WeI remember the feeling very well. It was midnight on January 5 and I knew I should have been sleeping, but life was happening and things were changing and my emotions were doing too many things to let me sleep.
Four months and one week later, here I am again, at the crossroads between chapters, 11:30 pm, and wide awake.
Today was a rough day.
I said goodbye to Gloria, who tirelessly gave me 400+ hours of one-on-one instruction with patience, grace, encouragement, and a whole lot of laughter. Most of us were holding back tears while every teacher and student said 'thankyou' in our own way.
We spent a lot of time just walking around the city, saying our goodbyes with ice cream and various strange emotional habits. I hugged things. Like walls. Like the dog. Whatever I could put my arms around. I'm not a touchy-feely person, but the stress and change is making me want to grab hold of whatever physical things I can find to wrap my arms around.
Tomorrow is going to be another hard one.
Multiple trips through customs, two flights, and the start of the always-miserable reverse culture shock. Some things have become so natural to me in Spanish that I can't imagine switching back to English. It already feels like my heart is going to be torn in half and left in separate places. Truly, part of me is going to be here forever, and I cannot imagine never coming back. I don't know how or when, but I do know that this place will always be considered a type of 'home' for my soul.
Entonces, over the next days and weeks I'll probably be posting more pictures, stories, and memories... but Adios for the final time from the beautiful country of Guatemala.