Freedom...

I write a lot about the madness on the roads out here...it is by no other means an endless sense of frustration/intrigue for me. And I definitely equate a sense of independence with being able to navigate through the craziness that is Guatemala....but I have only really thought this in my head, have never really tested it out...

Well let me tell you....being able to drive around here is definitely your key to freedom! Our car was in the shop for almost the entire week and I didn't leave our apartment once, not once...and honestly, I thought I was going to totally freak out.

There is absolutely nowhere to walk around here, NOWHERE! First, it isn't exactly safe to just stroll around. (I am actually more scared of the lunatic drivers than being pickpocketed...poor pedestrians have no right of way) and seriously, there is NOwhere exciting within walking distance. I thought about making a little trip to the grocery store around the corner, until I remembered we aren't allowed to go there because there is some robbing ring going on. Then I thought about going to the coffee shop across the way, but it is like frogger trying to get across the street and I was also doing one of my weird 4 day detox's and you aren't allowed any caffeine or fun treats...so why torture myself?!?!? My two options within a stone's throw, instantly off the table. I could have of course called a taxi and gone anywhere my heart desired, but I didn't really have anywhere (besides the office) to go...so why bother.

I really thought it would be no big deal, I could wait out the 4 days....well I was wrong, wrong, wrong! I went nuts, N-U-T-S, NUTS!

So what exactly did I do?!?!? Well one day I worked out twice (CRAZY!), another day I laid out by the pool all day (hello LAZY!), and another day I did some all day craft project. Really a perfect mini-vacation, a staycation if you will. But instead of enjoying the little downtime, I felt like I was on house arrest. Martha Stewart style. I am obviously such a disaster with idle time. And again let me stress....I didn't really need to go anywhere, I had no meetings, no place to be, and I had other options.....but the fact that I couldn't leave, at my own whim, made me feel totally insane.

And you know what? Now that I have my keys back, aka my freedom, I have a sort of new sense of love for driving around here. Give me a week and I am sure I will be back to cursing at everyone of the road, yelling at them to get out of my lane and to learn how to merge, but for now, I am loving the odd piece of delight it is giving me.

I will never underestimate the value of being able to go wherever I want, whenever I want, ever again!

And special little sidenote:

I didn't have a car for the six years that I lived in DC and loved every second of it. I LOVE mass transit (hello who wouldn't when you meet you future husband on the bus?!?!?) and L-O-V-E walking to and from every far reach of the city...I cannot stress the "love" part enough. It was super weird to go from that to this, and now I am SO reliant on our little (err sort of big) car. It is amazing how quickly things change...but let me tell you, I have already plotted out the little walking adventures I am going to take in DC when we return and am dreaming about walks along the river in Frankfurt! And of course trying to stay in the now of the Guate and relishing my once again found freedom on the crowded, crazy streets of this place.