I've Arrived!

Hello all!
I am here safe in Xela staying with a friend from college for the week. I landed in Guatemala City yesterday afternoon and was met by two people who are friends with a man my dad went to school with almost 30 years ago. It was a great connection made through a Christmas letter and the wonder of Facebook. They were incredibly generous and kind, and they encouraged me to stay with them overnight rather than taking the bus alone late into the night. So I stayed with them overnight and long enough this morning to watch the Inauguration. It was a bit strange to watch CNN and see Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper in Guatemala. When was the last time any of you watched the Inauguration of a world leader outside of the States? I know that I never have, but it was on several channels this morning. It was, of course, very exciting, and it will be interesting to see what people here are thinking about it.
I will be here, in Xela (shay-la) for the next five months, studying Spanish, hopefully volunteering in a clinic when my Spanish is good enough, and traveling the surrounding area. Xela is the indigenous name of the city. Its official name is Quetzaltenango, and that's the name to look for on a map. Xela is short for Xelaju (shay-la-WHO), which roughly translates as "under the ten," probably in reference to the mountains that surround it. The bus ride here from Guatemala City was a stunningly beautiful ride through the mountains. I didn't get any pictures, but I will hopefully upload some soon.
I would love to hear from you, either here, by e-mail, or on Facebook. Let me know if you have questions or things you'd especially like to know about. I would love if this could be more than just me talking to/at you.