Learning More Than Spanish South of the Border “Guatemala is in Mexico, right?” my sister asks through our precarious Wi-Fi connection. “No,” I laugh, shaking my head at the white washed wall of my little concrete bedroom in the heart of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. “It’s a small, mountainous country to the south of Mexico, they share… Read More Study Abroad in Guatemala: A Guide to Spanish Immersion in Xela
If you saw Erika on the street you wouldn’t take much notice. She barely passes 5 feet, her diminutive stature common in the highlands of Guatemala where we met, but do not underestimate this middle-aged Guatemalan woman with red flowers in her hair, she has nunchucks in her purse and she knows how to use… Read More Lessons From My Salsa Teacher
Yes and no. It depends. When I left for Guatemala in January 2016, almost every single person would ask, “Is it safe?”, in response to me telling them where I was moving. Coming from the United States, there are a lot of preconceived ideas about any Spanish speaking country south of the US border and… Read More Is Central America Safe?
Ah Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, home to hundreds of Spanish language schools, volcano trekking, home stays, and so much more. I spent a good six months calling this lovely, crazy city home in 2016 and in that time learned why Xela, as it is known by its indigenous name, seems to have a knack for getting people… Read More Where to Eat in Quetzaltenango
As some of you have probably realized I’ve been radio silent for the past couple weeks, basically ever since I left Xela. Well I’m back and sitting in a cafe in Leon, Nicaragua with a very cute black hostel kitty demanding pets every 30 seconds or so. Since Xela I have been in Flores, Guatemala;… Read More On the Road Again: A Trip Through Belize and Honduras
This has been the year of goodbyes for me. Goodbye to Davis, goodbye to Ventura, goodbye to Europe, goodbye to Ventura again, and now goodbye to Xela. Five and a half months has gone faster that I ever thought possible, but here I am saying goodbye again. Tomorrow Kane and I will get on our… Read More Another Goodbye in Another City
Brilliantly blue waters and lush jungles abound in Semuc Champey, one of the most beautiful places in Guatemala. Semuc Champey is a park located just outside the town Lanquin, which is conveniently located close to nothing. The journey itself is long on the normal tourist path, 8 hours in a bus from Antigua, but it… Read More Semuc Champey: Heaven in the Middle of Nowhere
Living in Xela has been a wonderful learning experience, but sometimes a girl just needs a nice restaurant and some over priced wine so she heads to Antigua. Antigua is a lovely city filled with wide, clean streets that won’t actually break your ankle if you try to run on them and the best food… Read More A Weekend Away in Antigua
When I was in Mexico I really didn’t want to go back to Xela. I was in love with the wonderful food, the safety, and the wide streets that made running so much easier than in Xela. I was dreading returning to my sad cell block of a room and the carb hunger diet. I… Read More Rediscovering Guatemala
I was talking on the phone with my parents last night and they asked me if I felt safe in Xela. I thought for a bit and realized I couldn’t honestly answer yes to that question, no matter how much I wanted to. It certainly didn’t put my parents’ minds at ease when I said… Read More Women in Guatemala: An Extranjera’s Experience