Today I woke up at about six o clock and got ready for the biggest day on this trip. Snorkeling with sharks!! But first, we had to get there where the ocean is. We went on a fancy boat called a Catamaran and had 4 bathrooms and 4 bedrooms but they only use the bedrooms for tours but still that’s crazy! When we got there I was so excited but also a little nervous. We had to use a face mask and flippers. We saw different types of coral, barracuda, hogfish, a baby green sea turtle, jack fish, a stingray, and about 10 nurse sharks!! The captains of the boat are Carlos and Carlos Senior who made us all lunch and we had rice and beans with 1 leg of chicken. It was perfect for me and for my belly 😄. The girls said they loved everything they did today but there was 1 problem, our feet, our feet were hurting so bad that mom had to take me all the way to the boat that’s how much my feet were hurting and same as the girls. There was 4 different parts of what we got to see the fish! The main captain was sick yesterday and he had a fever so today he was feeling the same thing as yesterday so it was a sailboat so he had to use the wind. I was so tired because whenever I go in seawater, my eyes start to get really tired so I took 2 naps on the boat.

Here’s some pictures

When we got back to Caye Caulker, we had to walk to dinner it was called Happy Lobster and I had grilled shrimp and fries and I ate the whole thing. Me and mommy walked back to our house and I tried new toothpaste but it was minty but all I had to do. Then the rest of the crew came back home and me and mom went to bed.

That’s the end

Today I woke up at 5:30 and I got dressed in my bathing suit because we’re going caving in water. We went in the van and took a 2 and a half hours to get there. We had to walk to the cave and it was about 20 to 30 minute walk but when we got there it was spooky. It was so cool and a little bit scary because it was super dark. We had to climb up cave rocks and mom was struggling. There was also artifacts such as pottery pots and bowls that the Mayans used them for. There were also bones that came from humans. 2 of the skeleton people got hit by a person dropping a camera on and the other person got killed because someone took their heart out and died. So, we can’t bring cameras inside. Then, we climbed the rocks and we got in the freezing water but I didn’t mind but the girls did. When we got out of the cave, we walked back and it was raining so it was very muddy. All of us were so hungry but luckily there was a little lunch service and we had rice with chicken and everyone devoured it.

Here’s a picture before we went inside and some that mommy got from online

I finally got 700 days of Duolingo and 30 more days and it’s going to be 2 years of Duolingo! I also started over with about 200 to 300 days so I was so disappointed but with a lot of work and studying, I got it back.

That’s the end

Everyone had to pack today because tomorrow we’re going to the city in Guatemala called Flores so we had to pack. Even I had to pack! We also packed a few extra things. I don’t think I have any empty notebooks in my house but luckily the girls had one so I packed 2 notebooks and an extra shirt that the girls didn’t fit in but it fit me perfectly so I packed that. And then we had to use our school bags to pack in, that’s how much things we have 😊.

That’s the end

Today I woke up at 7:00 o clock and I had breakfast. I had eggs for breakfast and water. And then we took a Uber to do acrobatics and yoga! First, we stretched our bodies and then we started doing stuff on the floor. The best part was the silks! Silks are cloth that hang from the ceiling and you can do acrobatics on them.

Here’s some pictures and videos from the acrobatics and yoga

When we were done, there was a playground and they had 2 swings, a slide, tables, a trampoline and the spinning chair that you turn the steering wheel around and it spins. Then I felt a little bit nauseous but I didn’t throw up so that’s good but we ate some lunch and I had chicken fingers with a whole bunch of French fries. I tried a fry with 5 different kinds of sauces and it didn’t taste really bad but I ate the whole fry and we played cards. And then we took a Uber back to our house and then we just chilled. We ate dinner at home and I had pasta and chicken. But we walked to a fancy hostel and I got hot chocolate.

Here’s some pictures

Me, mom and Kayla walked home and there was a big flood but it definitely covered the whole road so that’s a lot of rain that we didn’t even notice. But then I took a shower and went to bed.

We were walking to a restaurant and we sat and saw a little bit of lightning and I watched it happen. Then when we were done, we walked back home in a crazy way! It was flooding with tons of rain that we didn’t even know about. Mommy and Kayla had to take their own shoes off because our feet would get soaked! I didn’t want to take my shoes off because I had hiking shoes on so I got them a little wet but not so wet. We didn’t have an umbrella and a poncho on so we got wet but we have a dryer that mommy was not happy about but now is happy about.

That’s the end

I woke up at seven o clock and I had eggs for breakfast 🍳. Today was presentation day for typical desserts and everyone did it.

Here’s some videos and pictures from the presentation…

3 hours later… and I got my certificate from the school because I finished. Today was my last day.

Here’s some pictures of my certificate

We’re done with school and the sad part is that my teacher will never see me again because she wants to become a nurse so she can make money for her family. That’s super sad 😭🥺😢😔☹️😞😕😥😪😓😞😕🙁😥😟😿. But away from that, we went to cooking lessons and we all made tamales and a Guatemalan dish called Pepían and I didn’t really like it but that’s okay because I tried something new.

Here’s some pictures from cooking

And we were trying to fit in the tiny car as that was our transport home. All the girls were asleep and I was wide awake so I had to be super quiet 🤫. I called ady and Emi and Dillon and all of them asked me about Guatemala 🇬🇹. Then, I wanted to blog so I went on the roof and I took a selfie 🤳

Then I had eggs for dinner and cereal so it’s a breakfast dinner I guess but anyway that’s all they had so I ate it. Then I took a shower and went to bed

That’s the end

I have sisters yay!!! And also, I have sisters like almost every day so they are basically my actual family.

They play with me sometimes 😆 but they play nicely and kindly and with respect and also fun 🤩! And Elissa is teaching everyone the piano lessons and I’m actually getting really good at piano now so that’s really fun.

That’s the end and thank you for being so kind and caring to me.

I woke up tired but still I ate breakfast 🍳 and I had scrambled eggs for breakfast. And then I walked to school with the whole group. And you might be wondering, why am I all prepared again Well I’ll tell you, I’m doing another presentation but this time is different, I’m going to make helados de chocolate. What it means in English is chocolate ice cream! So I went to the kitchen and made the chocolate ice cream. How I made it was I boiled the water 💦 and then I put the chocolate in the pan 🍳 and then the chocolate melted and I mixed it and it smelled so good. And then we poured the chocolate water in those plastic cups and put some sticks in the chocolate water and then I put them in the freezer and tomorrow it will be ready.

Tomorrow it’s my teacher’s last day at the school because she will become a nurse so that’s super sad😭🥺😢😔☹️😞😕🙁😪😓😟😿. 2 hours later… and it’s break time and we went to a different place where it had delicious chocolate chip cookies and I ate 2 and Kayla ate 1 cookie 🍪. 3 hours later… and we’re finally are done ✅. We walked back to our mansion house. Then everybody was relaxing but me I was going crazy with some things. We also went to salsa lessons and I did the warmup with everybody and felt bad because I thought I would mess up so I sat alone but I wasn’t really, I was just feeling alone just thought of it. I was playing Minecraft with Aunt Laura because she called me so why wouldn’t I answer duhhhh!!!! After salsa we walked back home and ate dinner and I had Chipotle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Anyway mom told me that I had to go to shower so I took a shower and then went to bed.

That’s the end of the blog

Many things have given me pause while being here.

I am in awe of the natural beauty amongst which these people live and call their home. I revel in the simplicity of the life I am experiencing here, and fully acknowledge this is a false sense of life in comparison to most of the women born here.

Today, walking through the Mercado, feeling grumpy with little sleep, an achy lump on my foot and without my morning coffee made a friend from works “first world problems” statement that he often says come to mind.

Here, there is no room for complaints. No room for ailments. No room for lamenting. No room for laziness. No room for mental health days.

Here, if you are not industrious, you are nothing.

Children peddle fruits and vegetables, candy and homemade jewelry to feed their families.

Elderly men and women tend meat, produce and supply stands, all day, without easy access to running water and restrooms.

Men and women deliver crates of produce on their heads, or atop their shoulders without so much as a grimace.

Here, people work. Sun up, to sun down.

And, they do it politely and with a smile.

So much effort is made in our current day to account for people’s internal struggles. And while I am not discrediting the importance of having sound mental health, I do feel that our current vantage point for many Americans could use a healthy dose of this “suck it up and push forward” attitude.

I know that pushing forward too hard, without pause for self reflection is damaging. The majority of the world does not recognize mental health as a priority. Talk therapy and psychiatric medications are not seen as valid necessities. Michele struggles with this on a daily basis with her kids from immigrant families.

First world problems allow us to lament our achy foot lump and lack of coffee. Third world problems, do not.

Somehow, I hope I can find balance. For myself, and for Luca.

I am grateful my parents instilled in me a good work ethic. Neither of them complain, ever. They have busted their asses for myself and my siblings and I will forever be grateful.

I hope I can do the same for Luca. I try to do what my parents have taught me and help him reframe when he has a self doubt or disappointment. To redirect his thinking by remembering his blessings; a body that is strong, a mind that is healthy, a roof over his head, food in his belly, and being surrounded by people that love and support him.

I hope that this learning, combined with him being exposed to different ways of life helps him to become a man that is somewhere in the middle; aware and protective of his mental health, but with a strong work ethic and a gratitude for his blessings.

I read an article recently about not complaining, ever. About reframing every thought and statement from a place of directly asking for what you truly need and from a place of gratitude.

I have tried in my adult life (however difficult and unsuccessfully) to not outright complain. I make light of my complaints, turn them into jokes thinking that they are in some way less negative.

I want to change that, and walking through the Mercado today solidified that desire.

So, here’s to self growth. One walk through the Mercado at a time.