Day 22/23 Maggie and I graduated from language school, packed our bags and I headed out to meet a solo traveler I had met a few days before to take pictures at Ruinas de La Recolección. These were probably my most favorite of the ruins in town, mainly because you can climb on them freely.  Afterwards we wander to my favorite secret bar inside Antigua Brewery. You enter through a phone booth.  The bar is in what was once the kitchen if an old house, you can still see the ashe on the ceiling. This bar is unique in that you tell them what kind of liquor you like and the types of drinks you enjoy and then they create something for you. There’s no menu,  its simply like watching an artist create something magical. My drink was so good I couldn’t change it up,  but I can only imagine what the other drinks they create taste like.  23 Days have flown by.  There’s not a moment in those 23 days that I wished I was home.  120 miles walked, 21 days of language school (105 hours), multiple Ruins, 1 Volcanic lake,  1 active volcano, 1 horse named Caramelo, family time with my brother and my neice,  1 house (mansion like), 1 hostel,  2 massages, 1 futball (soccer) game, multiple cafes, and many memories that can’t be captured by a picture or put into words. I love traveling, but I also love traveling back to a place I know,  feels more like going back to a second home of sorts. Some general take aways and what I will do differently next time; I would bring a pair of night pants (nights r cooler with an open house floor plan), I will do 4 hours of language school instead of 5, I will visit more cafes to do my homework rather than doing it at home,  I will speak more and worry less about looking like a fool,  I may or may not get my same crazy hard teacher,  I will study basic vocabulary before I return rather than wasting time on memorization while I am there,  I will get the nicer hotel in Atitlan, I will buy house slippers for $2 earlier on in the trip,  and lastly I will return to Antigua. I am truly grateful for the time I’ve had in Antigua,  the people I met along the way, and the ability to be able to have 3 weeks away from reality (for the most part). 

Reality has continued to creep in as I spent my nights before bed catching up on the trial back home and reaching out to those I was connected to during that time.  Though it’s been incredibly difficult heartbreaking to watch I felt compelled to. In a weird way it felt disrespectful to all of the families and the people I worked with at MSD to not watch. We (those working with the families of,  and the students from MSD) spent so much time sitting and bearing witness to their pain.  Holding space for them as they navigated uncharted (unfathomable) territory. It felt only right to bear witness once again as the state (in all the horror of our legal system) made them relive the most horrific day and days that followed of their lives.  I know that for the families this trial has been a long time coming.  I pray daily that this trial whatever the outcome may be, will help bring healing to people who deserve it from the pain they continue to endure.  

And we are out.But not before my passport got left with security and thankful recovered quickly,  and a stop in the Ron Zacapa club for breakfast and for free Zacapa 23 drinks thanks to my brother. So much love and thanks for an amazing trip to an amazing country.  All the kind and very patient people of Guatemala who fumbled their way through my spanglish, and even helped with correcting me when I got it wrong. I will miss walking everywhere. I will miss the unbelievable weather that capped at 75 and low of 62 with zero humidity, I will miss the view of Volcan Agua outside my kitchen window and as I walked to school in the morning.  I will miss sitting around the garden every afternoon.  There is to much to miss and so many reasons to find my way back.  Hasta pronto❤️