Getting off the Plane by Lucy

As soon as we stepped off the airplane, we were greeeted with an incredible amount of heat, and I could tell we were not in United States anymore. As we exited the airport, I saw a sea of people dressed in bright colors and traditional clothing. We passed through the sea of people to make our way to our bus, which seemed familiar - like a school bus from America - but when we got inside, music videos were being projected from a TV at the front of the bus. We started to drive - leaving Guatemala City to go to Antigua. I sat, staring out the window at the colorful houses, the mountains in the background, and the billboard signs. What surprised me the most, were the American billboard signs - we saw McDonald´s, Papa Johns, and more - it was like a little reminder of home. We finally arrived in Antigua, and the bus pulled over by the old church. From there we were driven to homestay families, and I looked out the window documenting the differences between Boston, Massachusetts and Antigua. The houses were all one story and bright colors, and from every place you could see beautiful mountains and volcanoes in the background. As we finally pulled up to our homestay house, my stomach was filled with butterflies because Junior Journey finally felt real, and I knew I was about to start a new journery in my life.

Coco by Georgia Beckmann

(This was written last Sunday) 

I walk, smiling, with five quetzales in my hand and a friend beside me. When we reached the ice cream shop near the Sevilla school, I ordered a "coco", a coconut popsicle. Normally, I hate coconut, but this helado, like nearly everything else here, has been unexpectedly, extraordinarily amazing.

The night before we left, I didn't sleep, not for excitement, but because I was paralyzed with nerves. Guatemala was going to be a lot of firsts for me; my first time leaving the country, my first time being away from my family for so long. I had no idea what to expect, just like when I first tried a coco, and I was terrified. However, within about 3 days here I felt at ease and at home. 

One of the major things that helped me to become accustomed to being here  was teaching, which went by way too quickly. Due to scheduling, our last class will be on Monday, and when I told one of our students this, her face fell with shock and I realized just how much I would miss our class. I will miss each day, being greeted with  bright faces, eager to learn about the simplest of things, like the alphabet and how to count, to more complex things like how to say nieto and medusa in English. I will miss how each day during recess, we would play "gatito and ratita" and get tackled with hugs. I will miss Flor, Mildred, Humberto, Andy, and all the other students whose excitement and passion helped me to find some of my own. They helped me to discover my openness to try new things, like the blue jello they sell at the school, the new foods our homestay mom makes, and climbing up a waterfall. They helped me to realize that sometimes you need to put yourself out there. Even though you know there is some risk, like when they try to pronounce new vocabulary, or when I conjugate in new tenses with my teacher, or when my friends and I jumped off the balcony into the lake, you have to give it your all. 

To conclude, I wouldn't say that I feel like a different person here, just a person who likes things I never liked or knew I liked before- like coconut popsicles. And although I can feel this popsicle melting away, with only 8 days left, I am saddened that it will soon be gone, but forever grateful to have gotten to have it. 

Lake by Sam Goldstein-McGowan

As we get off the bus at a small market we were all truly amazed by the sight we saw.  A beautiful lake with clouds above it were on the horizon.  The sun was rising and and everyone ran out to take pictures.  I didn´t expect the view to be so beautiful.  After we all took some photos we were back on the bus and the next thing I knew were walking towards the lake.  As we get onto the boat, the view was just as beautiful as I imagined it would be from afar.  The deep blue water and a slight breeze.  While on the boat, the people who didn´t know how to swim were all talking about how they weren´t going to swim, not even try.  Next thing you know people are diving off the side of a ledge and the people who said they would refuse to swim were in the water like everyone else.  I helped some people with how to keep themselves afloat, and for a bit we were all just there in the water helping each other and laughing and having fun.  Many people conquered their fears, but I guess that´s what Guatemala has done to us.  We expect something to come out a certain way but it actually turned out completeñy different.  If you told me that I would feel comfortable talking to kids only in Spanish and try to teach them English, I´d think you were crazy, but just like the lake, it turned out very differently then how anyone expected it to go.  And I think I like the way it turned out.

Medical Kits by Adnil Gutara

As I finished my last bite of dinner with my homestay family, I decided to ask my homestay mom about how visits to the hospital worked in Guatemala. My roommate had just gotten sick and had gone to see a doctor to get it checked out. Although I was expecting some of the differences she mentioned, her answer took me by surprise. She explained how she had needed spinal surgery one time and had to wait a month to be treated. She told me how she had to stay in the hospital for that entire month because if she decided to go home she would lose her bed and place in line. She told me about the bed she slept in and how it had a hole in the middle but she couldn't leave it because that would mean she couldn´t get the surgery she needed. I then asked if they would make people who needed urgent care wait too, and she replied that not only would they have to wait, but if they couldn´t afford to pay the bill they wouldn´t be treated. They would be left to die. She then went on to explain how when you walk into a hospital in Guatemala, you are walking into a business. Everything you need is sold. If you are in need for surgery, you would need to purchase the materials that would be used during your surgery. I then realized that for many impoverished families, purchasing expensive medical kits for surgery wasn´t a possibility . In the future I would love to come back and do my part in fixing this issue.

Experiencing a new Medjie by Medjie

Today we went somewhere called Hermano Pedro, where we were informed about doing community service. For the community service project we were supposed to be planting trees so I assumed that we would go to a park or school and plant trees there. Boy was I wrong! I found myself and my fellow Junior Journey friends in a the FOREST! I was fine at first but a little out of my comfort zone while hiking up this mountain but the thing is I have hiked up a mountain before in the states but this time I felt something was different. We each carried 3 trees up to where we were planting them which happened to be under a waterfall. We planted for about hour and I was complaining about wanting to go home then, they announced that we would be hiking up the waterfall. When I tell you I, Medjie Philippe left my body that is facts. I was scared at first then something over came me. I did not care about getting dirty, wet, and I was not scared anymore. I was excited. I went from the back of the group to the front climbing rock by rock and almost falling SO MANY times but I felt adventurous. I felt good being able to say I successfully hiked up there. I literally saw myself through a whole lens. I saw a fun adventurous Medjie who was confident and ready to take risks. After that situation I have come to the conclusion that the Medjie I saw today is the Medjie I want to see in the world everyday of my life.

Smiling Faces by Lyndbergh

On my bus ride to San Pedro I had a bunch of emotions. I don't know what they were, but I knew it was far from normal. I remember the intense heat from the Guatemalan sun, the smell of gasoline and the piercing eyes of the street vendors. But I also remember walking in to San Pedro, all of those things disappearing. I remember seeing these kids, all with smiles ear to ear, but at the same time different with all their unique qualities. When I was seated and waiting for the welcome ceremony to begin all the kids were overflowing with joy. I expected them to be happy and somewhat shy, but these kids welcomed us in to their community without showing any kind of shyness. Then their national anthem started playing and all at out once they all started singing. The genuine happiness is nothing like what I would see back in an America. The excitement that I saw in those kids will forever change my perspective on education and how I approach school. They were grateful to be in school and were ready to be taught by us. This will forever make me grateful for what I have and be aware that others around me aren't as fortunate.

United States vs. Guatemala: Native to Alien - Vernesha Bruceus

                                                                                  Journal Entries
June 7, 2016
10:00 a.m. here, 12 p.m. back home. I´ve seen, heard, smelled, and experienced many thngs. Eight days in, and I feel like I´ve been here for a month. As I sit here at this school in San Pedro, I think especially about the things I´ve seen. Students, Guatemalan culture, coffee museum, house at San Antonio, streets, boat ride, lake, Monoloco and more.

Students:
I eventually ended up meeting my students two days after our arrival, Van (my teaching partner) and I met all 34 of them. The first day I was VERY nervous. Thinking about the 34 eyes, ears, bodies, and mouths that would be facing me, and were ready to rely on Van and I for their learning and understanding of a new language. I was expected to teach a language I knew in a language in which I was at a mediocre level of speaking. When I walked in, my nerves were at ease when Van and I heard voices simultaneously say "Buenos Dias Seño como esta pase adelante," translation: "Good morning Sir/Ma´am how are you? Come on in." Somehow they didn't even need an introduction from us. But as we tried we were still strugglig to understand the students, as they struggled to understand us. Standing in front of the 34 4-foot bodies, I managed to mix my Spanish with English and especially Haitian Creole, mixing my "tus" with "ous"and "hacers" with "fe." This is a challenge I have continued to face, but my students, and my four-hour Spanish lessons have taken me through every step of the way, to make it more of a learning experience and less of a struggling experience.

Guatemalan culture:
Coffee museum, Azotea, Atitlan Lake, San Antonio, and simply walking in the streets. For continous days during my journey, I´ve witnessed many women ride motorcycles as my peers said. They would ride them like a professional biker that I am used to seeing at home, who are usually men. They´d even ride men around on their motorcyles! When going to San Antonio, I came to realize that gender roles are less prominent here in Guatemala. I learned that men plan weddings, and women bring gifts to their significant other's family. The few gender roles that define this culture, are the manufacturing of the beautiful tapestries, clothing, and traditional Mayan household where they served the traditional Pepian. When I went there, I got to embrace the Guatemalan culture in many different ways, one of which was by buying my 100 quetzales white and purple poncho.

Guatemala:
A place that is more beautiful than advertised. Where everywhere you go, someone waves and says "¡Buenos Dias!" A place where like America, there are Burger Kings, Dunkin Donuts, Wendy's, KFCs, and more "American like" stores that lay on the sides of the streets made of stones. Where the people know more of Guatemala's beauty than their foreigners assume before going there. Besides beauty, countries do have their flaws, but Guatemala is a beautiful place that is more than just its beauty and poverty, one would understand if they experienced it for themselves.

This is Real by Rochellyne

Journal Entry 4
06-11-16

"Today was something else. It all started at the bus stop waiting for the bus to arrive. We're all standing there bright eyed, bushy tailed and optimistic high school Juniors transforming in to Seniors. After filling the back of the bus with the little tree saplings, we went on our way. With every twist and turn of the bus, my music seemed to make me more and more anxious. "Where are we going?" "How long is this bus ride going to be?" "What is the purpose?" All these questions start fluttering around my head like the butterflies in my stomach. Not butterflies cause I was scared or nervous but butterflies because I was finally going somewhere that felt like home. We are on our way to a place that will engulf us with trees, that when we are compared to them, we are the ants and they are the people. Before I know it, I was handed 3 trees and told to wait over by the rest.Uphill, downhill and ledges. Every step we took, brought us closer to our destination which, at this point wasn't verified yet. After planting my trees, I felt accomplished and safe. Just looking around at my surroundings made me happy. I took a deep breath and felt so free."

I was leaping from rock to rock and it felt real for once. This is when it finally hit me that I was in Guatemala. Boston isn't a place where you can find yourself climbing up waterfalls and connecting with people through these experiences. Even getting off the plane wasn't enough for me. I had been living here for about a week and a half and still just believed if I had walked down the street, I would be back in Medford, Massachusetts. And now I feel as if I am truly in a new place, outside of my comfort zone and ready to make a difference.