Final week

This week is my 6th and last week in school and in Xela. My Spanish is still very basic, but I need a break from school and am getting anxious to travel the country. I have heard that it is wise to take a break from school after about 6 weeks and once you travel you realize two things - 1. you know more Spanish than you think you do, and 2. there is a lot you don´t know and will likely not know for a long time! I am hoping for more of option 1, but 2 is much more likely. I plan to travel a week by myself, then meet up with Lisa, a friend I met in school, for another week before I meet my mom in early May.
It is bittersweat to leave Xela, as I have a good routine going here and enjoy the people I have met. A group of us visited the natural hotsprings, Fuentas Georginas, over the weekend for some R&R in hot water, then took a short hike to a vista point over the city yesterday. I have also been taking advantage of the great live music and cafe scene here, especially for trova music which is very popular here. The Guatemaltecos I have met have been very friendly and patient with my limited Spanish, and I look forward to traveling and meeting more people.
This week also marks the half way point in my trip, mas o menos. It has gone by so fast, but life in the US seems like such a long time ago. It is amazing how quickly one can adapt to a completely different lifestyle, especially with the language barrier, extreme poverty, and cultural differences.
Lots of plans to come for the week, including a big futbol game between rivals of Xela and Guatemala City on Sat. Good pics to come, I hope!