What awaits the wanderer.

This blog is about a few things. It is firstly about a country called Guatemala, located in Central America, where decades of civil war wreaked havoc among a society that is still struggling to break the chains of colonialism and ethnic strife. Secondly, this blog tells the story of a young woman who believes in the power of something called anthropology, a lifestyle that combines book learning with the practice of experiencing other cultures in a grassroots fashion. And last of all, it is an account of self-searching: a search for what one person calls the "poetic self" (Ruth Behar, http://www.ruthbehar.com/AboutRuth.htm).

Guatemala has called to me for some time now, whispering to me many centuries of Mayan wisdom, as well as contemporary stories of difficult battles within its own society. Perhaps half of my motivation to go there stems from the aching in my legs that tells me I need to climb a mountain, or a volcano, very soon, before I forget how it feels to have that kind of a conversation with nature. But a great reason for this trip is a desire to understand the situation of the American Indian, forever marginalized and trapped in underdevelopment, and left behind as globalization moves forward giving benefits only to those who are most educated and privileged.

On Wednesday, I depart with Ashleigh, a long time friend with a similar background in anthropology and an equal thirst for a self-revolutionizing adventure. I expect that Ashleigh will be in Guatemala for some time, while I of course will be returning in August to begin the much anticipated Graduate School--a different kind of search for my poetic self, but in many ways the same journey.

I hope to be able to write frequently whenever we stumble upon internet cafes. Most of all, it is my wish that this trip opens me up to new ways of looking at life, and to new friends.