New Experiences

In my opinion being in Guatemala is all about having new experiences. No matter who you are, what language you speak or what you’ve done being in Guatemala is all about having new experiences. Lot of people may say “This is nothing special”. People may say that I’ve traveled to other countries before, even without your parents. But have you traveled to another country with out your parents with 30 of your peers to teach English and have one on one Spanish lesson? For me this trip has been jam packed with new experiences. Whether it was participating in a Mayan Ceremony or “climbing” el Volcan de Pacaya (I personally paid for a horseback ride up to the top). Everyday it was something new. For a select few these new experiences would be huge like traveling outside the United States for the first time but for others the experiences that they will truly remember are the ones that you can’t snap a picture of. The experiences of being independent, of taking risks and accepting challenges. Getting to know people on a more person level and simply being immersed in a new culture. Getting to see the way other people lived was one of the experiences that I will take home with me. The day after our first English class at San Pedro, I came home and literally cried to my roommates because I was devastated with the way that some of the children had to live. I told a teacher the way I was feeling and she gave me some wise words of advice. She told me to just try to make this a fun three weeks and that is what I am trying to continue to do as our journey comes to a close.