Guatemala Day 1

                I believe it will be easiest to do a day at a time instead of trying to condense the entire experience into one extremely long post and leave some things out. So here goes!
        Leaving for the airport at 3am was probably the hardest part of the day. I made it to the airport on time though and said my goodbyes. The team met up and checked in our baggage. We then found our gate and grabbed some breakfast. The flight to Miami only took a couple hours and then we were finding lunch and enjoying a layover. We all had our last minute conversations with our loved ones and boarded the 2.5 hour flight to Guatemala City. It was an unreal feeling to be leaving American soil for the first time. The view of the ocean and the many islands was stunning! Cuba is magnificent from the clouds so I can imagine it is even more wonderful on the island. As we started our descent we could see the beautiful mountains. At first it seemed very similar to home but soon it was clearer and distinctly different. The airport is not air conditioned and the walk way to the baggage claim has a large skylight over it, making it a warm welcome to Guatemala. We were soon through customs and venturing outside to meet the rest of our new team. The shuttle vans were like many others I had seen before and did not seem special. The drivers loaded our luggage, we briefly met the interpreters and the NP from Utah, and then we split up and loaded for the 4 hour drive to Los Robles. The drive through Guatemala City was an overwhelming, exciting, and interesting journey. The influence of the US is immense and almost shocking. From McDonald's to Pizzahut the streets were filled with many american restaurants. Advertisements are literally everywhere and the streets were clogged with travelers merging in and out of traffic. Some of the scariest or most talented driving I have ever seen honestly. We also came across a car that had overturned on the main road. Everyone seemed to be okay and traffic was quickly rerouting unlike in America where everyone has to slow down and look. Soon we were out of the hustle and bustle and started seeing less and less advertisements and more of the gorgeous country side. We had great conversations and began the process of getting to know each other. about mid-way we stopped for a bathroom visit and I bought my first souvenir. A rainbow colored hand woven scarf. We were soon back on the road where I saw a silver Protege5. :) The farther we drove away from the city the less dense and modern the communities were. The small village of Godinez was just up the hill form our location and we stopped there for phone cards for a few and there was a 1st gen Miata there! We then arrived at Casa de Sion, our new home for the next 8 days. It was even more beautiful than the pictures we had seen. The crew unloaded and looked around. Soon our luggage was unloaded and we were choosing our rooms. After settling in for the evening we all convened outside for our first meal together. Beans and Rice. It was the first of many wonderful meals! We had a short meeting and discussed the plans for the next day before heading off to catch some long awaited sleep. It was a long and eventful day but it was only the beginning to what would be a life changing and inspiring trip filled with lasting memories and friendships.

xoxo