My apologies for combining weeks five & six into one post. I didn’t realize how tough it would be to leave a place I’d spent a relatively small amount of time. Then again, any amount of time, fostering and developing friendships and relationships is significant. My time in Antigua and Guatemala has come to an end, for now, but the friends, memories, and experiences I gained, I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Last Monday was a cool, muggy day in Antigua. To add to it, nine guests/volunteers from Matiox were away on the Acatenango Volcano hike, and there definitely was an eerie feel to the hostel. It’s usually a buzz conversations, giggles, food, movies and bean bags being tossed around. You get used to things being a certain way, until they’re not any more. It’s a bit foreshadowing for the changes that would be unfolding as the week went by. I left for Bogota this past Saturday for some quality time with my extended family. A few other long term guests and volunteers also left Antigua this past week. I’ve really come to appreciate this town’s vibe but most of all it’s people. It was definitely very sad saying goodbye to them, but I find comfort in knowing they will always remain as part of my Guatemalan experience as well as friends I can count on throughout the globe.
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As most of you know, my stream of consciousness has been flowing the last few weeks, and I appreciate y’all taking the time to read and enjoy it. This week’s post has been a bit more difficult to write than previous ones for some reason. It’s not because there haven’t been new happenings in my life or world, because there have been plenty of those. I’ll get to those soon enough. I wouldn’t say I’m in a funk, because that’s not the case. I’m not quite sure what it is, but something’s just been a bit different the last couple of days. And that’s perfectly okay! I am embracing my feelings and letting myself feel whatever it is I’m feeling. I am going to continue to honor my journey and let the universe unfold as it will.
Last Monday, I had the chance to catch up with my good friend, Kristin, on Google Hangouts, and got to share and hear so many great updates. I miss her and all of my fam back home a whole lot! One of my favorite things to do in downtime these last couple of weeks has been getting a chance to reconnect with my loved ones back home. It is certainly true that distance makes the heart grow fonder. I feel so fortunate to have my family and friends back home supporting me on this journey. Today, more than ever, I am thankful for the unconditional love and support I have from those that matter most in my life. For those of you that don’t know, today is National Coming Out Day, a day where we celebrate coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) or as an ally. Coming out can be an extremely difficult process, while at the same time an equally powerful experience. I know it was for me. Last year, around this time, was the first time I came out to my current students after working in schools for seven years. To this day, it remains one of the proudest moments in my life. Sharing my story allowed others to embrace their own stories. It helps move communities from tolerance, to acceptance, to support. I carry one the letters one of my students wrote me that day as a reminder of the power I have to impact the lives of others. Pedro here! Reporting from behind the reception desk of Matiox Hostal in Antigua, Guatemala. Things have taken a bit of a turn this past week. A turn for the best, I think. I will get to how I got here shortly, but let’s pick up where we last left off. Sheesh! Weeks really seem to be an eternity. I might have to begin doing begin doing biweekly updates. We’ll see.
So last Monday, my German friends and I decided to take it easy and explore the island of Flores. We walked around the cobblestone streets and ventured off to find a cheap shuttle to Tikal for the following day. We ended up walking for a couple hours around town and ultimately to the bus terminal, where Chiara was able to find us a private shuttle that would take us to and from Tikal for 50Q. The hostel we were staying at was charging 110Q so we were able to save a good bit of money. On our walk we stumbled upon a Yo <3 Peten sign and we snapped some photos. Peten in the province Flores and Tikal are found in. Make the most of every opportunity we have. Often times, when we're in our daily grind, we take for granted the gift of a new day. Days come and go. They can get monotonous. We never know when our last one will be until it's already gone. I'm as guilty as anyone. But these last couple of weeks have really shown me how valuable each day can be. They've been full of new experiences, new faces, and new ideas. I know it's easy for me to say, as I travel from place to place, but there are ways we can all do this in our day-to-day lives. Whether it's reconnecting with old friends, greeting a stranger on the street, reading a new book, or going down a new path on the way home There are so many ways we can break the daily monotony and find ways to give back and gain from every single day. Lives can completely transform in a day. I know I will, not look at a single day in the same way after this experience.
A week seems like such a long time when each day is a new adventure. When I last left y'all, I was on my way to San Pedro at Lake Atitlán. The lake and the surrounding towns were beautiful. We spent three nights in town at Mikaso, a hotel right on the lake. When we arrived Monday evening, we were greeted by a beautiful sunset over the lake and the surrounding volcanoes (San Pedro and Atitlán). It was a nice, tranquil place to spend a few days. We spent the first day shooting pool, reading on the deck, kayaking/swimming around the lake and relaxing in the hot tub. The views as we kayaked around the lake were pretty incredible. The lake is nestled in the highlands surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. We navigated around the shores of San Pedro for about an hour. At one point, we kayaked through an abandoned house on the water right next to our hotel. It was full of graffiti and some pretty cool street art. We made it! For a while, it seemed like the day would never come. I tried my darnedest to push back the departure for as long as I could, but it was finally time. September 13, 2016 marked the start of a trip that has been years in the making. For as long as I can remember, I've loved traveling to new places, exploring new cultures and meeting new people. I've been very fortunate to have been able to do a fair bit of traveling and exploring to date, but I knew there is so much more to learn and explore. There will always be more. One of the greatest things I've learned about traveling is that as much exploring other places and cultures teaches you more about the world we live in, I've learned equally as much if not more about myself, who I am and what my purpose is during my time on this planet. The purpose of this blog is two-fold. I want to share all of the beauty this world has to offer, while at the same time sharing any insights I gain about this trip and just as importantly, about myself. My hope is that these entries can serve as lessons, hope, and/or inspiration for you to succeed in discovering your “Personal Legend”, as Melchizedek, the king of Salem, in Coelho’s The Alchemist puts it. Thanks for the recommendation, Bree! “It's what you have always wanted to accomplish. There is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it's because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It's your mission on earth. And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.” That's why I started out this entry with “We made it!” I very often refer to my travels or my experiences in the collective “we” because I very clearly understand that I am where I am and am who I am because of everyone that has supported and encouraged me along the way. Starting with my family to my friends, teachers, students, and every individual that has had an impact of my life and brought me to where I am today. So to each and every one of you, THANK YOU! WE made it!
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AuthorColombian-born, Brooklyn educator traveling the world Archives
May 2017
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