First I woke up early and had scrambled eggs for breakfast. Then we had to go somewhere like where the yoga was and we had to take an Uber up a mountain and then hike the rest of the way up. Yoga was fun, and a little boring, and a lot of stretching. The view of the mountain while we were doing yoga was magical. Once we finished we hiked halfway up the mountain to go into the reception center to get a little brunch. I played ring toss and I got the ring on the hook one time. They finally had pancakes without milk in it so I ate that and with some syrup and it was a little sweet but good. The hike was so tiring that we had to take a break after every 20 to 30 steps. We got super lucky because other people got an Uber and we came at the exact same time as they got there so we got that Uber and drove back to Antigua to our house. Once we got home we chilled for a bit while Ms. Christine went out for a walk because she didn’t come with us for our yoga. Then we chilled for a bit and I had a little snack and then Ms. Christine bought a lot of fun stuff for her house and for here and then we walked to pottery. Mommy and Ms. Christine went first and Mommy messed up a few times but eventually she got it. Ms. Christine stayed focus and only messed up like one or two times. Then it was my turn. The crazy thing is, I was the only one who didn’t mess up at all! Mommy made a mug cup, Ms. Christine made a tiny bowl. I made a medium size bowl. Then Tia went and she made a special kind of plate for food. It was so fun that I wanted to do it again. When our pottery clay was drying I didn’t know that it would take a week and a half to dry! Once we finished pottery we walked to an amazing music restaurant and I had a burger with fries and we played a lot of cards. So then when we got home I took a shower and then I hanged out in the sala/living room for a bit then went to bed.

Today I woke up at 7:15 and ate scrambled eggs for breakfast. Then Mommy and Tia went to the market to get supplies for Maggie’s friends and her coming for lunch. We had spaghetti and meatballs. You might be wondering what me and Ms. Christine did…well, we watched a movie called Leo. Once Tia and Mommy got home they prepared food for Maggie’s friends to come over. Then me and Ms. Christine continued to watch a movie, Leo. Once the food was done it looked so good. I played baseball with a stick and ball before Maggie’s friends came over and they were super tall. We had lunch and played the piano. It was the best lunch. I give Tia’s cooking a TEN out of ten! Ok, once they left, I did Duolingo with Ms. Christine but then Maggie’s friends and teacher all had to go to the bathroom and their teacher forgot their cheese so they came back and did what they needed to do and then left. Then it was time for the most important event of all, the soccer game !!! So we took a tuk tuk to the place and I sat in the very back where the engine is and once we got there there was a gigantic line where all the people wanted to watch the soccer game. The teams were Antigua vs. Marquense. Once I got here I had potato chips and the best part, Antigua won 3-0!!!!! Woohoo! #20 on the other team got hurt six times but after the 5th time he refused to leave the bench, but after the 6th time, he really was hurt and injured. A lot of people kicked each other and the game was so crazy in fact that one player got ejected, and that was #3 on the Márquense team. There was a lot of music from the band because we were rooting for our home team Antigua and they won so that’s great !ok, we left ten mins early because it gets so crowded in fact we can’t take an Uber. We didn’t get an Uber and so we walked home and pitch black and we could see something but basically we couldn’t see anything. Luckily we made it back home safely and then I took a shower and I was so tired I had to go to sleep.

Today was the most important day of Spanish school. I had a presentation about chips and salsa. But first I woke up at 6:45am and had cereal for breakfast. We walked to school and first we learned about feelings first and then we had to make the salsa. It was a Guatemala’s salsa called Guatemalteca. We had to cook the tomatoes until the skin was black and soft. Once all the tomatoes were black and soft we crushed them into small pieces and then we did it again and again and again. The rest of the ingredients for the salsa was cilantro, red onion, and lime. Once it was all finished it looked so good to eat with the chips. Then it was time for the presentation. Everyone in our family participated but not Mommy because she already knows Spanish. I went first. My voice was super nervous and I was about to stop but I pushed through it and once I finished I was so happy I got it over with. Then it was Ms. Christine’s turn and hers was so funny 😂. Then it was Tia’s turn. For some reason all the adults had a lot of words to say and including Tia. She did super good and all of us did super good. When everyone went the most favorite thing of all that I loved was chips and radish salsa!!!! That was so good! Then I got back to learning in school and I played a bunch of games with my teacher. Once I was finished with school we walked home and ate lunch. Then we chilled and then at 4 o’clock we walked to salsa lessons and I brought my word search because it was too advanced for me. Once we finished we ate dinner at the most fanciest restaurant in town and we had the best view because we had a light show where the projector projected really good stuff on the ruins. I talked to grandma and she just wanted to say that I did good at the presentation. Then we walked home and took a shower and went straight to bed because I was so tired.

From the minute that I got here, I was completely amazed at this Airbnb Spanish mansion built in the 1500s. What an absolute treat! Let’s take a tour, shall we?

Whether it’s sitting in the courtyard patio to drink, coffee, hanging out in the living room and playing ping-pong, cooking in the kitchen, or just sitting and having a glass of wine, it’s completely fantastic.

Patio by the courtyard

Inside the front door, you can park your car here

Bedroom i’m staying in to the left of the bench

My bedroom, bathroom to the left. It’s so cute!

Today was really fun. What can I say, I woke up and had coffee and a beautiful courtyard garden. Then, Michele and Nicole lovingly went to the market to buy all the ingredients for an amazing super lunch that we prepared for her niece Magie and all of the high school students on their Spanish school trip to Guatemala with their teacher. Luca and I watched an absolutely fantastic movie called “Leo”.

I also got a mini adventure of getting to go to two local markets to pick up sodas for the kids. The streets of Antigua were filled today as the lights of Antigua festival is still going on. After an amazing lunch, we went to the soccer game at the Antigua Stadium. What a great game! Antigua won of course …3–0. I forgot how much fun it was to go to a soccer game with front row stadium seats! Almost forgot our trip in the “tuk tuk” to get to the game. I still can’t believe we all fit in this tiny little truck, it looked like we were getting out of a clown car when we got there, lol. 

And it is…a beautiful day to remember in Antigua. For my second day of Spanish school, I never would have thought that I would present a dish of potatoes with rosemary and garlic, and complete a presentation on how I prepared a meal in a small kitchen in Antigua with my Spanish teacher, Naoemi. My presentation was totally in español!! 😃 Chefs, I prepared for you today…Papas en Romero E Aho (potatoes with rosemary and garlic).

Luca made a homemade fire grilled tomatoes salsa, and Michele made a delicious cucumber salad called Pepinoes. Everything was delicious, and now I have a new recipe for a radish salsa, which was so tasty that Nicole brought home all the ingredients from the market and Michele prepared a giant bowl for a mud-afternoon snack!!

Our chefery was then followed by amazing conversations in Español about mi familia and Naoemi’s familia. We shared photos and stories about our families. It truly is amazing that when immersed in language, how easily one can pick up on it. The people in Guatemala are super friendly and welcoming. They speak Spanish slowly and are all around kind hearted.

Other highlights… We took a Bachata and salsa lesson, had an amazing margarita, and then followed up with a delicious steak dinner at a very bougie, yet inexpensive steakhouse called Escobar. Also watched the light show for the Lightsof Antigua Festival…. Front row seats with the windows open and the breeze blowing. We took a stroll through Central Park to watch the Mayan Antigua lights Festival and headed back to our beautiful historic Spanish mansion built in the 1500s!

I’m still in awe… This is my second day! 😍

I am truly grateful to experience this amazing trip with the two wonderful amigas, Michele and Nicole, not to mention the extraordinary super kid… Luca. My heart is full. ❤️❤️❤️

Today was my first day at La Union Spanish School. Five hours of 1:1 Español. Pardon my Español . My teacher’s name is Naomi. She is 40 years old, lives in Guatemala and during the year she is a teacher for kids age 6 through 12. She teaches grammar, culture, Guatemala, social studies, science, math, and languages, including Japanese, Portuguese, Italian, And English. I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much of a language in five hours. We even played a game of goldfish with opposite cards with Luca and his teacher Kenya. Of course, Luca won with 7 siete pairs, while me, Naomi and Kenya had six pairs. The phrase is “no tengo. Pesce.”

During our “pausa”, (30 minutos break) we had an amazing Cubano cordito, which is different than a regular cordito. Cordito has milk, no sugar and Cubano cordito has sucre plus Leche. For lunch, Michele whipped up these Incredible, when I say incredible…., I mean Incredible tortillas with steak, cheese, beans, and rice, avocado, and delicious spicy salsa. For a snack, she then cooked up these sugar dipped plantains fried in olive oil. And for dinner, chipotle bowls. And of course, the venito (the vino rosso). Salute, I mean, salud.

Carla writes…..
Traveling to Guatemala was such an awesome experience, but taking my girls on their first international trip? That was next-level magical. And a little chaotic. But mostly magical. Watching them take it all in — from the moment we landed to their 100th “Wait… they do what here?” — was like seeing the world for the first time, all over again.
Let’s just say, Guatemala didn’t know what was coming… and neither did we.

The Cousin Bond & the Auntie Squad
One of the absolute highlights? The girls finally got to spend quality time with their cousin, Luca — aka their personal tour guide, giggle partner, and chaos coordinator. They adore him. Like, “can we pack him in our suitcase” adore him.
And then there were the real MVPs of this trip: Auntie Nicole and Michelle. These two amazing women didn’t just guide us — they elevated the whole experience. Think: adventure coordinators, snack suppliers, Spanish class cheerleaders, and loving aunties all rolled into one. With them, the girls thrived. Seriously — it was like having the Wonder Women of Guatemala travel at our side.

Spanish School & the Surprise Win
Now, I’ll admit — when we first told the girls they’d be going to school on vacation, I braced for the “Are you kidding me?” stares. But surprise! The Spanish school ended up being one of their favorite parts. They loved learning the language and getting to know their fun teachers. It was part classroom, part cultural exchange, and part me wondering if they’d come home correcting my Spanish.

Adjustments, Curiosity, and Growth
Living in Guatemala meant doing things a little differently than we do back home. The WiFi wasn’t always strong, showers were… creative, and we are now professional walkers. But what amazed me most was how open the girls were — even when things felt strange or challenging. They stayed curious. They asked questions. They tried new things. Sometimes reluctantly, sometimes fearlessly, and always with open hearts.
They noticed everything — how people got around, how they lived day to day, how they hustled everyday . And let’s just say they think some things are more fun here 🤣

Leaving With Full Hearts
The girls came back from Guatemala with more than souvenirs and mosquito bites. They came back with new words, new bonds, and a new sense of the world around them. And I came back with even more pride (and maybe a slightly new coffee and chocolate addiction…thanks Nicole 🤣).
Guatemala gave us adventure, but more importantly, it gave us connection — to each other and to a place we’ll always carry with us.
Till next time Antigua!

The most unexpected thing that happened today was that I had found a paper towel brand called Encanto! So we went to the store called Dollarcity and another unexpected thing that happened that the store had air conditioning 🌬️. Usually, Guatemala stores have no air conditioning but this store has air conditioning. Then, we walked around the store and then I found it. The Encanto paper towels! If you don’t know what I’m talking about Encanto, we call our mansion/ big house Encanto because in the movie Encanto, our house kind of looks like the movie Encanto’s house. That was the most unexpected day of the Guatemala trip so far.

The End.

Here is the picture

Me and Michele we usually cook together but when we were making our chipotle bowl we made like a little dance but we never got to do it but when we wake up when we go to the airport I think we can do our dance. It goes like this. Cooking an egg and shaking the leg and cooking and shaking and cooking an egg. But we didn’t get to do it it was only for the chipotle bowl. We can do it any meal we want. It’s a cooking song and we were cooking.