Hospitality

I had surgery last week, which was not fun. But my mom visited and I got to spend time at a nice hotel in Antigua and at my friend’s house in Guatemala City, which was fun. Under the circumstances, it was a pretty good week.


The surgery went well, and the hospital was sterile without being as white-washed and soulless as in the US. My room overlooked a garden, and it featured a flatscreen TV that was bigger than the TV in our Antigua hotel. I felt well cared-for and comfortable.

It helped that the surgeon was a friend of the Boehm family, my friends in the capital whose daughter Kristine I met in college. My friend’s mother, María Luisa, knew the surgeon because he was her brother’s best friend in high school, and as the surgeon reminded her, “You were my date to the graduation dance!” Their friendliness made me feel comfortable up to a point, but it was strange to hear my medical diagnosis sandwiched between the doctor’s remarks: “María Luisa, your sister was such a knockout!” and to my own mother a flirtatious “Kate is not your daughter, she is your sister!”

After the surgery, my mom and I took it easy for a few days in Antigua. I slept or stayed in bed for most of it, but it was a nice hotel with a nice bed. Sachiko and Rebecca visited me!






I also spent a few days recuperating at the Boehm family home in Guatemala City. I cannot express their generosity and hospitality during my recovery. They accompanied my mom during my surgery, drove us around, and made us feel at home and at ease. They are wonderful!





Now I am at site, welcomed back by my host family and Sachiko. It is a testament to how well the surgery went, and how well I was taken care of by my mom and the Boehms that I feel like I’m coming home from a grand vacation. Although, next time I go on vacation, please don’t cut me open.