Learning how to focus on the now in Guatemala

As I sit on the roof of my home in Guatemala, watching the sun set, I can’t help but think about how different my life was a year ago. I hear the buzz of a town that feels very alive: Esquipulas. The population is about 50,000, but it feels much smaller than that. It’s the kind of place where everyone seems to know everyone, and every time you walk into a store, it’s the same person who was there last time. The combination of familiar faces and the openhearted culture of Guatemala makes building relationships feel natural. People always ask me what my favorite thing about Guatemala is, and my answer is always the same: the people. I’ve come here from a country that hasn’t always shown Latin Americans the patience and dignity they deserve, especially now. Yet every day, I encounter people who are willing to look past my broken Spanish, welcoming me with open arms and an eagerness to share their culture.

My volunteer work here is teaching English to high schoolers at Colegio San Benito, where that same small-town feel is apparent. Josh, my site partner, and I have gotten to know many of our students very well, as well as the students who aren’t in our classes, by playing soccer at recess or just talking with them outside of class. These connections are essential to the way we teach. Every day in the classroom brings something new, and one of the biggest challenges has been figuring out how to reach students who are all at such different stages of learning English. Some students can hold conversations, while others can hardly ask to go to the bathroom in English. The 40-minute class periods don’t make it any easier, so finding a way to keep everyone engaged can be difficult. Josh and I have learned that we can’t expect every student to learn at the same pace or come into class with the same level of interest. Instead, we focus on making class something the students look forward to. Putting energy into getting to know the students and making our lessons as fun and interactive as possible is something we’ve found is quintessential to making our lessons effective.

Before I came here, I felt like the days were passing me by, almost like I was running on a treadmill that was only getting faster. I was doing everything I could to prepare for my future while also trying to stay in the moment, and it felt like an impossible challenge. Here, I feel completely different. The pace of life is slower. I can take a moment to collect my thoughts without feeling like I’m falling behind. Weirdly enough, committing to this year of service, instead of finding a career right after school, has taken away much of the pressure I used to feel about falling behind. Even though I have stepped away from the path I thought I was supposed to be on, I feel more present than I ever have. I spend less time worrying about what comes next and more time appreciating what is right in front of me. Whether that’s playing soccer with the monks, going on a hike or running into familiar faces, I am learning to appreciate the moments that make up each day. I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but for the first time in my life, I don’t feel like I need to figure it all out right now.