Nicole writes…

I believe I now understand the Paloma question I posed last year (when I pondered how they got the market on all park fountains).

They are bullies. They harass the competition, poop on everything marking their territory, and dominate the park fountains of the world.

I watched this menacing aggressor harass the other and was instantly filled with understanding.

See said proof below…

Luca writes…

We woke up and did our normal morning routine. I learned some more. I sang a lot. Mommy met us at the pausa for a field trip. We went to the parque (park) to watch the festival/parade. They were celebrating Saint Santiago. There were a lot of people playing instruments, wearing their own hats and dresses and costumes, and there were only a few cars because there were so many people. It was muy interesante (very interesting). The drums and trumpets were my favorite part. I also liked seeing all of the little and big kids participating in the parade. That was cool. We went to eat lunch in a really cool garden. I put on a bottle wrapper attached to a bottle on my chin like a beard. We went home and I FaceTimed with my cousin Ady. Then we played monkey in the middle and after, I found a blind snake! I ate my favorite thing for dinner; spaghetti. I did my normal night routine. This is a short blog because it’s late. That’s my blog.

Luca writes…

We woke up, got dressed, ate breakfast, packed our backpacks for escuela (school), took our first day of escuela picture and caminamos (we walked) to the old school without knowing that the place changed. So, then we had to caminar more to the other location. Everyone filled out forms, and met our maestras (teachers). I felt happy to see my maestra again. Her name is Ms. Lucia, Kayla’s maestra is Ms. I don’t remember her name, Kianna’s maestra is Mrs. Rosa, and Tia’s maestra is Mrs. Cony. We first learned some words and then my favorite part was listening to música (music). Ms. Lucia played my favorite songs and she sang with me. A few of the new words I learned were; escucha (listen), corre (run), pega (stick), corta (cut), mira (look), and that’s all I can remember for now. Then it was pausa (break time) and I ate a galleta deliciosa (delicious cookie) and played ping pong with Kianna and Kayla. After break we learned and escuchamos (we listened) to more música, in English and then in Spanish. I wrote some words in my notebook. It was divertido (fun) and a little hard but I’m glad I’m learning. Then mom picked us up and we came home to eat lunch. I had the most delicioso pollo (delicious chicken), French fries and pan (bread). Then I played monkey in the middle with Kianna and Kayla. I was in the middle 3 or 4 times. It was so divertido. It rained a lot. We went to dance lessons but me and Kianna didn’t want to dance so watched and played a game. I liked watching everyone dance. There was a man there that was super tall, probably like 6’5. Then I ate some steak tacos, I just like the steak in the middle and the pico de gallo but not the tortilla. I ate everyone’s pico de gallo and even drank the liquid. It was so delicioso. Then I went home, and went to bed. The end. That’s my blog.

Michele writes……

So while the picture above at lemon represents where we started our day, it is by no means where we ended it. Our school moved,  and we were clearly the last to know.  Actually I was well aware the main school moved however I wasn’t informed that they closed the second location that happened to be a block (a 4 minute walk rather than a 12 minute walk) from our house last month.  So, with all best laid plans, we can still stumble and landed at the wrong location for our first day of school.  Here’s where the stress and logistics of a trip can feel heavy when you’re the one directing everyone.  So without missing a beat we rerouted to our new school.  The physical adjustment was far easier for me than the emotional one.  And here’s where we learn to pivot. Life can’t always be predictable.   If we stay fixed and rigid in our thinking in any situation…with set expectations, without the ability to pivot, then life can be even harder than it needs to be.  I had in my head what it looked like for my schooling experience.  It was familiar,  it was safe, it was predictable….. all until it wasn’t.  I think most of us in life keep from moving on,  or changing course in life because we refuse to pivot.  We stay stuck; in situations,  in relationships, in jobs, and in behaviors.  So here’s to getting unstuck.

I regrouped and was happy to see my teacher, even though I fear her greatly. For those of you who followed along last year,  I have the same teacher, and she’s hard. Yes, I chose her once again. I am either a masochist or I really wanna be forced to learn Spanish… only time will tell which it is.

Then, on our pausa (our break), I saw this on the wall at our coffee spot. Life is short, and in the big picture, the small stuff doesn’t matter. What’s important is to be present with others and to serve…. in whatever capacity we are able to.

We went to salsa lessons tonight and I am most proud of Kayla for taking the class with me, and secondly most proud of Nicole for stepping in and learning to be a lead (we were short on men). When I hit a wall tonight with being the decision maker of the trip, I was thankful Nicole stepped in. There were more peaks today than valleys, so I’ll be grateful for them both.

Holaaaa its Kianna I’ve decided to make my first blog about some of my favorite things so far (totally inspired by Michele gracias). For starters since it’s fresh in my mind (y mi estomago) I think my favorite dinner was what I had tonight at Tacool. I got steak tacos sooo yum. I do have to say the view from our airbnb in Lago de Atitlan was amazing so that definitely has to make it on this list. Also my favorite dog so far was a lil pug puppy we saw in San Juan at the lake when we climbed up the Mirador Kaqasiiwaan (yeah idk how to say it either) ; it was sooo tiny.

Sidebar: I’m kinda upset because I went to add some photos but realized I barely have any. Like I’m glad I haven’t been on my phone alot but I do want to make an effort to take more photos so stay tuned for that mis amigos.

With that being said #kiannaout 😘😘

Strong leg muscles

Bacon 

Steak

A ball to play with

My family

This spectacular trip

The Encanto house we are staying in

A bed to sleep in

Rocks to lift and the bugs underneath

The fan that’s in our room

Friends we are with

The different types of transportation; my favorite is the TukTuk

A match made in heaven

Nicole writes…

Please refer to my post last year for the first installment of this tale.

If you recall, there was a mysterious wall thumping that seemed to originate from the shared wall between Michele’s and my room. We never did report that we (despite thorough investigation) found no cause. We inspected behind furniture and the pictures hanging and found no secret hole where a little knocking gnome lives.

Cue night one of this trip, where in true viejita fashion I was asleep by 9. I woke from my sleep around 11 to the sound of vomiting, got up worried it was Luca, found him to be soundly sleeping, and returned to bed. I assumed I was dreaming.

Around 1am Michele asked me if I was ok because she heard me vomiting. It turns out she too thought the kids weren’t well and checked on them only to find them sleeping.

Nope, none of us vomited. Yes, all of our GI tracts are intact. It seems that the vomiting was just the unruly ghost that haunts our shared wall.

That same ghost also peruses the freezer on a regular basis and leaves it open. Perhaps it is a menopausal ghost with an affinity for the drink who occasionally needs a blast of cold air to cool her down.

We will continue our dedicated investigation and keep you all posted.

The mystery continues….

Are you married? No, divorced.

And your friend? No, she hasn’t found the right one.

And these are your children? My son, and her nieces.

But, Do you work? Yes.

A series of casual questions posed by our lancha capitan as we made small talk yesterday morning before leaving to San Juan. 

As the conversation progressed I was reminded that many women around the world, and moreso most women in this region, are not able to stop work, and travel across the world for two weeks, just because.

This, amongst many other things, makes me overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessings of;

Family who encouraged me to pursue a career that allows me to financially survive without a partner. 

Family who supported me through a divorce. 

Family, and a best friend, who support me in caring for and raising my son. 

The opportunity to introduce my son to another country and culture. 

A lifelong friend that encourages me to travel to and experience new places. 

That same friend who is a master planner and because of that planning, this trip with all of it’s intricacies, has gone so smoothly.

For the industry of the human race; the innovative ways that things can be done with such limited access to supplies and such difficult terrain will never cease to awe me.

This body, that even when I haven’t done the best job in it’s conditioning, continues to allow me to move around in this world.

For the family God sent me to, the people I am blessed to be surrounded by, my sons beautiful soul that God entrusted to my care, the free land in which I was born, and the opportunities I was afforded to get me to today.

But back to where it started; this gorgeous day, atop this magnificent volcanic lake. Experiencing all of it BECAUSE of these blessings.

Michele writes…..

In the dark of night along a lake in what many refer to as “a third world country” (though to me this country and the people are richer than most) I was privileged enough to engage in some really great conversations with the girls. Conversations that even without sharing the details (what’s shared at the lake stays with the lady of the lake) one can deduce that only moments matter. That sitting around a campfire with simple and complicated conversations matters more than anything else in this world to me. This place and this time gave me a chance to share and to hear things that, without this experience, I would have never known. Listening is easy when there’s no other distractions happening. Sharing is harder, but under the cover of night, a world away from reality, it’s easier to be a little freer. I will forever be grateful for this moment.

One of the stories I shared happened before Luca went up to bed. It was a story from my experience on Outward Bound in 1999. There were lots of layers to this story about Outward Bound, (including me almost dying both physically and emotionally). But the part that Luca was present for was about doing hard things and how there was a guy in my crew who showed up for me and helped me when I physically couldn’t carry my bag anymore (my 75 pound backpack). The funny part comes in when Nicole returns and shared Luca’s take away from the story. While putting Luca to sleep he said to Nicole…”Tia should have married Matthew…. the guy who carried her backpack.” So Matthew if you’re out there, I got some baggage you can carry lol 😆 jk.