It's time

Honestly, it’s hard to believe that as I’m writing this, lounging here in a big bus (treat from Iteam), I’m completing four weeks in Guatemala. I had no idea I would be able to do this trip. My brain was full of fears. What if I don’t get along with anyone? What if I get super sick? What if I get lost?

But special moments tell me otherwise, and yes, I won’t lie. Sometimes, it’s hard. Social dynamics can be a tricky, slippery thing. But what I do know is that eating baked goods with friends in a cute café on an island, seeing a sunrise over Lake Atitlán, and chatting late into the night can’t be replicated again in the same way at all.

I hate the words. I’ll never see you again. But truth rings when we utter them because California and Texas are a long way from Vermont. I just remind myself how powerful the combination of photos and memories can be.

Photos of a dinner shared on the edge of an island watching a sunset, and the view at the end of a full-day trek. Memories of laughter and tears within hours of each other because trips like these are like a roller-coaster. The kind you both long to leave and wish could keep going forever.

But I’ll hold onto this trip in the map of Xela, the mini crochet blanket I made with a friend’s tools, the scarf I made during ISP lessons in San Juan, the Spanish class notes focused on conversations to try with my first homestay family and then my second. I’ll hold onto this wild adventure in a special place in my heart for years and years after this.

In Pachaj, I learned how to trust my Spanish skills and played for hours at my homestay. On the trek, I pushed myself more than I ever thought I would and grew as well. During mid-course, I improved my relationship with the other students and came to have a better understanding of myself through check-ins. In San Juan, I learned how to weave with Mayan women, and I built friendships with my homestay family. In Nuevo Horizonte, I improved my Spanish again and learned about the history of Guatemala. During x-phase, I grew as a person, and so did the group right alongside me. Lastly, transference was a time for me to reflect. Even though I was sick and could hardly sleep, I knew it was time to say goodbye.

Guatemala: Spanish Language Intensive (4-Week)