Experience of a Lifetime By: Kayla Pacheco

2 weeks have gone by and 1 left to go. So far I have had an amazing experience in Guatemala. From arriving the first day to my home stay to climbing a waterfall with the group. I have felt every minute that has happened in Antigua. Time has gone by so fast but yet so slow. Here time is consumed with teaching young kids English through lesson plans made by you and learning Spanish with a tutor. Being in Guatemala has made me realize the difference between the United States and other countries. Guatemala is completely on the opposite end of the pole making me realize how lucky I am to be living where I am. Differences are so much clearer and more apparent. People on the street move out of the way and say hello. People are generally curious about where you come from and why you are here but in Boston, no one cares. Everyone is so preoccupied with themesleves or their cell phones, they never look back to realize that they have a whole lot more than people in other countries.

Being here for the first week made me question why I came here but experiencing this trip with this particular group of people has made me not regret any second of this trip. Although I have missed my family and friends back home, I have had an amazing group of people to be my support system while I am here. The bonds that I have created with different people over a timeline of 2 weeks are bonds that I probably never would have had if I did not sign up for this trip or in the classroom back at PHA. I honestly recommend for anyone who is open to having a great experience to sign up for this trip because it will be an experience that you will definitely be grateful for and you will become a different person when you get back to the United States.