Day 1, Jan. 15: Bienvenidos a Guatemala

Before we start, apologies before the delay in posting these - we ended up having little to no Wifi during the trip!

Most of us were able to spend the night prior to departure together in College Park, which was good because we had to be ready for the airport shuttle by 3:45 AM. We departed DC for Atlanta at 6 AM, arrived around 7:45 AM, ate breakfast during our layover before leaving again for Guatemala City at 10 AM, and arriving at our destination around 12:45 PM their time (we're an hour behind). Needless to say, it was a long morning!

We were greeted at the airport by one of our community partners, Irene from Operador Latino, before we packed up our luggage on the shuttle that we'll be using during our stay and headed to Casa Chapina in the city for a yummy lunch: chicken, rice, black beans, and tortillas. Afterwards we visited an archeological museum which contained a beautiful fountain and lots of interesting artifacts from the Mayans. Almost everyone took advantage of the 1.5 hour travel time to Antigua, our home for the first couple of days as well as the last day of the trip, to sleep.


We exchanged our dollars for quetzals, the local currency, at a bank in Antigua once we arrived. Around 6 PM Guatemala time, we found ourselves at Donde Monica! The hostel has its own enclosed yard and it already feels like home. We're split into 5 different rooms, all unique but with plenty of space. We ate dinner together soon after: horchata, spaghetti with meat/mushroom sauce, and ice cream for dessert!


Our first reflection consisted of discussing something positive that happened today and something that surprised us. Some were happy that the flight went well; others were happy to finally be abroad and in the midst of a new culture. The surprises consisted of the terrain, the armed military personnel in parts of the city, and how modern the city is. We then watched a TED talk (Steve Jobs' commencement speech at Stanford) to inspire us to live life to the fullest and also to enjoy this opportunity to serve the community! 


The group seems to be getting along really well and some are still talking late in the evening. All in all, it was a great first day and we can't wait for what else this experience has in store for us.

No Podemos Esperar Más

Hola Amigos!

Just 7 more days guys!!! Surprisingly, the first semester of my college year went extremely fast and even though the stress of final exams was slow to wane, I can call myself a survivor. Now, all I can think of is our trip to Guatemala! I can’t wait to meet new people at our trip and immerse myself into a unique culture. I am wondering what kind of foods they eat there and what kinds of past times kids and adults have. I want to lavish in the 70 degrees weather in the middle of January when most of my friends will be cuddled up in blankets. I’m also hoping to make use of my unpolished Spanish skills here and there. Maybe force myself to make a real conversation with someone entirely in Spanish and see what my five years of Spanish class rendered me.

But most of all, I want this experience to be of two fold results. One in which our efforts are largely devoted to the Community Development Project and second, more internalized, result is of self-discovery. I hope I can extract a message out of all the things we will do to bring back home and share it with friends and family. Like a carbon-copy experience where everything is ingrained in my mind for me to take wherever I go next. From the people I meet, the places I go, to the things I do. Maybe its like living a lifetime in ten days. But that’s not too much to ask for.  

Paraíso Escondido

The reality of this trip is truly starting to set in. With less than two weeks until departure, I can't stop thinking about everything I have left to do before we leave. With logistics of packing and vaccinations aside, I've been trying to practice speaking Spanish, a fleeting skill that I haven't studied since high school. But excitement trumps my restless feelings. I'm looking forward to experiencing a new culture, meeting new people who lead a life so different from my own, and learning how all of this is made possible for so many through coffee farms and tea gardens. I also hope that we can help their community in a small way as we work at our community partner's preschool.
Shoveling snow this morning made me even more anxious to spend ten days in the tropical climate of Guatemala. I can't wait to explore all of the beauty that the country has to offer from its dense forests, vast farmland, tropical birds, and dormant volcano Atitlán!

We're Almost There!

Hi everyone! For those of you reading this who don't know me, I'm Sarahann, and I'll be one of the trip participants for the AWB Guatemala trip. I'm really excited for the trip to begin (18 days and counting) and to get to know the group better.

Over the last few months, I've enjoyed participating in various pre-trip activities, and my favorite was definitely the pre-service trip to Eco City Farms. Before the trip, I always thought organic and sustainable farming as a unattainable, almost whimsical term that environmentalists threw around. I had no idea that small, organic farming was going on right in my backyard (literally)! At the farm, I turned a pile of compost and worked with the sifter. After our service, we were given a tour around the farm. My favorite part was the mini green-house that housed rice, fruit trees, and other tropical plants you wouldn't expect to find in College Park, Maryland. I was also surprised to learn that Eco City Farms was able to feed 20 families on only 1/3 of an acre! It definitely changed my perspective of the importance and capability of eating locally-grown food, and I hope to get more involved with sustainability efforts in the future.

Looking forward, I can't believe that I'll be in Guatemala in less than a month. I've never been to Guatemala before and am looking forward to the opportunity. I'm probably most nervous about the language barrier--as I love talking with and getting to know people, and I know language will be a challenge considering my near novice Spanish speaking skills. For the rest of Winter Break, I hope to crack open the good ol' high school Spanish books to try to brush up on some basic vocabulary and gear up for the trip.

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season! And, because countdowns are always super fun, here's a countdown to the 2014 AWB Guatemala trip :)

COUNTDOWN WIDGET

Preparing for Round 2

I still can't believe that I was chosen to return to Guatemala as an experience leader - my time in Los Andes last year definitely still stands as one of the highlights of my college career. However, as wonderful as last year's trip was, I believe that this year's will be even better. The members of "Team Guatemala" seem to be diverse in interests but also passionate about community service and learning more about the world. I'm so excited to get to know all of you better during our time together! 

(For those of you who have never been on an AB trip before and are nervous about making friends, don't be! The group will grow surprisingly close during our ten-day trip, since we'll be together almost all the time.)

The only thing I think I'm nervous about this year is being an effective leader. We will, of course, be doing a lot of education and reflection during the trip and I want to make sure that it is meaningful and beneficial for the entire group. I am also nervous about my Spanish skills, as I haven't used the language in a large capacity since last January, but hopefully Duolingo can help me refresh and get in the Spanish mindset before we depart!

I got a nice rolling suitcase with four wheels for Christmas (many thanks to my Maw Maw and Paw Paw!) and I can't wait to start packing for our adventure. I'm hoping to pack even lighter than I did last year - hopefully I can find a sleeping bag to bring that can fit in my suitcase without issue.

Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions about the trip, or suggestions for games or fun activities we could do as a group. 19 days left until we depart for Guatemala, hurray!

Caitlin's Pre-Trip Post

I applied to join Alternative Breaks because I enjoy service and wanted to experience something new!  I shot for the stars and picked Guatemala because a) I am a strong advocate of the environment and b) I have never been to Central America.

Last year I volunteered at ECO City Farms, where I learned not only the importance of sustainability but also the lesson of service: Others can help serve those in need best by listening to what they ask for.  I hope to apply what I have learned from service in the College Park community to Guatemala, and I cannot wait to share the knowledge I will learn from Los Andes.

During a pre-trip meeting, where we watched the documentary “Living on One Dollar,” it made me feel very appreciative of everything I have, including education, food, and shelter.  All the Guatemalan residents in the documentary, however, had hope.  Their hopeful attitude and willingness to learn inspires me to help serve their community and learn more about how we can assist their country’s economical growth in a sustainable manner.

Less than a month away from the departure date when our group meets with Sarah, Chris, and Lizeth to travel to Antigua!  Now that finals are over, I can spend all my time on Duolingo.com learning Spanish.  So far, I have the basics covered and “Mi nombre es Caitlin.”

A Few Miscellaneous Thoughts

I originally intended to take a registered course abroad this winter, but since I didn't necessarily need the extra credits, I decided I should do something just as exciting but more community-oriented. That's when I came across the Alternative Breaks program, and it looked like the perfect "alternative"! I was really surprised when I got an email notification that I had been accepted into my first-choice program, the Guatemala trip! It's hard to believe that the trip is now just over a month away. 

We watched a documentary at our second meeting: "Living on One Dollar". The film followed the efforts of 4 college friends to make ends meet on a budget of one dollar a day, in a small village in Guatemala (Fortunately, our living conditions won't be quite as harsh when we travel there in January!). The documentary was very eye-opening, not only about the struggles that some Guatemala residents go through, but also about the crippling socioeconomic forces that make it difficult for them to improve their situations.

At our most recent meeting, our trip leaders were generous enough to provide us with snacks, but I sensed that there was an ulterior motive… Chris and Sarah's choice of Tostito's tortilla chips as a snack was a subtle way to introduce us to the Latin American culture we will soon be exploring. The selection of chocolate-dipped cookies, made from the Cacao bean, was a disguised attempt to educate us about the native flora of Central America. Our trip leaders were clearly trying to be sneaky, but I saw right through it.