Thank you for snuggling, playing, engaging, including, and being so loving to him. He enjoyed every minute of the time he had with you both. You are amazing young ladies ❤️

As I’m starting the packing process again after these past two weeks I’m filled with some mixed emotions. Of course I’m sad to be leaving because being here is a nice change of pace, which I enjoy. Then again I’m also glad to be going back to Florida to see my family, friends, puppies, and just getting back into the swing of things.

I also feel overwhelmed because I basically moved into this beautiful house and now I have to pack up all my things into a carry-on sized lil suitcase. Not to mention that my sister and I’s room looks like it’s under construction or something the way we have our clothes and things absolutely everywhere.

I’m excited to use my new and improved spanish skills. Gracias a mi maestra Rosita, who unfortunately was sick the last day of class. Pretty upset I didn’t get to take a photo with her on the last day ): I messaged her and turns out she needs a procedure done soon. She’s the sweetest lady I truly hope everything goes well with her and that if/when I come back I’ll get to visit with her again.

I’d also like to mention the amount of gratitude and appreciation I have for Michele and Nicole, and everything they have done for me throughout this trip. I am glad I got to know them a little more and they’ve both taught me so much in what feels like too short of an amount of time.

So to Michele and Nicole thank you so much; from all the laughs, amazing homemade food, and the great conversations we’ve had. To all the experiences we shared, advice you both have given, and much more. I will forever remember this trip and all the good memories that came with it. 🫶🏼🇬🇹

Some fotitos from my camera roll I’d like to share:

Luca writes…

On Thursday we woke up and did our morning routine then we walked to school. Then when we got to school, I learned some new words then it was pausa (break). Then we stayed at school and ate some snacks and a sandwich for lunch. Then I studied some more Spanish, after that me and my teacher went upstairs to ask Kayla and her teacher if they wanted to play the game Blitz.
So we played that game and then we walked home. Then we ate lunch, I had this really good pasta that my Tía made me. Then we chilled for the rest of the day and did my night routine!
Today was our last day of school, so today was pretty fun I learned a little then we playing Blitz again it was so fun.

If you don’t know what blitz is it is a game where you have your own stack of cards, all of them are color categorized, and you can either play with a team of 2 or by yourself. You flip over 9 cards and the 10th card you face up all the other cards are faced down. And then you put down 3 cards also faced up to the side and the rest of the deck either is for you partner or if your playing by yourself they’re yours. This game is muy rápido (very fast), you have to match the cards to the same color like 1,2,3,4 and so on. And once you get to 9 the 10th card faces down and that stack is over. The point of this game is the get rid of the other stack of cards and only have the three cards in front of you left.

And that’s my blog:)

If your interested in doing language school in Guatemala, definitely go to “Mi casa es tu casa” I don’t know if there is any other language school in Antigua but if there’s is go there. This school is much so fun and full of new experiences. me and my family were there for 2 weeks and it was so fun! They make you feel so comfortable and at home there. They make food, they play lots of games, you could even go on field trips!

Making food was really fun because one I got to learn a new recipe that I am DEFINITELYYYY going to remember. Me and my teacher ,Waleska, made Guicoyitos, this is an amazing dish with meat,veggies and some goodddd seasoning. After we made our food we got to share this amazing dish with everyone else at the school by presenting it. Everyone made different kinds of food and presented they’re dish with their teacher. Everyone lovedddd our Guicoyitos i only had one and went back for more and they were GONE!

Okayyyy that’s all for #kaylasblogsss byeeeee

Okay guys so I need to catch up with my blogs real bad but anyways this blog is relating to elaborating on Kianna’s post about “Random Thoughts on a Stormy Night”. Sooo my list of thoughts are very interesting some of them even have a back bad story’s sooo might as well share them.

Lights out…. Lights out was pretty unexpected. Lights out meaning OUR POWER WENT OUT. For not only one day not two days BUT FOR FOUR DAYS. It actually wasn’t that bad it was a pretty fun experience. It was a LOTTT of candle lighting every night which brings me too my next story… Movie night turned into candlelit rummy!

This is pretty self explanatory, we were just chilling at the house because it was a pretty rainy night just watching a movie everything was chillin then the power goes out. So what we did, we didn’t just go to sleep like some losers we lit every candle we could possibly find in the house and playing rummy which is where we got the name… CANDLELIT RUMMY!!

Which also bring me to my nextttt saying of mine, “mmmmm, Nutella”. Almost every night michele would go to the kitchen and surprise us with dessert or some type of food. One thing she knew we allll loveddd is a tortilla with Nutella and báñanos!! They’re so good.

Okay guys I think that’s all for #kaylablogsss for the day this was fun making byeeeee

Luca writes…

On Martes (Tuesday) we woke up and did our morning routine and walked to school. We got to school and I estudié con mi maestra (studied with my teacher). Then we escuchamos música (listened to music). After school we came home for a little bit and then we took not a bus, but a truck with seats in the back and we rode half an hour ride to Hobbitenango. It was fun in the truck and bumpy and then smooth. Hobbitenango is on a mountain, it is a fun. Then we took another truck to the top and I sat in the front with mommy and the driver. It was a really high mountain. It felt cool and weird kind of up there. I took a picture on a floating hand with all of the group. I played giant Jenga with Kayla and then we went up to a little nice balcony and I got flowers for everyone. Then we went down back down the hill and we made some friends on the drive. Then I was in the front with the driver and mommy. Then I took another ride in the same truck in the back, back to Antigua. We went to eat and I had steak, chicken, shrimp, papas fritas and I tried a tortilla chip with pico de Gallo but didn’t like it. After dinner we went home and did our night routine and we got our power back🥳🥳! It was raining, not as hard as the other one. The lights almost went out again but thankfully it didn’t.

On Wednesday, we woke up and did our morning routine then we had to go school early because Mommy and Tia went to help some people at the clinic. Meanwhile me, Kianna and Kayla were in school estudiando (studying). Then for pausa (break) we stayed at the school and ate snacks because Mommy and Tia were still at the clinic. Then I think we learned some more. We played games with cards.

Then we went to eat lunch at a restaurant and I got a hamburger and French fries. It was delicious.

Next we went to the crazy ruins from an earthquake in the 1700s. I climbed up the crazy rock. Mommy had to help me get down.

I had chicken wings and French fries for dinner on the roof. Then Mommy and I went to get an ice pop for me and coffee for her. The girls went walking and Mommy and me went home. Now I’m in bed. That’s my blog

“Let me tell you about my best friend’

I chose not to attend school for the second week. for a couple of reasons. The first being that I haven’t had a break at all this summer. School ended, and I worked an extra week and rolled right into summer school. So, to do a little self care, I felt like I needed a break. Second, I wanted to time hanging out doing things around the city. Nicole and I booked two spa days, and Nicole decided to do a day of volunteering doing womans health in the old city. I spent a long time in my head going back and forth trying to deciding whether I was gonna tag along or not. Not because I didn’t want to go, but trying to figure out how I could be helpful without speaking the language almost kept me from going. In the end, I decided to go and just be helpful any way I could.

I have always been one to have a few close friends. It takes a lot to be my friend, but once I choose to let you in, my friendships tend to be lifelong. When I was younger, I didn’t put much thought into understanding my friendships, meaning that whoever I clicked with is who I hung out with. But as you age you gain an insight into people and realize the actual reasons why you just “click” with someone. Let me tell you about my best friend… hense the title. I am so lucky and blessed to have my best friend along on this crazy ride called life. To have someone who is willing to do things outside the box, take adventures (and keep me from dying by being more guarded than I, a nice balance), and see the world. But that’s not why she’s my best friend. She is my biffer because I admire her, because others are endeared to her, because she makes anything and everywhere better just by being there. I know how amazing she is at her job. I send everyone I know, including friends and clients to her. I trust her more than any other provider. But getting to watch her in her element (well her makeshift element) today was an honor. The facility opened its doors today to women of the community, and they came in not knowing who they were seeing but trusting her with the most sensitive of topics. I went today not knowing if there would be a purpose for me, but being there I realized that my purpose was to witness first hand my friend at work. I got to add to my admiration of who she is as a provider and as a person. Today, others got a little bit of her, and they are so much better off for having met her. I am proud to know her, to call her my friend, she is one of my favorite people, I admire her, and am so blessed to have her around for these life adventures.

Luca writes…

We missed three blogs because there was no electricity. We still don’t have electricity so maybe tomorrow or maybe the day after that. The big giant storm knocked the electricity things out and just our block has none. We have been using candlelight at night and it’s not that cool because we have to do a fire and light a lot of candles. There’s no light and we are in ancient times. I am showering and going to the bathroom in the dark with candles.

On Saturday, we woke up, did our morning routine, and it was raining a lot so we didn’t do anything. We played keepy uppy, which is where you have a balloon and it’s where you don’t let the balloon touch the ground. We have to only hit it one time and wherever the balloon goes we have to hit it. I found the balloon under the chair. It was a cool find.

I went into the garden and we have bad news. I touched a certain tree, which the sap had a bad chemical. Luckily I didn’t eat it because it would make you sick and diarrhea. My hands started to feel frozen because the bad chemical/poison came onto my hands and started a really bad hurtness and itchiness. I couldn’t eat lunch and mommy had to feed me. We are going back in time everybody. I’m as young as Odin now.

After lunch, we put cream on my hands and I held onto a cup of ice and watched tv. Then we relaxed for awhile. I ate dinner, and right after I ate dinner I put my hands in a cool cold bath. I got myself into the cold water then I took a shower and then all of a sudden the lights were out and we heard the biggest thunderstorm we ever heard in our entire lives in Guatemala.

Then I rested my hands while the others played some card games and then I went to bed.

On Sunday, we woke up, we did our normal routine and we rested a little bit while Kayla and Kianna were sleeping. I went to the coffee farm and we ate outside. There was a hammock and a wooden swing. A little bit later something crazy happened on the swing, the swing slipped over and I was hanging upside down. I called my mommy to help me, I hanged on as long as I can and she saved me.

I went on a little bit of a run with Kayla and a little bit of a walk with Kianna. I brought my walking stick through some muddy puddles and I accidentally got my left shoe so dirty. So then we walked a little bit more then we walked back to the restaurant. It was an outside restaurant. Then we played put put golf for fun. It was a nature put put. Then I got an ice pop. Then we walked and we saw this so cute dog, he or she loved Kayla and Kianna. He or she was so nice that she scared another dog away. Then we took an Uber, which means take a car ride back home. Then we went back home and still no power. We did our night routine and we played one game or go fish but the rest rummy. Then we went to bed.

Monday we woke up did our normal routine. Then we walked to school, we sat in a different room today. I like it. Me gusta (which means, I like it). I learned today but I didn’t write it in my book so I don’t remember anything. Then I had pausa (break) and we went to this cool breakfast place even though it was not breakfast. It was on the roof and we saw the volcano erupting. It was so cool.

We went back to school, then I learned more. Then I listened to Bones in Spanish and in English. Then we brought scrabble letters and we wrote words in Spanish. I think we won by 4 points, I think. It was veinte y cinco to veinte y uno (25 to 21). Then school was over. I came home, ate lunch, I had three hot dogs and some papas fritas (which means French fries). Then after we relaxed, the girls went to a cafe. After they were done with the cafe we played keepy uppy with sitting instead of standing. We had to keep the balloon in the circle. Our record was cuarenta y seis I think (46). Then we went to cerro de la Cruz and took gymnastics pictures.

Then we took a picture with a butterfly wings. Everybody did. Then we went to a fancy restaurant and I was the king of the table. My cup said principe which means prince. I had steak, chicken, shrimp, I tried a chip with mashed up beans and pico de Gallo but I did not like it. I had corn and papas fritas. Then we went to Starbucks to tour ourselves. Then we walked to our ice cream place but they didn’t have ice pops so we walked to the ice pop place and I got an orange ice pop. Then we walked home and took a shower in the dark with the candle. Then Kianna wrote a English song in Spanish and I helped her with some of it. Then I walked to my bed and I did this blog. The end. That’s my long blog.

Luca writes…

We missed three blogs because there was no electricity. We still don’t have electricity so maybe tomorrow or maybe the day after that. The big giant storm knocked the electricity things out and just our block has none. We have been using candlelight at night and it’s not that cool because we have to do a fire and light a lot of candles. There’s no light and we are in ancient times. I am showering and going to the bathroom in the dark with candles.

On Saturday, we woke up, did our morning routine, and it was raining a lot so we didn’t do anything. We played keepy uppy, which is where you have a balloon and it’s where you don’t let the balloon touch the ground. We have to only hit it one time and wherever the balloon goes we have to hit it. I found the balloon under the chair. It was a cool find.

I went into the garden and we have bad news. I touched a certain tree, which the sap had a bad chemical. Luckily I didn’t eat it because it would make you sick and diarrhea. My hands started to feel frozen because the bad chemical/poison came onto my hands and started a really bad hurtness and itchiness. I couldn’t eat lunch and mommy had to feed me. We are going back in time everybody. I’m as young as Odin now.

After lunch, we put cream on my hands and I held onto a cup of ice and watched tv. Then we relaxed for awhile. I ate dinner, and right after I ate dinner I put my hands in a cool cold bath. I got myself into the cold water then I took a shower and then all of a sudden the lights were out and we heard the biggest thunderstorm we ever heard in our entire lives in Guatemala.

Then I rested my hands while the others played some card games and then I went to bed.

On Sunday, we woke up, we did our normal routine and we rested a little bit while Kayla and Kianna were sleeping. I went to the coffee farm and we ate outside. There was a hammock and a wooden swing. A little bit later something crazy happened on the swing, the swing slipped over and I was hanging upside down. I called my mommy to help me, I hanged on as long as I can and she saved me. I went on a little bit of a run with Kayla and a little bit of a walk with Kianna. I brought my walking stick through some muddy puddles and I accidentally got my left shoe so dirty. So then we walked a little bit more then we walked back to the restaurant. It was an outside restaurant. Then we played put put golf for fun. It was a nature put put. Then I got an ice pop. Then we walked and we saw this so cute dog, he or she loved Kayla and Kianna. He or she was so nice that she scared another dog away. Then we took an Uber, which means take a car ride back home. Then we went back home and still no power. We did our night routine and we played one game or go fish but the rest rummy. Then we went to bed.

Monday we woke up did our normal routine. Then we walked to school, we sat in a different room today. I like it. Me gusta (which means, I like it). I learned today but I didn’t write it in my book so I don’t remember anything. Then I had pausa (break) and we went to this cool breakfast place even though it was not breakfast. It was on the roof and we saw the volcano erupting. It was so cool.

We went back to school, then I learned more. Then I listened to Bones in Spanish and in English. Then we brought scrabble letters and we wrote words in Spanish. I think we won by 4 points, I think. It was veinte y cinco to veinte y uno (25 to 21). Then school was over. I came home, ate lunch, I had three hot dogs and some papas fritas (which means French fries). Then after we relaxed, the girls went to a cafe. After they were done with the cafe we played keepy uppy with sitting instead of standing. We had to keep the balloon in the circle. Our record was cuarenta y seis I think (46). Then we went to cerro de la Cruz and took gymnastics pictures. Then we took a picture with a butterfly wings. Everybody did. Then we went to a fancy restaurant and I was the king of the table. My cup said principe which means prince. I had steak, chicken, shrimp, I tried a chip with mashed up beans and pico de Gallo but I did not like it. I had corn and papas fritas. Then we went to Starbucks to tour ourselves. Then we walked to our ice cream place but they didn’t have ice pops so we walked to the ice pop place and I got an orange ice pop. Then we walked home and took a shower in the dark with the candle. Then Kianna wrote a English song in Spanish and I helped her with some of it. Then I walked to my bed and I did this blog. The end. That’s my long blog.

When the power goes out in the states my life basically comes to an abrupt halt. No internet, no air conditioning, no stove, no microwave no way to cook food, no cell service. I am talking a complete stand still. But here, power basically means no fridge and that’s all that is truly effected. We lost power last night shortly after dinner time. So we lit candles, a fireplace, and played cards. This morning Nicole and I walked to get coffee and picked up ice to turn our fridge into a cooler. I was able to still make breakfast on our gas stove, we were all still able to have hot showers thanks to our gas heater… and life went on with very little being effected by our loss of power. It’s 65 and sunny here, and we aren’t sweating to death, but rather enjoying the day at the coffee bean farm, naps in hammocks and trail runs. Sometimes going back to basics makes life easier.