Adios Chahal, te quiero mucho

Today is my last night in my "doll house" in Chahal. This has been a very sad and unexpected turn of events for me. 2 1/2 weeks ago I had a security incident in my site and Peace Corps has decided that the best way to keep me safe is to change my site. As you can imagine, this was (and still is) absolutely devastating news. I love my pueblo and the people here, even if some of them are bad apples. I feel terrible leaving the project behind without being able to see it through and without being able to send another volunteer in my place. But the people I have worked with here in Chahal in the municipality are so amazing. I came back today to collect my things (including my LARGE puppy Patita -- I need her now more than ever) and will be leaving tomorrow. Tonight, the muni put together a goodbye dinner for me and what they said made me feel very special and thus even more sad to leave. They completely understand why this policy exists and they don't blame me at all. That is what I had been afraid of, but clearly I had no need to worry. They love me and I love them. Tears will be shed, and already have been.

Chahal is an amazing place and I am so glad that a few of you were able to visit it. The rest of you will have to come visit me in my new site (quitting was never an option; I will have to go through the acclimation process all over again, which will be very hard, but I am here for two years, punto).

Drum roll please..... my new site is a village in the municipality of Todos Santos Cuchumutanes, Huehuetenango (pronounced way-way tenangango). The name of the village is Chiabal, very close to my first site of Chahal. I chose it because it will be a completely new and different experience. I figure that if I have to leave Chahal, I should experience something new rather than try to repeat what I already had. Thus, it is a village rather than a town; it's at 3300 meters (almost 11,000 feet) rather than 240 meters; mountains instead of jungle; the people are Mam rather than Q'eqchi' (time to learn another Mayan language); there is a lack of water rather than an abundance; I'm working much more independently without structure instead of the 9 to 5 office setting. That's just a little intro to Chiabal. I'll write more as I get settled in this next week (I'm moving in on Friday). If you're curious google "Todos Santos, Guatemala" or "los Cuchumutanes, Guatemala" or "drunken horse races, Guatemala." I'll leave you wondering about the last one for now, unless you have the ganas to look it up.

I miss and love you all. I will be coming home and to California (sister) to visit in about 3 months (April 24 - May 8) and would love to see those of you who are around.

Cuidense.