In Movement

This is about as much sense as my life makes: it was desperately hard leaving New York, but it's good to be back in Guatemala.

This past weekend was a busy, and potentially life-changing, one for me.

Saturday Morning
At the hideous hour of 5:30am, I am en route to JFK airport with my mother and my brother. The flight on TACA (Take Another Chance Airlines) is just fine. Well, except for those terrifying moments where the plane is suddenly buffeted by wicked winds, which cause the plane to shake, shudder, and then... drop. My stomach ends up in the vicinity of my ears, which is a good thing because it helps block out the screams of the other passengers. I reluctantly realize that we are flying 20,000 feet above some very hard ground while strapped into what is basically an enormous coke can with wings and windows.

Saturday Afternoon
I arrive at my dust-covered apartment. Should I clean first, or unpack? I make the obvious choice: take a nap.

Saturday Evening
I unpack. Which, in retrospect, turns out to be a rather pointless activity. (Read on...)

Sunday Morning
I make the mistake of reading the final chapters of the latest Harry Potter book in public. Small Guatemalan children stop to stare at the sobbing gringo.

Sunday Afternoon
I meet my co-worker Marc for a tour of Incidencia Democrática's new offices, in zone 7 of Guatemala City. The neighborhood, a 25 minute bus ride from my apartment, is wonderfully quiet: residential homes, flowering trees, kids on bikes, etc. Marc also shows me around his new apartment, a five minute walk away from the office. Big apartment. Kitchen. Bath. Living room. Two bedrooms. (You see where this is going?)

Sunday Evening
Marc invites me to split the apartment with him. I readily accept his generous offer, and here's why:

Top 10 Reasons Why I'm Moving to Zone 7

1. Marc is an easy-going, fun, and truly nice guy.

2. I'll be able to work on my homepage at night without worrying about getting "stuck" in zone 7.

3. I won't have to do the bus commute every day.

4. The rent will be $100 per month (as opposed to the $266 I currently pay.)

5. Everything else suddenly becomes 50% off: cable, electricity, and pizzas.

6. The area is roughly 338% safer than zone 1.

7. I'll finally be able to buy, and ride, a bike.

8. I'll be a 15 minute walk away from my favorite movie theatres.

9. I can go up on the roof and chill out in the sunshine.

10. Subway sandwiches delivers to this zone.

So that's the latest from me, from here. As always, I'll keep you updated... whether you like or not!

Tags: Guatemala, moving

Posted by elcanche at August 29, 2005 05:57 PM