say with the truth of my heart that I am a better person because of it! I feel that I am going home with a new appreciation for myself and for the people and the things that await me back on the other side of the world. I have also developed a deep interest and appreciation for the peoples and the cultures that I have encountered here in Guatemala, and feel that while technically my journey is nearing its end, in reality that end will never really come as it is true that a mind once exposed to a new idea never returns to its original dimensions.