These are a few of my favorite things....

While Julie Andrew's favorite things included "wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings", here are a few of my favorite things in Xela:

• Greetings: Here, people always greet each other. Even if I don't know someone, they usually say "Buenas Dias" or something of the sort to me. Walking into the clinic, I exchange at least 10 greetings within my first 2 minutes everyday. I feel like it is a lot more friendly and welcoming than just saying "hi" or "hey", or even ignoring someone on occasion. My ABSOLUTE favorite greeting though is when my group and I walk into classrooms at the school, we get greeted by the children saying: Buenas Dias, pase adelante, COMO ESTAN?" It's probably the cutest greeting ever and the children actually seem so enthusiastic to see us
• The relaxed feel: While I naturally walk faster than everyone in this country (seeing as I'm 4 inches taller than the average person), I love that people take their time to walk places and will wait in line without getting impatient. I feel like I'm so used to the hustle and bustle of being at Duke, or being in a larger city, that this is a nice change of pace.
• The people: I have met probably some of the most diverse, interesting group of people that I've ever been around in my life. People ranging from the ages of 18-56, Guatemalan, American, Australian, doctors, teachers, medical school students, lab technician by day, physical therapist by night and various Peace Corps volunteers. It's so easy to get used to the same type of people and staying in my comfort zone, but everyone here has such an interesting story and are overall, great people.
• THE FOOD: So, I didn't really like the food in Costa Rica because I really hate white rice. I thought it would be the same here, but it isn't at all. Xela is such an international place, and for that reason, there are so many different types of food here. Places don't use preservatives, and everything is so inexpensive and fresh. My most expensive meal here thus far has been $20 and it was probably some of the best food of my entire life.
• The children: I'm grouping the children into a separate category, because I have never seen such happy children in my entire life. No matter what type of conditions the children life in, they are so happy and filled with life. Also, babies very rarely cry here which is interesting to me... Maybe it's because they are constantly being held or attached to their mothers.
• The scenery: Xela is by far one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in. There are mountains and volcanoes surrounding the entire city, and they are easily accessible. Since the clinic is up in the valley, it is so easy to all of the mountains close up.

There are probably more, I'm sure there will be a part 2 to this.

Hasta la proxima