Week One Verdict: Different in a Good Way

Rule number one of travel: Keep an open mind.

For this trip, all of us had been told a little of what to expect - for example, that there would be a lot of rain. What we did not expect was to get caught in a torrential downpour on Day 2 and then be subsequently soaked on our way home. But let me start at the beginning - there's a lot of story between the airport and the storm.

The first moment when I realized that this trip would be different from every other journey I had taken before was in the ten or so minutes before we landed in Guatemala City. For once, I had a window seat, and when I could finally see land beyond the cloudscape, it was astonishing. The land was mountainous, completely different from metropolitan Boston, and in between the mountains were pockets where you could see civilization. That view helped me understand how the geography worked as we traveled between towns in the week that we've been here.

The second moment was when we landed. The instant we stepped off the plane, the humidity was a slap in the face - I had to pause to catch my breath multiple times. Then, as you walked further away from the plane, you saw more and more differences; for example, how the police openly carried firearms. I'm happy to say that Antigua is vastly different from the polluted city of Guatemala City. Dogs wander the streets and it's a normal part of life, the houses all have beautiful gardens, and life here is quiet. For one, I could fall asleep to the sound of wildlife and not traffic.

Now, back to the rain: during our Spanish lessons, we had run out to change our money and call our parents. All of us were completely unprepared for the hours of pouring rain that surprised us on our way back. From then on, I resolved to always have an umbrella on me (Ironically, I left mine at home by accident as I'm writing this at the Sevilla school).

The last moment was on Friday. We started lessons at the San Pedro school where we teach English. That was when my teaching partner and I both realized how little the students there had and how happy they still were. In comparison, students in the US have so much, and still want more. So much of what we have is taken for granted.

Anyways, that was only lesson one. We still have two weeks left, so I guess we'll see what happens with the kids. Until then, see you later, US of A :)