The first taste.

The more I experience, the more I realize how little I know (and how much there is to learn!)

The beginning of my trip got off to a beautiful start. I had the privilege of spending the first few nights of my time here with the family of my professor. They have been wonderfully open and generous and have helped orient me to San Cristobal.

I have so far spent my days walking the city, running errands (everything takes longer here for me because I don^t yet understand how basic things function - i.e. how you get things at a bakery (it^s by taking a basket and tongs and picking out the things yourself, by the way)), and by reading about the indigenous communities in the area. My first task in the research will be doing a lot of background reading and research. First, Jorge (my professor) and I are reproducing a course of his on the indigenous ^question^ and indigenous populations in the area, which includes information on the Zapatista struggle. Very interesting. I^m planning to supplement this with visits to indigenous communities and maybe a homestay in a village, if I can swing it.

So although I am eager to get started doing something in the more active sense, I realize (after discussions and receiving the advice of Jorge) that I have to first learn about where I am and get to know the people around me. I need to take small steps, but make sure that they are intentional and that I am taking in all my experiences as I go, as he puts it, with an open heart, and open mind, and an open heart.