A FESTIVE WEEKEND IN ANTIGUA
*The city was alive all weekend with the annual celebration of the Feast of St James, the patron saint of Guatemala.  Saturday began by sharing Mass at The Cathedral located in Central Park, followed by oversized human puppets dancing in the streets and throughout the city.
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* In the afternoon the festivities continued with a procession out of the cathedral with a very large statue of St James in top of a HUGE, ornately carved platform that takes 60 people, led by the priest, to carry throughout the streets of Antigua. I was fortunate to watch it twice. Once as they last the cathedral and once our family watched as it passed our house!

WEEK THREE BEGINS
*I am excited to be back at school!!!!
The break was good but I want to learn more! My way of learning is hearing, seeing and speaking in conversation over and over and over again.  My teacher, Lucia, is very patient with me!   This week was filled with walking trips around the city, preparation for my final presentation and visits to bakeries, museums, the mercado and hotels. My final presentation was presenting the sweet potatoe. In Guatemala, comote dulce is a  typical sweet treat made with sweet potatoes, sugar and cinnamon. I received my Completion Certificate. Hooray for me!!!!

*****  Now let me tell you about the other events of the week that left me quite emotional!!!!
Thursday morning at 1:00am I woke up with my bed shaking from an earthquake.  Since this was our second earthquake I was a bit more prepared.  I slept with my phone fully charged, shoes by my bed and my identification attached to my phone.  I grabbed it, rushed out to the courtyard with Michael-John joining me.  Michele came out as well at the other end of the house.  The others slept right through it.  I have no idea how!  Fortunately it ended quickly.  It said it was estimated to be a 5.0 off the coast of Guatemala.
*Then at 5:00am I woke up to many, many “bombas” exploding marking the beginning of the celebration of the feast of “drivers”. The busses and uber cars were all decorated. 
*Then at about 5:30 there was a HUGE EXPLOSION in our house!  Michele had tried to light the pilot light on the oven.  She checked back and it wasn’t hot so she tried again.  The gas had accumulated and exploded with fire all the way to the ceiling. Pushed the oven back from the wall and pushed the whole window out of its frame. The force of the explosion pushed Michele right out of her bedroom slippers about two feet back. I  thought it was another earthquake and the building was collapsing. Michael-John and I came running, me with my phone and ID so they could identify our bodies! My mind racing because I thought it was a volcano.  We found Michele standing in total fear and shock.  Michael-John just stood there and held her tight for a very long time!  She was pretty shaken up though! These last experiences have left me quite emotionally drained.  Thank you Lord Michele is physically okay. I could have lost my daughter, my family could have been buried in the rubble of an earthquake. But no we are all safe!

I have a feeling that the events of this morning will come to be one of the funniest and most told stories from our times in Guatemala, but right now in this moment, it was probably one of the scariest moments of my life, or at least in the top 3.

I am quite at home here in our Encanto house as Luca fondly named it a few years ago.  I know how to change over the gas when one of the tanks is out, I’ve learned how to tell when the pilot light is out in the dryer, I know where the cistern is and how to turn on our pila, we’ve had the bomberos come to the house to fill the cistern when it’s run out,  so needless to say we have a handle on how to manage the house.  That is until I blew up the kitchen today 😣

We got an alert that we were going to be without power and water today from 6am-7pm. So yesterday we prepped to ensure our fridge would make it through the power outage and filled the pila with water so that we had water to flush our toilets. 

At 5am I got up to ensure that the most important of things was done which was making the coffee. I turned on the oven for a French toast bake that I prepped to throw in the oven.  But then… the coffee machine didn’t work, and I got busy fixing that and checked the oven to ensure it was getting hot.  The pilot light has known to go out often so when the oven wasn’t getting hot I went to light it again.  Well apparently it had indeed gone out and the gas was building in the oven for a while and my relighting of the pilot light set off quite the explosion.  If anyone remembers the movie back draft… you now have a pretty good visual of what took place right in front of my eyes.  A huge rolling ball of fire came up and out of the oven with enough force that it moved the entire oven almost a foot forward in my direction.  The ball of fire 🔥 then continued up towards our domed ceiling.  The force of the explosion forced out the kitchen window along with all the bracing for the window that was screwed into the cement walls.  Needless to say between the sounds of the explosion and my screams I woke the whole house… well most of it. My brother later said if you want to know what Volcan Fuego sounds like erupting… that was it.  I am pretty sure I was in complete shock as I stood there not knowing what to do next with peices if the wall all over the kitchen (thank God for plaster walls). My entire body was shaking in shock and I can only imagine how crazy I looked. My mom later told me that my slippers (the only thing burned thank God) were in front of the stove and not on my feet.  It wasn’t until then that we realized I had been blown back right out of them. 

Also I would be remise not to mention that we all were also woken up at 1am by a magnitude 5 earthquake that was only 56 miles from us.  It was definitely not the start to the day that I was looking for and day continued on with a few more snafus including a couple more broken things and me running close line like right into a metal support wire.

On the bright side when I went to shower and looked in the mirror I still had my eyebrows (I was certain they were burned right off), we have yet to lose power or water, the stove was able to be fixed and didn’t need replaced, and the broken kitchen window may lead to a window that is able to be opened (I’ve been wanting this for years) so things might just end on the upside after all.

And you can’t beat the view from our rooftop in the morning.

While I’ve been to Antigua 6 times now it’s only been in the last five summers that we’ve had a house that I’ve been cooking in.  One of my joys of life here is a slower pace with more time doing things for daily living with intention than sitting on my phone scrolling. For the first couple summers we were typical gringos shopping in the supermarcado (the regular typical grocery store) rather than in the marcado (think swap shop for all my Florida friends). The last couple years Nicole and I have made it our mission to take advantage of shopping in the marcado for our fruits and veggies.  Now to give you a better understanding of the marcado there are rows upon rows of stalls with literally anything you could desire. From house hold goods, to clothing, to shelf food,  fruits and veggies,  and Nicole’s favorite the meat 🍖 and fish 🐟 section.  Literally you can get anything you desire. With that being said it can be very overwhelming to shop inside the marcado.  Close quarters and so many options can sometimes create a sense of fight or flight for me,  despite shopping for food being my favorite past time.  The past few years after feildtrips with our teachers we’ve learned which “venders” to go to for what. This year with the help of my teacher I found a new way into the marcado for market day when all the trucks bring in the freshest and cheapest of fruits and veggies.  It’s in the open air and much easier to navigate. All the joy of shopping and getting a good deal returned. When Nicole and I got home (in less than an hour including the time it took to walk there and back) while I washed and cleaned the veggies Nicole calculated what we spend for the week.

Our market haul today for a total of $20.27

2lb tomato
2lb onion
5 plantain
3 heads garlic
2 big carrots
1lb potatoes
1 head celery
Cilantro
Parsley
Papaya
16 radishes
I bag spinach
1 bag green beans
4 squash
3 big cucumbers
4 peppers
2 heads broccoli
1 eggplant

I’ll add a picture too give you a visual. 

The next day in class I was thanking my teacher for the advice and we were comparing notes on the prices in the market.  She told me that we were given the exact same prices as locals. So I write this with the full awareness that from my very white, two income perspective, I feel like this is a steal.  Like we did great getting the prices that locals get and that we have enough fruits and veggies for the week but I know  that $20 dollars, while it felt like nothing to us, it’s a lot for locals. The average salary is $140 a week for a vendor in the marcado. I struggle with knowing how drastic the disparity is here, even between the locals including ladinos and mayans and the history of Guatemala and now how the US is continuing to impact Guatemala. It’s a hard reminder that racism and discrimination have happened around the world and throughout history.  That no matter where you go the desire for money and power leaves so many with nothing while an elite few have plenty.  So I am humbled by the people of Guatemala once again and thankful for a life of opportunity to realized how privileged I am and try to live my life with respect for others who have been given a life much different than mine. 

*WEEK TWO begins

* This week is a week of rest and discovery for me. Remember, I am 72 not in my 40’s like Michele, Nicole, Michael-John andRachel! 
*Thank you Michele for taking my place at school so my teacher didn’t lose a week of income.
* I  feel much more comfortable carefully walking the streets of Antigua.   Rachel took me on my first trip without Michele, Nicole or Michael-John carefully guiding my every step.  I desperately needed that for my first week!!!! Our house is on a square block and a really good bakery is on that path. My mission was to buy a loaf of their delicious banana bread.  Our problem was, everything was coming out fresh baked. The aromas made us want to try everything! A half loaf of this, a half loaf of that, a slice of this and another half loaf of that.  We had to drag ourselves out of there!
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* Michael John downloaded the Google Maps maps so I could use it offline. Now I was ready to venture out on my own.  With my phone GPS in hand, I made it  to meet Michele, Nicole and Luca for their break at ten at a nearby rooftop café. I finally got to see the volcano erupting.  We couldn’t see the lava but we saw the large puffy  plume as it rose up. Finally!!! It was a must on my to do list.
* Michele graciously hosted dinner for former Finca del Nino volunteers Andrea and Matthew along with Matthew ‘s mom Jeanni.   It was a lovely evening. Jeanni and I got along great so we made plans to have lunch together a few days later.  With Google navigation in hand, we made our way to an old monastery that was converted into a beautiful hotel, restaurant, spa and museum. Our lunch was delicious and the service was superb!  We ran out of time so I hope to return for a tour of the museum another day.
* The names of all the places the kids have taken me to are beyond my memory!!!!  One that stands out is Cerro de la Cruz. Another physically challenging day walking up “a million ” stairs with no handrails to the top of what felt like a mountain to reach The Cross. I did it!!!! Michael-John was merciful and ordered a Tuk Tuk down the small mountain. I was afraid I would just roll right down the mountain!!!
* The weekend is still an adventure to be seen.  Next week it’s back to school.

Yesterday concluded my time this year at language school.  My first week I spend listening to my teacher talk at me,  my second week was a much better experience for me. My mom chose to take a break so I went in place of her with her teacher for my second week.  I was finally able to fumble through story telling and answering questions. 

My certificate in the end stated that I obtained Intermedio level. When I told my teacher no way and that she she needed to change it,  she responded with the fact that for 2 hours straight I spoke to her with little correction and she was fully able to understand what I was telling her.  She finished by reminding me that my goal is to be able to be polite when traveling and communicate my needs, she assured be that I was finally able to do that. Soooo for the kid that rides the short bus in school,  I finished better than I started 😆

To say my mom was in culture shock both with the physical terrain and the community as a whole when we first arrived would be an understatement. As kids Michael-John and I always said if looks could kill my mom would be an assassin. Well here, if looks could tell an emotion my mom “looked” either scared or disgusted most of the time when she first arrived lol. 

Her initial reaction to being here got me thinking back to my very first trip to Guatemala 8 years ago and remembering what it felt like coming to a country I had never been to, with two teenagers that didn’t belong to me,  living with a host family,  and not speaking the language.  While I think our reactions have been quite different they both came from a place of stepping outside our comforts zones.  This is never an easy thing to do and as we age and get more seeded/rigid in our thinking it becomes even more challenging.  That’s one of the reasons I continue to travel and explore the world.  To be doing it at 72 for the first time ever has got to be a lot for my mom. She’s had so many first in the last 6 months.  When she walked into school this past week and cheered for herself for making it there all by herself  I knew she had turned the corner here.  When she declared last night she was going to mass in the morning and the parade by herself I wasn’t the least bit surprised. Nor was I shocked when I woke up and checked life 360 to find her exactly where she said wanted to be…. at the church. Michael-John woke up and said you know mom isn’t here…I said nope mom is in the streets. 

• The anticipation was great. . Michele had invited me for the two previous years. The fact that she had the desire to share this experience with me put it very high on my priority list. But timing just wasn’t right. My heart was at home and I needed to cherish those moments with Michael. When he passed away in November 2025, a new priority came to the top of my list. Now my priority was spending time with our children, family and friends from all the chapters of my life.
• There was shopping shoes/clothes/a million Amazon deliveries and returns, packing and repacking by Michele 🥰
• WEEK ONE
  !! The day had come. A Little overwhelming to say the least!!!
  !!! Michele and Nicole navigated us through the airport and to Sergio our driver. The drive was long and very slow moving to Antigua
  !! Roads were narrow with motorcycles zipping in and out. Luca reminded me to pay attention to when we hit the Cobblestone road, that meant we were in the ancient city of Antigua. Our new home away from home for the next three weeks.
  !!! We arrived at our house And it was Just beautiful Four bedrooms All centered around a beautiful Courtyard of flowers and visits daily by our Hummingbirds. Our four Bedrooms and kitchen overlook four different Gardens and a view of The volcanic Mountains
  !!! Michele has done all the meal prep in the house making me feel very safe eating the food she’s prepared I was extremely nervous about getting sick and ruining the trip for everyone. She has learned all the methods to properly prepare fruits and vegetables to make them safe to eat.
  !!! Within the first week I’ve been able to experience many rooftop cafes with views of a part of the world that are so beautiful thatI just look up in awe at God’s creation!
  !!! My biggest accomplishment the first week is learning to safely walk on the cobblestone streets and uneven sidewalks Looking out constantly for iron window coverings that that project out onto the sidewalk. I learned to walk with my hand up and not to try to walk and talk at the same time. My first week I definitely was not comfortable walking anywhere alone. As everyone knows I have no sense of direction. The kids have graciously escorted me everywhere
  !!! My next adventure was my first day at La Union Language School. My intent is three weeks of language school, five hours a day. My teacher Lucia is perfect for me. I’m so thankful. She’s patient, she’s kind, she is having normal conversation with me. This allows me to try speaking first and then she’s helping me complete my sentences. I love this. Our focus is not so much on grammar as just being able to communicate which I appreciate. I don’t think that in three weeks time, focusing on grammar, I would be able to learn everyday communication. That is my goal
  !!! I did it I made it through my first week. It was a lot! But I learned a lot. Now it’s time for my next adventure, a weekend on a lake. Anything on the Water is a little piece of Heaven to me.
  !!! Santa Cruz on Lake Atitlan here we come.
  !!! It started with a two and a half hour drive to the lake. I felt very confident that Sergio’s son Daniel would drive us safely. We stopped for lunch before heading to the boat that would take us across the lake. It was an adventure on its own . I could handle getting into the boat . It was a fast ride over. Now getting out of the boat is a whole other story!!! I must admit I was in tears. Everyone wanted to help but it just overwhelmed me. I coudn’t figure it out. Eventually with everyone helping, I managed somehow to get into the dock like a beached whale!!!! When I finally was able to stand up, I walked into Paradise!!! An absolutely beautiful Estate with a main house , two Casitas and the owner’s house.
  !!!The house/gardens/birds…
  Such a peaceful retreat directly on the lake. I spent my mornings watching the lake come alive. Birds singing, people kayaking and paddle boarding, boats transporting locals and visitors across the lake. Boats are the only mode of transportation. There are no roads around the lake or up to houses on the Returning by boat was a whole lot easier at this point. I was able to enter and exit the boat a little more gracefully! Our driver Danielle  did a great job getting us back to our house in Antigua safely. I was surprised how happy I was to return “home “. Michele, Nicole, Luca and I decided to treat ourselves to an upscale steakhouse for dinner that night. Michael-John and Rachel went off for a little time on their own.  The restaurant was fabulous.  Of course I had to splurge on the tenderloin!  Service was first class and everyone’s food was delicious!

Yes, yes I am. It never fails that despite knowing a year in advance our travel dates,  I still fail to pack till the last minute.  We booked our stay in our house last summer before we left,  but our flights… well they were a different story.  Those didn’t get booked till just weeks before we left.  That was definitely our stressor this year.  The cost of flights due to gas and Spirit going bankrupt left or normal flights that usually cost $250 running upwards of $900. In the end we were lucky enough to get them much lower. But the thought of how one airline can impact travel so heavily got me thinking about all the access a cheap no frills airline can create for families that otherwise wouldn’t be able to travel.  Spirit flights may have been the “greyhound” of the sky but it’s routes were mostly to the Caribbean,  South America and Central America allowing so many south Florida families access to their families back home. 

The blog title is the reaction I get every summer when people ask my summer plans.  I love that for an entire year I get to look forward to coming back to a place that feels like a second home at this point.  I am greatful once again to be returning.

Usually by the time I make it back to the states the blog goes by the wayside and I neglect talking about the reentry. 

Coming back to the states is this weird out of body experience. It leaves you feeling discombobulated. I found myself wandering about my house last night feeling out of place and as if it wasn’t mine. 

Just for perspective I hadn’t driven a car in 23 days until yesterday. Aside from weekend trips in Guatemala, commuting was no more than a 10 minute walk anywhere in town.

I hated going to the grocery store last night.  Produce options are terrible here,  prices are insane,  and I don’t understand why I can’t negotiate cost based on the quality I am finding.  I also don’t understand why I can’t just buy one of something and not an entire package.

Having so many clothing options is something I no longer value.  Driving me to wonder why I own so many things.  I loved living for 23 days with only 10 items of clothing on rotation.  I spent zero time worried about what I was going to wear and worried very little about how I looked.  People’s kindness outshined their outfits in Guatemala and most woman wore traditional clothing.

I miss having my laundry done for me (courtesy of Nicole,  I never managed to have more then 2 things in the hamper at a time), and having my house cleaned 3x a week.  I miss having a garden to sit in that is up kept by someone else.  I miss living in community.  I miss morning walks to school.  I miss cool mornings and weather that makes you wanna be outside.  I miss kind friendly people everywhere you go.  I have yet to have a negative interaction with someone in Guatemala. Everyone is kind and helpful.  One of the most bizarre things I miss are the bathrooms.  While it seems odd to mention it is really one of the things I appreciate the most.  I have never been in a country that has the level of clean bathrooms as Guatemala. While you may not be able to flush the toilet paper, even in the most remote of places the bathrooms are always impeccable. I think it’s a combination of others being courteous of eachother and and just a value for taking care of what you do have when you have so little. 

Coming home is always harder than one would think it would be.  Modern conveniences seem less important when the pace of life is slower.  I am grateful to get to live in both worlds,  and understand that I exists in both with great privilege.

I am pretty sure I write the same thing each year at the end of my time in Antigua….I am not ready.    This is the only vacation that I’ve ever taken where I don’t get that feeling of being ready to be home.  I think it’s mainly because this place feels so much like home.  I am going to miss these cobblestone roads that by the very nature of them and not wanting to fall,  force me to slow down. They force me to be present in the moment,  not looking at my phone or distracted.  Things are slower here but the days have flown by.  I am thankful for another year of spending my days walking the city, sitting outside,  rooftop coffee breaks and card games, language school,  living in community, and so much more.  Till next year Guatemala 🇬🇹….