It wasn't until that Saturday at 4 when I called Dr. Cook to tell him I was not going, did reality sink in. My Grabby was going to die. It hurt so bad I couldn't breathe.
In May of 2011 I went to field school in Momostenango, Guatemala for three weeks. This was the hardest trip I have ever been on, not because of culture shock, but because I left the day of my Grabby's funeral. I called Dr. Cook to tell him I was not going a few hours before she died and he allowed me to fly down and meet them there the next week. My grandmother was my best friend and her death hit me hard. It would be impossible for me to share the fun and excitement of doing field research without mentioning the hardships that go along with it, which in my case began even before I left. My flight was the morning after the funeral but I had to leave that evening and drive to Houston. Thankfully my mom's college roommates bought all of the things I needed for my trip because I hadn't bought anything. When I finally got to Houston around midnight and into the hotel, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance because my blood pressure was high and blood was rushing out of my nose while I threw up blood at the same time (I know! TMI. But that's what stress does for you.) So I spent the night in the E.R. and took a restless nap and boarded the plane. Surprisingly this was my first time flying alone, despite having traveled so much. I was picked up by Eduardo, our Guatemalan contact who stayed with us, and two other anthropology students. We stopped at Pollo Campero which immediately became my favorite place to eat there. I was trying to get my mind together and not focus on the funeral. I didn't want the stress to get to me again because I didn't want to end up at a emergency room in Guatemala. We were staying in Momostenango which was a two hour drive up the mountain from Guatemala City where my plane flew in. When I arrived at our house, which was above a shoe store, I set up my bed and got to know my research partner Kristina who showed me around the town. We decided to focus on traditional Guatemalan dishes and how they are becoming more modern. Over the next couple of weeks we interviewed women and they taught us how to prepare different dishes. With our research we made a video cookbook, which included a video and recipe for each dish. Later, I wrote a paper "The Growing Impact of Globalization on Guatemalan Health: How Processed Foods are Replacing Traditional Meals," where I identified and examined the nutritional value of the Mayan diet.
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