THINGS I MISS / THINGS I DON'T

We have arrived at my mother's house in Georgia. It is both good and strange to be back in the USA for a week. I think our first month on the road has been a general success. The transition to our new nomadic lifestyle was smooth enough, with no major surprises or upsets. The girls still squabble at will, but protect each other fiercely. School is working pretty well, we all enjoy sleeping in a bit most mornings, and we are balancing exploration and quiet absorption nicely.

THINGS I DON'T MISS ABOUT GUATEMALA
* not knowing whether I'd have hot water or not, every time I showered
* gaping holes in the sidewalks, if there were sidewalks
* bad plumbing, such that we had to toss our used t.p. in the trash
* dirty, lung-destroying air in the cities
* untreated water supply


THINGS I MISS ABOUT GUATEMALA
* the people, who are as warm and polite and good-humored as any people on earth, and far more so than Americans in general
* the slower pace
* the happy factor, especially among the children of Guatemala
* the street venders and the mercados
* the beautiful textiles, especially in the clothing of the indigenous people
* the lovely landscape of lakes and volcanoes
* the sense of living close to the heart of life, without trappings or pretension
* the people