I Did It! (Cue Rocky Theme Song)

No puedo creer que ya es mi ultima semana en Antigua!I arrived in Guatemala 6 weeks ago and like many things in life, the time flew by!! I've said it before and I'll say it again...I honestly feel like I just stepped off the plane yesterday (with my kind Texan friends that I had just met, by my side). To tell the truth, thanks to the latest news headlines I was unbelievably nervous about traveling in Guatemala. Leaving my husband and the comforts of the US was going to be a challenge, I thought. But the minute I stepped outside my host family's house that first day those feelings of worry vanished and I realized Antigua is just like any other city in the world. There are friendly tourists, food vendors selling food and hand made clothing, colorful buildings, kids gossiping as they walked to school, and locals to greet you with a pleasant 'buenos dias.'  Sure, the noisy and unpleasant-looking chicken buses and the armed guards with gigantic guns were a bit of an eyesore at first but I admit, they kind of grew on me (well, maybe not the chicken buses...). My point is, I had a few terrifying internal moments before I left the US (thank God, I didn't share these with my mom). At one point, I actually thought to myself 'is it too dangerous for me to travel to Guatemala?'  I now can honestly say no, it's not too dangerous...it's a fantastic country to explore! Fearing the unknown is normal. But not pursuing it is worse.

My walk to school followed this beautiful, colorful street. Much of Antigua looks just like this.

Senora de la Merced - The most impressive colonial church in the middle of Antigua. Due to many natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanoes, some churches have seen better days however this one remains beautiful.

Which brings me to my final weekend getaway in Guatemala (I'm in denial!). Taylor and I decided to board a shuttle (this time with seatbelts... say what?) that drove us straight to the beautiful beach of Monte Rico on the west coast. We honestly didn't have high hopes considering the current reviews from visitors that had been to the black sand beaches of Guatemala. Most people say they are nothing special but we absolutely fell in love with Hotel Delfin and its ambiance which is situated right in front of the inviting black sand beach of Monte Rico. We were pleasantly surprised that the weather was hot and the men and women were no longer clad in jeans and long sleeved shirts. This was the beach, baby, and it was time to throw on our birthday suits (just kidding) and relax in the hammocks with our favorite drink of choice (I'll take the Brahva beer for $1.20, por favor y gracias!!). So there you have it...that pretty much sums up our entire weekend. Yes, we were one of those all-inclusive tourists here. We ate, drank, swam, relaxed, studied, and slept all in one spot! For the record, the rest of Monte Rico is nothing special but this place? A gem.

We spent a whole day here, in this exact spot..no big deal, right?

Our weekend trip to the beach! Easily my favorite hotel in Guatemala.

But don't add us to the all-inclusive category yet...we did sign up for a night-time tortuga tour, in search of turtles that return back to land in the evenings each day to lay their eggs. The highlight of this tour however was not the turtles or eggs (which, by the way, we never found). It was the fact that we were able to speak (or should I say practice) our Spanish with our local guide. Jose literally knew zero words in English so we knew this was me and Tay's moment to shine! I have to admit we pretty much sounded like locals. Just kidding. But again this was another moment in our Spanish learning history that we'll never forget. We knew enough in order to get to know a stranger and although we struggled at times, he was very patient with us and I'd like to think he genuinely enjoyed our company. Despite the sand flies that ate our entire feet for dinner that night, I'd have to say hanging out with Jose and Taylor was the highlight of the weekend. Next time, we'll be back for those tortugas!

We were back in Antigua in no time and I finished out my remaining classes with my teacher, Judith. Overall, my experience learning the language has been better than I imagined. No, I'm not close to fluent and yes, I speak slowly but in six weeks I think I've come a long way. At this point, I feel I have the basic tools and new found confidence to practice back home or in other countries. Once again, I can highly recommend the Antiguena Spanish Academy as one of the best language schools in Antigua. I can't stress enough just how experienced, cheap and fun this school is. I can recall exactly how difficult my first few weeks were. Yes, I wanted to cry in almost every 5 hour session because I was frustrated. But I persevered and little by little I became competent enough to speak to strangers, read newspapers, and travel around without hesitation. In addition, I can't leave without mentioning just how lovely the city of Antigua is. An antique colonial city, this place is bursting at the seams with beauty. I'll never forget waking up every morning with a view of the three surrounding volcanoes as they hugged the city tight. This is a special place in Guatemala and I'll forever have a soft spot in my heart for it.

Here we are with our favorite teachers of all time! Thank you for teaching us everything we know about Spanish! So hard to say goodbye!

I estimate I consumed roughly 25 bags of mango while in Antigua. That's $.60 per bag and only $15 total. Man, I'm going to miss the precut, prepackaged, freshest mango I ever tasted.

Our classrooms tables were set up inside this beautiful garden. If you look closely you can see Tay and her teacher studying off in the distance.

I was in love with Janet's chile rellenos the first week I arrived. On my last night, she taught Tay and I how to make her famous recipe :)

I know you're well aware by now that one of my dreams in life was to learn and speak Spanish. I honestly wasn't sure if that dream was ever going to come true. It's silly how your mind can convince you otherwise. But thanks to the people and other fellow travelers I've met along the way, this dream was nothing but ordinary to them. On my part it simply took some guts, a little push from my man, the desire to learn, and the click of a 'purchase' button. A quick shout out to the other husband involved (eh um, Michael...Taylor's husband) who also encouraged us to follow our dream. Sure, we're nearing our 30's (alright, alright. I admit it. I'm 30.) but who says you can't learn a language at 30 or pursue whatever else you desire? So here's my official 'gracias' to my friends and family out there who didn't look at me like I had 13 eyes when I announced that I was going to learn Spanish in Guatemala for 6 weeks. You are so kind for supporting me and I only hope I can do the same for you! And to Taylor, mi hermana, who I was able to share this journey with. Simply put, I love having you in my life!

Chicken buses are recycled (but newly decorated) US school buses from 1970's. Thanks to the black soot that from the tail pipe of the bus

Rode in a chicken bus to the hot springs just outside of Antigua.

I haven't felt right saying this until now but I can finally say with certainty 'Yo puedo hablar Espanol!' How cool is that?!?!
Thanks to EVERYONE who followed me on my journey! I feel so lucky to have you as a friend or family member. What happening next, you ask? It's back to life...back to reality in Colorado! I can't wait to start our new life in Durango, Colorado!
Hasta La Proxima Vez, Lindsay

Trip Stats:
Total hours spent in Spanish Class: 135
Cost of classes and host family (includes 3 meals per day): $180/week
Total dollar amount spent on Mango consumption: $.60/bag or $15 in total (estimated)
Number of volcanoes climbed: 2
Favorite Guatemalan food (besides mango): Chile Rellenos
Scariest mode of transportation: Chicken buses (old school buses, decorated, & from the US)
Next bucket list item to be completed: Read Come, Reza, Ama (eat, pray, love) in Spanish