Mi Viaje a Guate (My Trip to Guatemala)

Ahhh Guatemala.

The solo trip that started them all! It was 2013 and I had just graduated from college with a BA degree in Spanish & International Studies. My graduation gift to myself? A trip to Guatemala with a non-profit organization. I was going to have the chance to teach different classes to children in an after-school program, immerse myself in a new culture, and make a small difference in the world.

Of course, I wasn’t completely solo, as there were other interns in the program I joined. But this was my first trip ever without my family and the first trip I had ever planned completely on my own. From the program fees to the flights to the transportation, I felt so accomplished and very…grown up haha Little did I know, I was about to take the trip of a lifetime and begin what would eventually become an addiction to traveling!

Arrival

On the bus from the airport, driving through Guatemala City on our way to Sololá, I couldn’t help but notice the stark difference between the two. Guatemala City is a bumping town with fast food joints, Walmarts, and sports cars & Hummers pulling up next to us at what seemed like every red light. On the other hand, Sololá is a small, rural Mayan town with dirt roads, livestock roaming free on either side of the street, and still speaking a Mayan dialect. This quaint little town is where I’d be staying for the next 4 weeks. If there was ever an experience to appreciate all I had back home in the United States, it was this one. Not only were there scheduled times to shower and flush (yes, you read that right!), but there were also rules I’d have to adhere by that never usually came up back home, such as not drinking the tap water or not wearing revealing clothing, no exposed legs, etc. But even with all of what seemed like new challenges for me, I was open and ready to experience it all!

Teaching Experience

The first day of classes were the most exciting, simply because I had no idea what to expect. The kids were so eager to learn that they would literally run to our after-school programs to make sure they arrived on time, even after having already spent most of their day in their regular classes. We taught English, arts & crafts, physical education, nutrition, and computer classes. Out of all the classes we taught, English was by far my favorite. The kids took it very seriously (while still having fun, of course!) We played English songs for them to finish the lyrics, split them into teams to compete in games, and even had them turn the tables and teach us some Mayan vocabulary! During our time at Cooperativa, the school where we taught, we got to meet some of the teachers and older students, as they prepared to cut the ribbon on the newest addition to their building. Aptly nicknamed the “Bottle School,” a lot of the materials used were from recycled plastics, CDs, etc. Kids from different grade levels put on performances and there was more than enough food to go around. The tamalitos were *chef’s kiss* perfection.

A few more things of note:

• Fried chicken is wildly popular in Sololá. There is a fried chicken restaurant on almost every corner, sometimes two competing stores right across from each other haha
• Korean musician Psy’s “Gangnam Style” was the most played song that year. It was everywhere. We couldn’t escape it.
• All of us interns got sick during our 4 week stay. Thankfully at different times. Imagine 12 people fighting for dibs on the only 2.5 bathrooms in the house. That said: DO NOT DRINK THE WATER! I learned this lesson the hard way so you don’t have to. Don’t let my sacrifice go in vain lol
• Heavy rain will flood the streets. They will turn into rivers right before your eyes. Invest in a good pair of rain boots and if you have small family or friends with you, hold on to them. They could very well be carried away. I wish I was joking haha (Hmm, I wonder what Esther is up to?)
• We participated in a traditional Mayan ceremony (see above), where chocolate and sugar were burned as a sacrifice to the gods to promote inspiration and human connection. In other instances, it can be performed in marriage ceremonies to promote fertility, at births, baptisms, and funerals.