Tranquility

As I sit and write this post, I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the countryside of Guatemala. My family decided to venture off to visit another city this weekend, Quetzaltenango (or Xela, pronounced Ch-ela), and one of our pit stops is in a town called Zunil. We are staying at the most amazing hacienda-style lodge that has a sauna, a jacuzzi tub in each room, beautiful grounds, delicious food, a gym...all tucked into the hillside of this tiny town. The kids are napping...the husband went to the store, and I am thoroughly enjoying the tranquility and solemnity of my solitude. This place is such a welcome change of scenery from the crazy, disorderly city that suffocates with poisonous smog, and terrifies with armed soldiers on every corner (many with AK-47s in hand). No one obeys any traffic laws - pretty much everyone makes up the rules as they go, and does any thing as they see fit. Xela, on the other hand, is peaceful (even if it is the 2nd largest city in Guatemala) and clean. The people are friendly, and the countryside that surrounds the city is impressive. This is the city in which we may possibly settle for awhile if I am offered a teaching position at the Inter-American school. The director has emailed me to advise that I should be receiving an invitation for an interview very soon, as current teachers will be deciding whether they are staying for another year or moving on. In the mean time, I am waiting patiently, and enjoying this delightful little sampling of a place that I just might call 'home' in the very near future.