Yesterday was my first day of school. Not for Olivia and Mateo. For me. Decades after graduating with a BA in English, I fulfilled a long-time dream to return for an MFA in Creative Writing. A low-residency program is the only way my family can handle it–10 days twice a year and the rest online—in California, at Antioch LA.

Education is such a privilege! I think a lot about education in Guatemala–especially in the rural areas, how few people have access to school, or if they do, how young they are when they drop out because they have to work, or their families can’t afford books, or they see no point in continuing because where’s the opportunity after? Stopping after third or sixth grade is common.