Our families have been an integral part of our Guatemalan experience. At first, the idea of staying and living with a family we had never met before in an entirely new country was a bit frightening for a majority of us. The cultural and language barriers seemed to be the biggest worries, but once meeting our families we realized we were so, so welcomed. Everyone was received with open arms and truly treated like a family member. In my own experience, I shared a host family with my on-campus roommate and we鈥檙e both so grateful! We now have amazing memories of an amazing family that we get to share forever. Our family taught us what a community within a family looks like. Our host mom especially showed us what it means to be a kind and sharing person with everyone around her. She is the most selfless and caring being I have met, and I鈥檓 extremely grateful to have been her host daughter for two months. Saying goodbye was such a heartbreak! I believe I reflect all of my peers by saying that our host families truly became our families and a little piece of home in Guatemala.聽
Poema:
Panorama
Querida casita en San Crist贸bal聽
Gracias por tu amabilidad聽
Y por el amor que nos ense帽aste聽
Gracias por recibirnos con un abrazo fuerte
que fue acompa帽ado por perros ladrando聽
聽y cuetes ruidosos
Gracias por tener una panader铆a tan cerca聽
Siempre teniendo pan fresco y calientito聽
Gracias por mi cuarto y terraza聽
Desde donde pod铆a ver el hermoso paisaje de un volc谩n聽
Gracias por las desayunos, almuerzos y cenas en familia聽
Gracias a nuestra familia por demostrarnos el amor Guatemalteco聽
Cuanto los extra帽are familia y casita en Panorama
-Arelys Martinez Fabian