GRIP, Research Abroad Breaking Routine

Guatemala Health Initiative - Santiago Atitlán

Picture a rural town.
                       What do you see?

Now, take a deep breath.
                       What does it smell like?

And listen. No, really. Listen.
                      What does it sound like?

Even with all of my imagination, capturing everything that Santiago Atitlán is would be impossible. Located in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, this picturesque lake town, surrounded by active volcanoes, is home to an indigenous Maya community called the Tz’utujil. Even in the one week that I have been here, I have found myself reflecting, breathing in the humid air, humming with a quiet energy, dissolving past misconceptions. 

Naturally, when one thinks of small towns or pueblos, routine and regularity easily come to mind. Although Atitlán exists within this framework, it does so in surprising ways.

For starters, the rain has a rhythm here. Mornings are always dry, but by 2pm, the clouds gathered over the lake roll over and begin their symphony of torrential rain. This makes the walk in the morning to “el Hospitalito Atitlán” quite pleasant, but the same walk back home an arduous quest of avoiding the streets transformed into manmade rivers and cascades. Life here moves and breathes within this system. In the mornings, the central square and market bustles with activity: people selling their fresh produce, heading to work by tuk-tuk, sending their children off to school, carrying clothes to wash in the lake, all cognizant of the rain to come. Although the evenings are in no way desolate, many residents generally retire in the sanctity of their homes. At Penn, where the weather is quite unpredictable, routine is generally predicated on individual wants instead of larger phenomena. For me, learning to create a schedule based off of the rain has made me truly feel in unison with nature.

This realization extends to the "oh so glorious event" that is sleep. It is absolutely stunning that within a few days my circadian rhythm, that natural, biological routine, quickly adjusted to life here. My body now feels tired once the dark sets and awakes once the light streams in through my window. Not having to use an alarm clock and to trust the passage of the sun and the moon has been liberating. Who could have known that it would just take a week here to undo years of unhealthy sleep habits?

Although you can count on many things here from the women tortilleando in front of their homes in the morning, the evening fútbol games, to the blaring music from the churches on Sunday nights, some things remain unpredictable. Electricity, cell service, and Wi-Fi are a tad flaky. However, I have found this to serve as a refreshing reminder to connect with the world around me.

Routine offers an individual a sense of stability yet variety is the spice of life. For example, even though it was raining heavily, residents still convened to watch a high school girls’ basketball game at the outdoor town court. Sometimes I would stay past my natural bedtime to discuss topics ranging from religion to literature with my host family. This has taught me that although routine breeds comfort and unison, it is important to continue to challenge yourself and to push your boundaries. Every day here instead of back home is an opportunity to alter past conceptions and to adjust to a new rhythm.

After all, some things in life are worth breaking routine for.