After breakfast, I hugged Chelsie and Sarah goodbye – since Chelsie was going on a volcano trip and Sarah was leaving for Nicaragua. I then gave the envelopes with their “tip” and a little thank you and (hopefully inspirational)note I wrote to Lorena and Rosenda.
Since I had some time before the shuttle to the airport was going to pick me up at Olga’s place at noon, I decided to (finally) walk up to the Cerro de la Cruz.
Then, on the walk back to Olga’s place, I went to a local souvenir shop to buy some things, and went to the market to buy flowers for Olga. I had to haggle a little and was able to get some for 25 Quetzales (About US$3).
As my shuttle came to pick me up, I said thank you and goodbye to Olga, Lorena, and Rosenda. I was truly thankful and grateful for their hospitality and I was sure I wanted to come back to the same place next year – hopefully with better Spanish skills. As I went outside to the shuttle, Dennis came out and said goodbye.
As the shuttle pulled in the airport…. a car with a Georgia Tech sticker in front of us. Whaaaat?
So… entonces… My trip didn’t “feel” life changing immediately after leaving - it felt like it really was everything I expected. It confirmed how badly I wanted to dedicate a large part of my future life to helping others.
But after getting “home” to Atlanta and being slightly shocked at the lifestyle I had been living, I realized that I truly loved and already missed the simple life – which, probably comes from people not being able to afford the “things” we take for granted living in a more developed country. All the materialism, commercialism, and western-style personal competition (like “keeping up with the Joneses” or making sure we have “the latest and greatest”) gives us never-ending clutter, crap, and junk that we somehow feel like we need. “Stuff” that definitely doesn’t help us relax or be genuinely happy.
The trip solidified where I would like to live in the long-term and what I want to do, and ultimately showed me the amount of joy I get from being able to help people – especially the people that not only need it but also have a true appreciation for it. It’s an amazing feeling when you know you can help so many people – and I look forward to putting all the plans in place and being able to go back every year to try to make more of a difference each time.
Thank you Guatemala. I will see you again in a year.
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