I woke up at 6:30 in the morning and we ate breakfast and I had eggs for breakfast. So we went in the car so we can go to the volcano called Pacaya. When we got there I had my horse named Muñeco and we rode up the volcano 🌋. When we got there, I played with the volcano rocks and I threw them all around.

Here’s some pictures from the volcano.

When we rode back, Elissa and Tia’s horses were running so fast that Elissa’s stuff in her backpack fell out on the ground where all the horses poop 💩 eww 😷. I had the best time riding my horse. When we got down from the volcano we got down the horse, we went in the car and rode back. The girls went to the market and mom took a nap while Me Tia and Kayla went to a coffee place called Fat Cat and we played cards together. When the girls got back from the market, me and Tia and Kayla walked home. I found 4 blind snakes and 3 of them were babies and one was a adult. Then Tia made what aunt Laura and grandma makes, spaghetti and hamburger meat sauce. It was so good in fact that I ate 4 small bowls of it. And then the best thing of the evening was a instrument dinner show

Here’s some pictures and videos from the dinner show

Then we tried to get ice cream for me but they had sorbet flavors I didn’t like.

But then there was a light show on the castle!

Then we all walked home and I had to go in the shower and go to bed because it was 10:00 o clock here but in Florida, it’s midnight so I was very tired.

That’s the end

If you know about Bob (first horse I ever rode who was specifically trained for the blind), then you know. But today, Bob was left in the dust like all the other horses (and friends) literally. Pepe was a pistel. He took off running the minute I got on.  I was miles ahead of the entire pack on the climb up the mountain…. and on the way down, thankfully, my horse found a competitor in Elissa’s horse, so I had a friend to go down the mountain with.  Our 🐎 horses didn’t let up, causing my newly dawned hat to fly off and Elissa’s water bottles to fly out of her backpack.  Let’s just say we made it down the mountain in record time and long before the others. As Elissa mentioned in her blog, prayers for my butt are welcomed.  Circling back to my amazing hat. So this is my 3rd time doing Pizza 🍕  on Pacaya and when we arrived, the owner of the business asked my group where I was by name, and so I went over to say hello.  He gave me a free hat and said how happy he was to see us.  It’s kinda nice to know people everywhere you go.  I am sure you’re wondering if going up the same volcano 3x is worth it,  well I can tell you it’s a whole new experience going up one with a Geologist (be jealous). Elissa is a Geologists so it was very cool to have her with us explaining the rocks that we were walking on and what we were seeing and how things happen.  It definitely shed a whole new light on the experience for me.  At the volcano there’s a little shop where local artisans take the volcanic rock and create jewelry with it. Here’s a “did you know” fact about Pacaya: In 2021, the Pacaya volcano in Guatemala erupted in a series of explosive and effusive events that began in February and continued into March. The eruption also occurred during Tropical Storm Agatha, which brought heavy rainfall that caused landslides, lahars, and widespread flooding. They called it the perfect storm in the ring of fire. I am not one for buying souvenirs but at the lava store Nicole and I both drawn to purchase earrings made from the lava during that storm and eruption and coconut shells.

Our first year in the house Nicole named our house Encanto, and every year since, the moment I walk through the door, it feels like coming home. We oddly all have naturally fallen into our roles in the house, and I couldn’t love my role any more than I do.  Doña Sed had returned to her kitchen.

The first week of being in Antigua has flown by and school came to an end for me before I even realized it began.  This year I had Kianna’s teacher from last year.  She was a stark contrast to my last teacher.  I have loved all my teachers for different reasons, but my teacher this year was so kind and so sweet and so patient.  She’s exactly what I needed this year and I am grateful.  La Unión also feels like home.  Everyone remembers us and our stories and we pick up right where we left off a year ago.  I  promised Luca that if he presented on presentation day i I too would present…. so he made me make good on my promise.  I was so proud to watch him on last day of school present for the first time. He’s always been too shy to present and I always opt out. So in the end, I guess we’ve both grown.  I made/presented on Pina and made licuados. I made the ones for the adults with rum. They were obviously a hit to say the least.  I love that the “kids” have favorite things to do at school. I love that learning can be so fun. Thankful for another year….. and now it’s time to play. 

We’ve just returned from el Volcán Pacaya, and my legs already feel bruised! My horse Pícaro was well behaved on the first half of our trip, but on the second half, he unleashed his inner beast🫎 (and by that I mean he galloped to catch up with Michelle’s horse) (everyone pray for Michelle’s lower body) (pray for mine too while you’re at it). But anywayyy all the pain is worth it, as I was able to see the volcano up close and personal. Thank you to everyone who indulged me in geological talk and investigation. We were even able to see the direction of the pyroclastic flow based on the shape of the grains seen below!

After returning home we went to the artesanal market and were graced by a scene that is better to see than to describe with words:

Happy Friday everyone!

Watching the kids be creative and put on a show for us after dinner made me feel like the days of old.

When our siblings, cousins and friends would goof around, create, imagine, play, and entertain ourselves without digital aides.

A world with limited use of technology.

Another simplicity of being here that I love.

This will be a short blog but I was riding down the volcano with a horse 🐎 and I saw a leaf on the corner of my eye and I grabbed it and when I saw it, I was amazed by the look of it so I kept it for the rest of the ride and when I was done I took a picture of it on my horse 🐎.

That’s the end

This will be a short blog, but what happened was that mommy felt something shaking and felt like a little earthquake! But it wasn’t a big earthquake, it was an earthquake that was in El Salvador 🇸🇻. I hope the people are ok in that area.

That was crazy!!

That’s the end

I woke up for the big day and I had eggs for breakfast 🍳. And we walked to school with the nerves for the big day. 2 hours later… and for break, it was the presentation about fruit and I chose tomatoes 🍅.

Here’s some pictures and videos of my presentation.

I was very proud of myself by doing the presentation on my own. I ate the fruits of the presentation and I had my own personal option, the tomato salsa and Lychee fruit and that was kind of like my lunch.

3 hours later… and we’re done for today and it’s the weekend yayyyy!!!! I looked for bugs but instead I found 2 blind snakes! And the craziest thing happened, I saved a bee from drowning and it couldn’t fly so I actually put him in my box thing and I made all my bugs a habitat in my box thing. I called Granny and she answered and I tried to show her some things that I can do on the phone but she couldn’t figure it out. I also showed her how to make her see my background and she didn’t know how so I did it and she was surprised that I could do it so I did a basketball game and I won 50 to 17 and she was surprised because how much points I won by. I also told granny about a snail that Tia caught on her papaya tree and I showed it to granny and she thought it was pretty cool.

I said goodbye and I had dinner and I had fried pork and guacamole and I kind of liked it.

I went in the shower and went to bed .

That’s the end

Me and mom woke up at 6:45 am and I ate eggs this time for breakfast 🍳. We walked to school and we were all preparing for the big day. 2 hours later… it was break time and I played ping pong with Kayla and Elissa. I beat Kayla 12 to 10 and Elissa demolished me by winning 2 games, that’s crazy! But either way everyone had fun playing ping pong 🏓. Here’s Tia studying.

And here’s me studying 📖.

We had to go to the market because we had to cook it so we took a long walk to the market to get the stuff for Friday. We some stuff at the market and walked back to school. 3 hours later… and I were are done with school and walked to lunch with 4 other people and I we had lunch. I had a hamburger with some French fries 🍟 and I forgot what everyone had so we had lunch and we walked back home. When we got home, we took everyone on a tour of our house and everyone loved our house so then me and Kayla and Abby, our new guest played cards and Abby was so good at cards. Then all of us went to dinner and I had steak, chicken, potatoes, and sausage. I had 4 different kinds of meat today, that’s a lot of meat😂. After dinner the girls went to salsa lessons and they went to sleep at midnight. Meanwhile…me and mommy went on a journey together by trying to find the ice pop place but unfortunately it was closed.

Me and mom took a picture when we were walking 🚶.

When I got home, me and mom took showers and went to bed.

I had a dream about it was my friend’s birthday and we played a new game called Basketball Soccer and Kobe Bryant and he was dribbling the ball and I stole it from him and I threw the ball on the ground and dribbled it soccer version⚽️and I kicked it to my teammate and he kicked it back and I was relieved by the play.

That’s the end