| Today was the first day that we began official work on our main project while here in Guatemala: the construction of a house for a family whose home had fallen in prior to our arrival. Other student groups who traveled with Homes from the Heart to this location had already begun the construction of the house by laying the foundation and the putting up the sides of the house. It was now our job to complete the construction by capping the home off with a roof and a cement floor. We are now housed in Patzicia, Guatemala, a village in which the translator for our trip--Juan--lives with his son David and in which the reconstructed house is being built. This small mountain town overlooks a magnificent valley and an active volcano which has been going off nearly constantly. |
We are staying in the house of Florencio, Juan's brother, and were awoken this morning by a lovely rooster crow at 5:00 AM. As soon as we got up, a hearty and filling breakfast was served and before you knew it, the light of the sun was poking through the sky and it was time to head to the worksite. Just a short walk away from Florencio's home, the house-to-be occupied us for the majority of the day. I spent time pulling water up from the well, clipping metal wire, digging foundation holes into the earth, and helping out with the mixing of the cement. We worked tirelessly all day, side-by-side not only with the owner of the house, but also with many men from the village who had come by to help us with our task. Seeing the togetherness of the community made me really appreciate my own personal community that I have created in my life. It was really rewarding to see the interactions between the men working with us on the site, because they were all happy and amiable while working. Built out of something much tougher than myself, they were not phased by the rising sun as it warmed the tin roof they were working on, nor by the cold gusts of air that intermittently brushed away the sun's heat. Again, a very visible and important reciprocal relationship was formed between them and all of the students. They directed us and gave us instructions as we tried out best to contribute where we could and not get in the way where we couldn't.
Supplemented by small breaks in which we played with the family's children or their newborn puppies, we worked and worked until suddenly everyone decided that they were hungry and that lunch was to be had. So, we went back to Florenico's house and ate as a group, collectively enjoying each other's company over a great meal. This was a really unique and rewarding opportunity, as it is very rare for me to be able to enjoy a meal with such a large amount of friends all at one time anymore. We talked and we laughed, telling stories about back home and hearing some of the stories of our hosts. During this time, we also had the great opportunity to converse with some of Florencio's children, in addition to David, who were all a great joy to interact with. Overall, it was refreshing and rejuvenating to be able to share a meal with friends in the traditional way. For many in the group, it felt a lot more natural and in tune with our inherent desires for conversation to sit and talk over a group dinner than to text other people while eating alone. | "I could live here forever, you know? I was up on that roof, and I was hammering nails, and I looked up. I saw it. All in front of me. The valley, the colors, the volcano spewing just a puff of smoke from its top. It was so relaxing, so peaceful. I felt so connected to the Earth and so grounded in the labor behind my task. I could move here and be a roofer in Guatemala. I really could." |
This feeling of a higher connectivity with our innate desires permeated the rest of the day. After working on the house for a few hours more, we eventually headed back as the sun began to set. As opposed to staying up later to play cards or goof around, we all decided the best thing to do would be to fall asleep as soon as possible. It feels good to be tired. It feels fulfilling, rewarding. Being tired makes me feel like I have accomplished something with my day. In college, this is often not the case, even if I have done a great deal. In college, I am often tired by a lack of sleep or perhaps because of a long day of studying or being in class. Very rarely does this feel good. If anything, this kind of tired was taxing. It was debilitating. On the other hand, the tired that I feel today and the tired that we have felt for the majority of this week has been a tired that showed us we were achieving something, working towards a goal.
And with this form of being tired comes a sleep schedule which is more strongly based on circadian rhythms than the amount of homework we have. When we get up in Guatemala, it is because we are awake, not because an alarm is telling us we will be late for something if we don't get out of bed. Sure, the rooster wakes us up in the morning. But when I open my eyes as dawn breaks, I feel rejuvenated, not exhausted. This is when you are supposed to wake up, my body tells me as I sit up. This is when the sun rises, and when you ought to as well. We work all day, until we tire, when we rest, eat, and enjoy each other's company. Then we work some more and again tire until it is nearing darkness. It is if the day has turned the light switch off, showing us that it is time to sleep, time to rest again for the next day's rise.
After talking with some of my friends on the trip, I have determined that this sleep-wake cycle incorporating physical demands is a positive one that I ought to adopt upon return home. It not only feels natural, but it feels good, and I am sure that it would enhance my performance in classes and in other aspects of my life. I was surprised to have grown in this very personal way while in Guatemala, but it seems that I have learned a very important and translatable lesson which I hope to employ soon.
And with this form of being tired comes a sleep schedule which is more strongly based on circadian rhythms than the amount of homework we have. When we get up in Guatemala, it is because we are awake, not because an alarm is telling us we will be late for something if we don't get out of bed. Sure, the rooster wakes us up in the morning. But when I open my eyes as dawn breaks, I feel rejuvenated, not exhausted. This is when you are supposed to wake up, my body tells me as I sit up. This is when the sun rises, and when you ought to as well. We work all day, until we tire, when we rest, eat, and enjoy each other's company. Then we work some more and again tire until it is nearing darkness. It is if the day has turned the light switch off, showing us that it is time to sleep, time to rest again for the next day's rise.
After talking with some of my friends on the trip, I have determined that this sleep-wake cycle incorporating physical demands is a positive one that I ought to adopt upon return home. It not only feels natural, but it feels good, and I am sure that it would enhance my performance in classes and in other aspects of my life. I was surprised to have grown in this very personal way while in Guatemala, but it seems that I have learned a very important and translatable lesson which I hope to employ soon.