Guatemala: Sharing the Dream

I'm in Guatemala City, but it scarcely feels like I'm anywhere since for a few days we're just parked on the roof of a house having a board meeting. I was in heaven last night with homemade torillas, eggs, beans, cheese, cream, and hibiscus tea--what usually is a typical breakfast, at least in El Salvador. Mmmm, mmmm good!

We are in the house of an organization called Sharing the Dream, a non-profit that promotes fair trade for cooperatives. They're part of some interesting projects including supporting an orphanage, providing educational scholarships for Mayan women and children, and buying school supplies. It's early morning, and I'm in their office, downstairs from where I slept. There are weavings in bags ready to go, crayons and photos of projects around me. The morning traffic noises are beginning to rattle through the house, and I expect my friends will wake soon.

Some of you asked about fiber arts. For the last 7 years, I've been the administrative coordinator for WARP on top of my full-time job with all of its travel. I've resigned this position and will hand it over to someone else in the next couple of months, in part, because I want time to do some other things. I'm what I call a hobby weaver, but for the last 5 years my loom has been buried under boxes in my basement, and I knit, usually through work meetings. It helps me listen and organize my thoughts, and I hope my co-workers know by this point that it's not a distraction.

So, on with my day. I told myself I wouldn't buy anything on this trip because I don't need anything more, but the chances of that are about nil now that I have quetzales in my pocket and am headed to Panajachel, a shopping mecca, in a few days. I should be supporting these indigenous artisans, right? Right!?