Top 10 Reasons Why Guatemala is Awesome

I have been meaning to make a list like this for a while, but finally got the well-needed "shove" from my wonderful friend, Carolyn, who is also a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua. Coincidentally, she started her training just three weeks after I did, so we're practically at the same time in our service- we also write back and forth to one another (I'm talking snail mail!), which is such a great thing to get, real mail from a *real* person. It's really gotten very under-rated.

Anyway, sigamos adelante! I've always loved Top 10 lists, so I may as well start one now...

The Top 10 Reasons Why Guatemala is Awesome

10. Being called "bien gordita" (fat) is a compliment.
9. It's perfectly acceptable to own your own machete and to walk around town with it hanging around your belt.
8. You get all you can eat tortillas or tamales with every meal (but I suppose this could also be a bad thing if you're not into either)
7. Fruit and veggie markets- never will I have such fresh produce in my life as I do now
6. Volcanoes, mountains, lakes, ocean, tropical forest...what else could you ask for?
5. That song you hated two weeks ago? You now love it. Because it's playing all the time everywhere you go.
4. You never thought you'd look forward to having eggs, beans and fried plantains twice a day.
3. You thought the first time you stepped up on that shiny yellow school bus in kindergarten was going to be cool- little did you know you would be on that very same bus 18 years later, in a different country and totally pimped out- AND have to pay your fare to a guy who is probably better qualified for acrobatics than professionals. Not only that, but these buses rule the roads.
2. Catching a ride in the back of a truck when the bus hasn't come by for hours is just doing what you need to do- even if it's with livestock.

and the No. 1 reason why Guatemala is awesome......

1. "Fíjese que..." can be used as an excuse for pretty much ANYTHING.