Day 4: All the Chicken Buses

Before I came to Guatemala I was warned about the chicken buses - they are school buses that have been painted in bright coliurs and blast music, and it's common to have 3 people per seat. Muy squishy. They are super cheap and people pile in and can be daunting if you're not prepared for them to hurdle down the streets. But that's Guatemala, and it is actually a great ride. Which is great because to get to and from Vida, where I'm volunteering, it takes about 30-50 minutes each way. Luckily I have Meg with me each way so I'm not alone.

Here is a break down of my day each day:
7:00 AM: breakfast is served!
9:00 - 11 AM: Spanish class.
11:15 AM: head to Maximo Nivel (the volunteer HQ) to find other people for lunch
1:00 PM: head to the bus station
2:00-5:ish PM: volunteer with some of the cutest kids at Vida. There is quite the language barrier still, but I play a lot with the kids in the yard, and try my best to help them with their crafts and anything else they need.
6:00 PM: dinner is served and I am always late!
The rest of the evening is Spanish homework and often meeting up with other volunteers for a drink. EVERY night is ladies night at different bars. I've done 2 so far and I danced my butt off last night!

I have met some truly amazing people this week. From the other volunteers to Olga, my house mom, to the people at Vida to the locals, it has been great so far and everybody welcomes you into their life.

This weekend I am going to a place called Semuc Champey. There are waterfalls and hiking and caves and swimming and it all just sounds amazing. It is a 10 hour bus ride each way but I've been told it is worth it. !!!!

That's all I have for today, Mr. Moose lost an antler. On day 1 I think. I'm pretty sad, not gonna lie. Don't worry though, I won't let it ruin my trip.

Hasta luego!

Going On An Adventure

In 6 very short days I will be heading to Guatemala where I will begin the, er, beginning of a once in a lifetime trip.

I have so many feelings coursing through me right now, hence the insomniac post I am about to write. I am excited, nervous, scared, anxious, impatient, and a million other things. I'm not ready and yet I want to be on the plane already.

First off, I will be volunteering in Guatemala with children for 3 weeks. A month ago I held a fundraiser to help offset some of the volunteering costs and to raise money for the community. They have asked me to wait until I get down there to give them the money and see if I'd like to put it towards any projects I become involved in. In total I was able to raise $1200 and I am pretty proud of that.

Unless I stay longer to volunteer, after I'm done I will be looking for other backpackers to start my travel with. While I know I won't want to stay with the same group the entire time, I want to travel with people, partly for the experience and partly for safety. I'll be heading south from Guatemala and hitting up as many countries in Central America as I can: El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama. Then I'll head down to South America to tour Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Chile. That's the plan, but I know things change and that's part of what I look forward to.

Honestly I can't wait to get started on this journey and I will definitely be updating my blog. Finally, a reason to write again. I can't wait to take you all with me.

XO