guatemala
as I sit in a local cafe drinking a chai tea with homemade macadamian milk (I can assure you this doesn’t happen every day haha), I figured I would sit to write a bit about the past month of living and travelling in guatemala. to say I’ve completely fallen in love with this country is an understatement. the mayan and spanish culture, the locals and their incredibly warm hearts, mouth watering food and endless tropical fruits (yes, I’m in heaven), the beautiful countryside and many volcanos to hike, the bright coloured buildings, textiles, and traditional clothes, sunshine and warm weather… I could go on for a while. as always, I really try to focus on gratitude for all these experiences. all of the people, the places, the encounters, thoughts and moments that have brought me to this point in my life. what a gift are the lives we live.
coming straight to guatemala in early november, my intent was to dive deep into spanish lessons and go to school full time. I moved to the city of quezaltenango (also referred to as xela), where I began my lessons. I chose to move into a city where I knew there wouldn’t be a lot of tourists, thus being forced to speak more spanish. most of the foreigners you would see in xela were also their with the intent of studying spanish, which created a great network of for meeting like-minded travellers.
when I arrived in xela I chose a homestay with my school, where I moved in with the loveliest family and a few other students from across the globe. rosa became our little guatemalan mama which truly created a deeper sense of immersion into the spanish and guatemalan culture. living with rosa made the entire experience of xela so much richer. her beautiful smile and laugh were incredibly infectious, our meals shared together were so delicious (heck yes to vegan guate food - frijoles, plantano, aguacate, and tortilla galore), and she was just simply hilarious - that is when I could understand all she was saying. I really feel so fortunate to have had such a wonderful home base.
during my time in xela, I fell into a great little groove. for three weeks I studied for five hours in the morning with gilma and spent my afternoons frequenting the markets, studying and hanging out with the other students from school, going for runs and to the local yoga studio, and drinking a ridiculous amount of hot cacao and coffee. but being in the big city, it also became apparent that I needed to get out into nature during my days off. I was so grateful to connect with Biru, who was also staying with Rosa, and who quickly become the perfect adventure partner. since I arrived last month, we have summited a new volcano every single weekend. it was also amazing to connect with other travellers and students from countries such as england, finland, japan, germany, america, the netherlands, and so on. it definitely made my decision to leave the city earlier than I planned more difficult. I truly cherish the community we created during our time together in xela.
with that said, after three weeks of intensive spanish school, I knew I wanted to explore different places within guatemala. I wanted to continue with my spanish lessons for a month like I planned, but also wanted to move around a bit. desiring more nature, warmer weather, and to get out of the city, I jumped onto the next chicken bus (think of a pimped out old school bus) and made my way to san marcos on lake atitlan where I currently reside.
san marcos is known for being the ‘hippie hub’ of guatemala boasting endless cacao ceremonies, reiki classes, ecstatic dances, healing workshops, yoga and more. at first it felt a bit overwhelming, but similar to my time in xela, I found a flow that feels really good. finishing off another week of classes at a new school, cooking delicious and nourishing meals, connecting with truly beautiful humans, enjoying lots of time on the trails and in nature, swimming in the lake, finding hidden waterfalls, and feeling such a sense of peace and gratitude.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE past MONTH
hiking central america’s high peak- Volcán Tajumulco (4220M)
the entire weekend, from the moment we left xela to returning the following night was a crazy adventure. taking multiple jam packed chicken busses to the dirtiest roadside hotel you can imagine (think poop stained toilet paper overflowing out of the trash bin, itchy and stained bed sheets, a shower with open electrical wiring and garbage lining the floors). topped off with laughing our asses off as we fell asleep from the hilarity of the entire experience and you have yourself the best night. waking bright and early the next day and summiting the peak mid morning to enjoy the 360° views and traversing along the volcano crater before the clouds rolled in. feasting on frijoles, plantains and tortillas post hike and ending the day with greatest hitch-hiking adventure in the bed of a pick up truck along windy country roads to the city. and all with an unreal crew. thanks biru, miles, and silas for the rad weekend and for sharing such a wonderful experience.
challenging myself & studying spanish
this has been a process of highs and lows, but over the course of this month, I am really so happy I’ve continually shown up and been committed. at times I have felt so mentally taxed from everything. learning a new language and starting from square one is no joke. the mental capacity to continually be applying myself, working hard to pick up and listen for familiar words and phrases, endless memorization, and staying on task takes its toll. but that said, I am so glad I’m putting in the work now and have already learnt so much. I now can talk to locals, have simple conversations, read much more and feel a greater sense of confidence while travelling. also, I think it has been great to be in the headspace of a ‘beginner’ again and work towards new goals. as difficult as it has felt at times, I’m so glad to be following through and working towards a new goal of mine.
MY FIRST ECSTATIC DANCE IN SAN MARCOS
coming to lake atitlan and checking into my room, I was invited by the other ladies staying at the hostel to head to a yoga retreat centre high on the hill for a sunset dance. having just arrived on a long chicken bus ride, I quickly changed, grabbed a bite to eat, and began my time in san marcos in the best way possible. starting with a cacao ceremony and spending the next four hours dancing completely unashamed, among some crazy, creative, and loving humans, with the incredible music, and high on the hill overlooking lake atitlan made for a night I will never forget.
eating all of the tropical fruits
I’ve said it many times before and I will continue to do so indefinitely. seriously. one of my greatest and simplest joys in life. eating local, fresh, delicious produce right from the land gives me life and a true sense of deep connection to mama earth, my health and really just an insane sense of overall wellbeing.
exploring all the markets & produce vendors
this can certainly fall under the same category of ‘eating all of the tropical fruits’ but another highlight and simple pleasure is roaming the markets. I get so much joy from trying new and exciting local produce, chatting to the locals, see the bright colours, and being in the mix of the hectic-ness in the day to day interactions around me. simply roaming and being witness to how the locals converse, trade, and live each day is such a joy for me to see.
CONNECTING WITH BEAUTIFUL HUMANS
this past week I’ve cried a few times. happy tears. this month has been a whirlwind of new experiences and it can be easy to get caught up in everything. but I truly feel so much gratitude to the other travellers, locals, my homestay family, spanish teachers gilma and neyda, and the little communities I’ve become apart of while travelling. I can be very independent, love travelling solo, and doing my own thing, but I can’t deny how amazing deep human connection feels. and in the last month, having dove into some incredibly insightful, meaningful, and heart opening conversations, I can’t express how impactful these connections have been. they have definitely been one of the best parts of my journey so far.
it’s definitely been a wild journey so far. with its fair share of highs and lows, hilarious moments, new friendships, beautiful places, uncomfortable moments (hello long chicken bus rides), too many papayas eaten to count, and sunshining days… I am beyond grateful.
so thanks for following along.
sending my love, always.
xox.