Rocking that *International* Paradise

A while ago, I spent an evening trying to convince one of my best friends to embark on a roadtrip with me next summer, even though, I explained, I realized my original “Summer 2014 plan” had consisted of spending my entire break close to home with family and friends. “You just can’t sit still, can you?” she asked good naturedly.  I’d never thought of it that way, but she’s right.  Not in the physical sense as in sitting in one place to complete a task.  I can do that.  But it’s true that I am happiest when I am busiest.  I like to live my life full.  A calendar with commitments written on each day gives me glee.  I don’t sit at home relaxing by myself often.  I can’t sit still. Last weekend was a prime example of the way I try to do everything. Friday after my work day was done, I entered the school library for my last class in the 2 nd course of my masters program.  (Have I mentioned I’m working on my masters through a prog...

When you live in Guatemala City, you hear a lot about “the Lake”—everyone’s favorite place in the country, it seems.  And so, almost 3 months into my stay here, I was looking forward to my first trip to the fabled Lake Atitlan. Last Friday, after the Kite Festival, our caravan of 2 Honda CRVs followed the meandering, sometimes pothole-ridden roads to and around the lake to arrive at our hotel in Santiago Atitlan by mid-afternoon.  After we’d dropped our belongings off at the room, we ventured down to the pool and hot tub, which overlook the lake.  The view was breathtaking.  At 4:30pm, the light glanced off the surrounding volcanos and hit the water in a picture of perfection.  And because the property around Posada de Santiago (where we stayed) is so well-groomed and filled with flowers, sitting in the hot tub we had a sigh-worthy view in 360 degrees.  Saturday morning, Annette, Carrie, Nikki and I hiked up a ridge for a view of...

I've been learning about the Latin American celebrations of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) since I started studying Spanish in middle school.  Last weekend, though, was the first time I had the opportunity to experience the celebration authentically. We had no classes on Friday, November 1st, in honor of the tradition.  My friends and I took advantage of the day by going to Sumpango, where each year they hold the Festival de los Barriletes Gigantes (Festival of the Giant Kites) next to the cemetery.   We walked first through the cemetery.  It really is true that el Dia de Todos Santos (Nov. 1) is a celebration.  The above-ground tombs were freshly painted in bright colors and covered with pine needles and flowers.   At some graves, family members still worked to decorate even that morning.  Ice cream vendors pushed their carts up and down through the pathways, ringing their bells and selling cones of bright yellow ice cream topped with a...