Hi.

So, this is just a quick note to say hi from the mountain school in guatemala.

I´ll write a good long email in a few days after we are done here.

But, we made it to the mountain school. and I LOVE it. It is this little house in the middle of practically nowhere. we all sleep in the house, and eat with families in the nearby village. my family is so amazing and sweet, and patient with my lack of spanish.

it is unbelievably poor here, and the history, which we aren´t taught at all at home, is absolutely incredible. there has been so much oppression, murder and generally bad things done to the people here by the American´s and Europeans who started coffee and bannana plantations here. However, the families are so kind and generous with us, and are amazing at looking forward not back. It is very sad because it is 75% unemployment rate in the village, so every morning the men wake up at 3 or 4 (the women an hour earlier to cook breakfast) and go to the closest ¨city¨ to look for work. sometimes they get it, and sometimes not. it is obviously very hard to see.

HOWEVER, I LOVE my teacher here at the school. she is young and intelligent, and we basically just spend the whole lesson chatting (In Spanish, she is very patient as I furiously search the dictionary). We chat about theater, and what her life is like here, and mostly about the way women are treated here (badly), and about what can be done. She also likes hearing about all the women I know who are so empowered back home! (that´s you all ladies!) I think it makes her a bit sad, as things are still so behind here in terms of women´s rights, but I think it also gives her hope.

She had an insane story growing up which I will tell you all another time! (they have all had pretty insane stories!)

Anyway, I´m eating well, and thankfully (knock on wood) not in the least sick.

Very happy, and looking forward to further adventures. I´ll write more soon!

LOVE
Alaina