Epilogue

The last three months in Guatemala (June, July and August) were set aside to write, for me. I successfully finished my second draft the night before we headed back to the states. It was surreal and painful saying goodbye to Lake Atitlan. We were blissfully happy in the cottage in Panajachel. The tortillaria two doors down, the market down the block -all the sights and sounds of Lake Atitlan day in and day out.
But life goes on, right? Sal suggested that when we leave -inevitable, even if disappointing- we might head for his hometown in Georgia. Seemed like a good opportunity to get to know my in-laws and re-immerse in the mainstream U.S. culture. Unfortunately we soon found ourselves all out of money, in a job market that has almost no opportunities and stuck out in the Atlanta burbs where it seems all anyone ever does is get drunk and make babies. Neither of which interest us at the moment.
Life has it's ups and downs. Living on the lake in Guatemala was a heavenly up. One we shall never forget. Being stuck here in Georgia is an inevitable down. One we'll get over, in time. Now I'm busy editing and rewriting my book while Sal's building his art portfolio, gaining new web design skills. His family is nice enough, and his youngest sister, Vanessa, is kind enough to let us co-adopt her puppy while she prepares for the irresponsible rush of late-teens/early adulthood. So, if nothing else, the fact that we finally have a puppy must be the universe's way of telling us we're on the right track.
We often lean back and reflect on the beauty we'd left behind in Guatemala. The warm winds, the fresh rains and the kind people. I know we'll go back there someday. The time we spent there was restful, the rejuvenation we need to complete the next phase of our lives and propel ourselves through both the mundane and the bullshit of everyday life. With any luck we'll accomplish our goals, find a comfortable place to make a home base, have a happy family and together explore this universe we're so constantly enthralled by and in love with. Wherever we go, Sal and I know we take our home with us. We carry love, comfort and serenity around like a light within us -a beacon and a sign that all the best cliches can and do come true.