So I've just completed my 6 weeks in Guatemala. Leaving Panajachel was a lot harder than I thought it would be. It was a struggle for so long and then suddenly, it wasn't. It is strange how you walk the streets of a city for so long and it goes from totally foreign and unfamiliar and before you know it, it all becomes so natural and then eventually, you must walk away. Of course now, as I was beginning to feel at home and truly connected with people, I had to leave. My timing has never been ideal. Thinking existentially about the grand scheme of life and all of that, I truly hope I can see these people again and with better timing. I feel like life always gets in the way though. It always happens like that. Service trips and camps and things like that - they unite a group and you always think you're gonna stay BFFs forever and even if you are on the same campus, priorities change and things fall apart. It's quite tragic. So even though I must leave just as things are getting good, I can only hope I really can stay in touch with these incredible people and break the cycle of busyness that can stop relationships. Unfortunately that seems an unrealistic goal in today's society but I'm sure as hell going to try. But regardless, all good things must come to an end. Such is life. And my time in Guatemala with these people was not at all wasted. My time there might be over, but its impact on me is not. I definitely plan on returning to Guatemala in the future- nothing official yet though.
So in my last week, I got a lot of video work done, visited a cool art gallery, hung out with new friends, and went swimming in the lake! FYI: the videos are not done and won't be for several more weeks. Stay tuned for updates. After I left Pana, I went to Antigua, a city in Guatemala about 2 and a half hours away. I'd say it was an uneventful ride, but I vomited twice out the van window on the way- don't ask me why, it just happened. Also fun fact: I've now puked in 4 countries: America, Austria, Gambia, and Guatemala. But yeah, after that, I got to my hostel and then just wandered around the city. It is gorgeous, with its multicolored store fronts, beautifully maintaining the historic integrity of this Spanish colonial era. The atmosphere is so much different than in Panajachel, but it was still really cool to explore. There were tons of old churches and ruins of old churches from prior earthquakes, and again, the volcanoes provided an incredible backdrop. I returned to my hostel in the evening, where I was eventually dragged back out into town to go dancing. I'm so glad I went. It was an awesome way to end my time in Guatemala, struggling to learn to salsa and then just dancing normally alongside other Guatemalans to their upbeat pop Spanish music.
So while this experience was hard, it pushed my out of my comfort zone and forced me to acknowledge what I can emotionally handle. I somehow thrived in a foreign country, despite language barriers and lack of initial friends. I guess, "Thrived" is relative and sure, certain factors, if changed, would've made things a lot easier, but I managed well with the cards I was dealt. I found it really tough to travel somewhere new on my own, but oddly enough, it was even harder to leave on my own. And now, being back in the US, it is very strange. Some habits, both good and bad, came back to me too quickly. And some, like throwing toilet paper away in a trash can, were still ingrained in me due to Guatemalan plumbing. Old habits die hard I suppose. But the Land of the Eternal Spring made a significant impact on me, in multiple areas of my life, and I look forward to seeing how it has transformed me as a person and will better me for future jobs, travels, relationships, etc. Thank you to everyone who helped me get to Guatemala, supported me while I was there, and has listened to me spew random thoughts on the internet for the past 6 weeks. I could not have done this without you. I captured the Eternal Spring on camera with beautiful scenery and amazing people to make it easy. What I did not expect was that the Land of the Eternal Spring would capture me too. Not on camera Until next time.
So in my last week, I got a lot of video work done, visited a cool art gallery, hung out with new friends, and went swimming in the lake! FYI: the videos are not done and won't be for several more weeks. Stay tuned for updates. After I left Pana, I went to Antigua, a city in Guatemala about 2 and a half hours away. I'd say it was an uneventful ride, but I vomited twice out the van window on the way- don't ask me why, it just happened. Also fun fact: I've now puked in 4 countries: America, Austria, Gambia, and Guatemala. But yeah, after that, I got to my hostel and then just wandered around the city. It is gorgeous, with its multicolored store fronts, beautifully maintaining the historic integrity of this Spanish colonial era. The atmosphere is so much different than in Panajachel, but it was still really cool to explore. There were tons of old churches and ruins of old churches from prior earthquakes, and again, the volcanoes provided an incredible backdrop. I returned to my hostel in the evening, where I was eventually dragged back out into town to go dancing. I'm so glad I went. It was an awesome way to end my time in Guatemala, struggling to learn to salsa and then just dancing normally alongside other Guatemalans to their upbeat pop Spanish music.
So while this experience was hard, it pushed my out of my comfort zone and forced me to acknowledge what I can emotionally handle. I somehow thrived in a foreign country, despite language barriers and lack of initial friends. I guess, "Thrived" is relative and sure, certain factors, if changed, would've made things a lot easier, but I managed well with the cards I was dealt. I found it really tough to travel somewhere new on my own, but oddly enough, it was even harder to leave on my own. And now, being back in the US, it is very strange. Some habits, both good and bad, came back to me too quickly. And some, like throwing toilet paper away in a trash can, were still ingrained in me due to Guatemalan plumbing. Old habits die hard I suppose. But the Land of the Eternal Spring made a significant impact on me, in multiple areas of my life, and I look forward to seeing how it has transformed me as a person and will better me for future jobs, travels, relationships, etc. Thank you to everyone who helped me get to Guatemala, supported me while I was there, and has listened to me spew random thoughts on the internet for the past 6 weeks. I could not have done this without you. I captured the Eternal Spring on camera with beautiful scenery and amazing people to make it easy. What I did not expect was that the Land of the Eternal Spring would capture me too. Not on camera Until next time.