Dear Family and Friends,

Today marks the end of one adventure and a start of another. It is bittersweet to say the least. Through these past four months of traveling, I have learned so much about other cultures as well as myself. It definitely will be an experience that I will always remember and cherish (even if my memory is bad beyond belief...).

Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read this blog and supported me throughout this trip. If it was not for you guys, I am not sure how far I would have gone. You inspired me to keep on meeting new people, discovering new places, and writing along the way. If you would like to know about some of the top things I learned on my trip, check it out here.

I am sure this will not be the last post, as I have learned people can and do inspire us in all walks of life, but until next time...

Inspired por you,
Kristen

Dear Susie and Matt the Lovely Couple,

You two are absolutely amazing! Kailynn and I seem to say that every single time we parted ways with you and it's the truth. It was because of the two of you that we had such a great first work away experience at Big Fish Hostel in Cozumel.

When we first arrived you guys made us feel right at home. From setting up family dinners to celebrating Kailynn's birthday and Dia de Muertas, there was never a dull moment with you two. I couldn't ask for two better roomies, even if we just were on mattresses on the floor.

When we parted ways the first time, Kailynn and I felt as if something was missing at the hostel. Luckily for us, we got to see you guys again in Tulum and we had a blast! Thanks for not only finding us a hotel to stay in but for also showing us the delicious cheap eats and taking us snorkeling with the giant turtles and through the bat caves. Besides being our work buddies you became a part of our travel family :)

From your sweet relationship with each other after months of traveling together to both of your positive outlooks and experiencing all that life has to offer (especially cheap and delicious food-a constant bonding moment for all of us) you inspire me to keep traveling and live life to the fullest!

Safe travels and until we meet again...

Inspired por you,
Kristen

P.S- The next time we meet, be ready for a rematch in the game of Twos... You're going down ;)

Dear Family and Friends at Big Fish Hostel,

Thanks for making our stay at big fish hostel so incredible. This was Kailynn's and my first work away experience and it couldn't have been better. We hope to make it back again soon!

Not only did we have a great time exploring the beautiful island of Cozumel but we also loved meeting and hanging out with everyone at the hostel and hearing their travel stories and incredible diving experiences. Throughout our entire stay there, we made so many friends and felt as if we really had a new home away from home.

Thank you Bea for your delicious homemade Hungarian meals. Vivi thanks for always being so welcoming and helpful whenever Kailynn and I had questions. Molle thanks for being an awesome roommate and new friend!

Because of this entire experience working at the hostel, Kailynn and I both have been inspired to start something like this back in the States. Whether it is actually a hostel is still debatable, but like Big Fish, we want a place where people can have a home away from home and meet new people and hang out with friends.

Best of Luck Big Fish! You are one of a kind :)

Inspired por you,
Kristen

Dear Matt the Professional Hitchhiker,

It was a pleasure meeting you on our way to Mexico. I guess I should apologize to you first, as I know I was not the best of company considering I had a bit of food poisoning on the bus, but that’s another story… Regardless, I just wanted to say thank you. Because of you and your incredible stories, you not only made the bus ride go by quickly, but you also sparked the desire to venture further, travel longer, and discover more!

I think when doing anything for too long of a time, you can sometimes get bogged down, and I am not going to lie to you, it was happening to me with traveling and I was a bit homesick.

Anyways, when I saw you with your juggling bowling pins in hand and your long dreadlock hair, I was excited to talk to you, as your appearance alone seemed to tell a story. It wasn’t long before you started telling us about your stint of hitch hiking through the US and Mexico. From being offered plenty of drugs, falling in love one day with a beautiful blonde California girl who picked you up, all the way to being escorted off the highway in handcuffs by the police and then asking for a picture; your adventure sounds like something right out of the playbooks.

My friend, you could write a book with the kind of stories you had. Although I know that probably doesn’t top your list of things to do considering you still have too much life to live, I want you to know your stories inspire taking risks and being open to new people. Safest travels and best of luck with your juggling career!

Inspired por you,

Kristen

Dear Jessica and All the Other Children I Had the Joy of Meeting and Playing with,

Although you can’t even read this yet, as you are still learning your abc’s and 123’s in Spanish, I just thought you should know how much you made me smile. The very first time I met you, you gave me the biggest hug your little arms could manage and then you took my hand in yours and led me to your classroom as if I was supposed to be with you all along.

Every single day we came into the school, you or one of your many friends would welcome both Kailynn and I with open arms and the biggest smiles. During recess, you guys would show us all your cool tricks on the monkey bars, and then just come and sit by us, or more so, on us for that matter. There was never a dull moment with you, as you were either holding my hand or climbing all over me as if I was the actual playground. You never had a care in the world that we couldn’t speak your language fluently, and it was because of you, that it made it so easy to come to a new and foreign place feeling completely at ease and wanted.

I and so many other adults need to learn a few things from you and your other friends about how to be as wholehearted as you are. Besides your eagerness to just play, create, and learn; you also carry with you a complete and utter delightfulness- and it is not just that smile of yours (although that does wonders too). You were never there to judge us, and in actuality, you just accepted us, as we were. I hope you continue to grow, learn, hold on to your wonderment and stay golden.

Inspired por You,

Kristen

Dear Sara My New Sister,

I never thought in a million years that I would be a part of your crazy adventure of finding your birth mother, but like you said yourself, “you never know what is next with me,” and I am learning that is not far from the truth! I am still in awe of what happened with your journey, and because of that, it has taken me a couple of days to even process everything and come up with the right words to write you.

First of all, thank you for opening up to Kailynn and myself and allowing us to take a part in this huge life endeavor of yours. I know that must have taken a lot of courage to share your experience with two other crazy girls (as I am sure you now realize Kailynn and I both are). Also, the tenacity you have to actually take the necessary steps to do what you set out to do in the first place and really accomplish it is astounding to me. I know not everyone would have had the bravery to do what you did, especially with the constant setbacks that you had to overcome- such as the language barrier, the questions from various people, and your own fear of the “what will happen when I actually meet them?”

I can only imagine what you are feeling as of now, since you not only met your birth mother, but you also met many of your other family members. I am sure you are feeling quite a lot, whether that is tired, confused, happy, or a sense of accomplishment at this moment in time.

I wish I could just go to the store and pick you up a big pint of Cherry Garcia Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream to help ease the feeling of being overwhelmed, but since that won’t really work here, I just want you to know that besides finding your birth mother, you have found yourself another sister from the United States J I am so happy to have met you, and I will always look up to you for your bravery, determination, and positivity throughout this entire experience of yours.

Inspired por You,

Kristen

Dear Lezette Mi Madre from Guatemala,

It has only been 2 weeks since you "adopted" Kailynn and me. I was going to wait until we left town to write you a letter, but I just couldn't wait any longer, because you have already made such an impact on the both of us.

Besides having the two of us and one other host student, you have your hands full with your own 3 rambunctious, but quite adorable children who are aged 6, 10, and 11. Every single day, you make a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the 8 of us. From the typical beans and rice to some very creative and unique dishes, the meals have all been so great to try. Not to mention when you are feeding Kailynn and I, you are more so feeding two grown men with huge appetites. We even tried our hands in the kitchen one night to help you out and let's just say, it was not as easy as you make it look- day in and day out.

After every dinner we go over the homework you assigned us the night before and then you are back at it helping your other children with their homework. Your life is non-stop, all the time. Although I haven't experienced the life of motherhood yet, I know it is not easy, but Lezette you do such an amazing job at it.  I am so happy to have you as a mother figure in my life right now. It is so nice to know I am coming home every day to a warm meal and a home full of laughter, love, and generosity. Thanks for welcoming us into your home and letting us become apart of your crazy and wonderful family.

Inspired por you,
Kristen

Dear Teachers and Maestr@s Everywhere,

As I sit here and write this, all I can say is that I am in total awe of what you do day in and day out. What is your secret?  I will pay you money for this. Seriously. I have learned that bribing the kids with candy will not be enough.

Kailynn and I just finished our first day volunteering at the orphanage, and I think the best way to describe how I feel right now is to say that I was hit by a train- a very big freight train. Let me just describe our first day so you can understand what I am saying.

With no idea of what we had signed up for, the very first day we arrived, Kailynn and I were both given our very own classroom of about 20 little rugrats around the ages of 6 and 7. As quickly as the teacher had come in to give the kids directions and introduce me, she just as quickly left the classroom, leaving me on my own to make sure the kids followed suit. It was at this point that all hell broke loose in the classroom and it became quite clear that the consensus of the class was that they ran the class, not me.

Taking matters into their own hands, kids began climbing on top of desks, hiding under tables, and running out of the classroom. I should also point out at this time, that the very little Spanish I thought I had learned in the past weeks seemed to just disappear from my brain, right then and there. The only words I managed to remember were “No Mas,” which I think meant “do whatever you want” to the kids.  I will have to look that word up in the dictionary again...

For about two hours straight, I stood there trying to “manage” the children as they did anything and everything. This included drinking some of the cleaning products, blasting the cd player as loud as it could go, working on choreographed dance moves, rummaging and taking whatever they wanted out of the teacher’s desk, and playing their version of ding dong ditch, which meant running out of the classroom, coming back 5 minutes later to knock on the door, and disappearing as soon as I opened it, and then repeating this over and over again.. it was a scene right out of a horror movie.

My only goal became to make sure the kids didn’t die while they were in my presence, because God knows, they were not in my care. (I’m not going to lie, I was a bit worried about the one girl who drank quite a lot of cleaning solution). I think one of the only reasons I kept some of my sanity was the fact that Kailynn and I began to pass notes back and forth with each other via one of Kailynn’s students. We sent secret messages back about how much longer we should stay around, since neither of us had a clue when class ended. When the bell finally rang for lunch, I was left speechless and in a trance. All I could think was Day 1 down and mission accomplished- no one died.

Teachers, you have my utmost respect. Being able to not only gain the respect of the students, but also making sure not to kill any of your students (either by mistake, or consciously) is beyond me right now. I know I have a lot to learn and I am excited to do so, but all I can say at this point, is kudos to all of you who have accomplished this feat and continue to do so on a daily basis. Through all the sweat, tears, and broken backs that you may have encountered, I am pretty sure you have the most difficult job known to man. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your hard work.

Inspired por you,

Kristen

P.S.- For any teacher, I ever did not listen to or pay attention to, I am truly sorry. Karma in the classroom has returned to me now J

Dear Fabiola Mi Maestra,

Gracias por enseñarme español por tres semanas. Eres una muy buena maestra! Mi español es mejor porque estabas muy paciente conmigo. Cuando yo fui mala estudiante y estaba cansada, hiciste el español divertido. Tu y yo reimos sobre mi mal espanol y pronunciación. Me diste muy deliciosas galletas de chocolate y de frutas. La primera semana, fuimos al mercado y me ayudaste comprar frutas y verduras.  Me mostraste tu casa y yo conocí a tu madre. Fuimos a la escuala y vemos el gimnasio de los ninos. Es muy divertido. Muchas gracias por compartir tu vida conmigo y mi hermana. Yo aprendí mucho gracias a ti! Espero verte otra vez. Te deseo lo mejor!

Inspired por you,

Kristen

(P.S- I have to admit that this letter was greatly edited by an amazing friend, because my Spanish ability is still in the works:))

Dear Roxana the Best Student,

Sadly the time has come for me to leave San Pedro, but I am so glad I had the chance to meet you and get to know you. Unlike my Spanish, your English is incredible. You definitely win the award for being the best student!

Whether you wanted to have me as an English teacher or not, you got stuck with me and I am happy you did. You challenged me and taught me more than I think you will ever know. Half the time, you were actually my teacher. Thank you for always being very understanding and patient with me when I did not always have the answers. 

I had so much fun talking with you every day. Through our conversations, I learned so much about your culture. Whether we were talking about what a typical wedding is like or how the school system works in San Pedro, we always had something interesting to talk about. Thank you for also sharing with me the news of various situations occurring throughout Guatemala and San Pedro, such as Monsanto. It was very informative and something I want to continue to understand. I will always remember and cherish our conversations.  Best of luck in your future endeavors! Maybe the next time we talk, you will be in school becoming a lawyer, as you definitely are smart enough to be.

Inspired por you,
Kristen

Dear Natalie the Nurse,

I don’t think you will ever know the impact you made on Kailynn and I, as we only talked with you for about an hour one afternoon while eating lunch; however, because of you, we now know what our next adventure entails.

Kailynn and I had just arrived in San Pedro and we were happy to be there! The journey we had just taken from Belize included multiple bus rides which equated to traveling for almost two days straight. As you can imagine we were quite exhausted, but food always takes priority in our family, so there was no sleeping until that happened. Luckily our hostel had a restaurant, so we didn’t have to go far.

As we waited for our waiter, you and your friend asked if you could sit with us because all the other areas were taken. After exchanging the typical introductions, we found out that you two had been working at an orphanage for the past couple of months together. When we heard that, Kailynn and I both inundated you all with numerous questions, as we both have dreamt of volunteering at an orphanage one day. Thankfully, you didn’t seem to mind the questions, and very graciously gave us “the inside scoop.”

After hearing both the sad and uplifting stories you had about the orphanage, Kailynn and I looked at each other with the same idea in mind. It was our time to give back to the beautiful community of Guatemala that we have both fallen in love with. Although we had planned to go down to Peru to work, your honest stories of your experiences, both good and bad, encouraged us to get out of our comfort zone a little bit more.  You explained to us how volunteering is challenging, but also very rewarding and well worth it in the end.

We will be forever grateful to you for opening our eyes to another opportunity in Guatemala.  Thank you for also taking the time to give back to this wonderful community. Best of luck in your future endeavors, as I am sure you will be touching others like you did us and the children at the orphanage.

Inspired Por You,

Kristen

Dear Marley the Tattoo Artist,

You came in at just the right time. If I am being honest, I think Kailynn and I were becoming a bit bored of just talking to each other, so when you and your friend waltzed into the bar, we couldn’t have been more excited about the possibility of conversing with someone else.  You had a big smile on your face and the cutest dog by your side, so to me, there was no question, we were going to be friends.

After talking with you for just a little bit, you asked if we would like to hang out for the day so you could show us some of the local places. Since Kailynn and I were going to be staying in town for three weeks while taking Spanish lessons, we readily agreed.

The first stop was your tattoo and piercing shop, which was adorned with all things Bob Marley. The minute you opened up your shop, people started to come in and buy earrings and other paraphernalia. While we were waiting for one of your customers to come in to get a piercing, we sat on your big comfy couch and listened to your story.

You had lived in the United States for a while and enjoyed it, but while there, you had also become quite accustomed to hearing constant racist remarks at work or by your friends’ parents. Some of the stories you told us were absolutely terrible, but what was so amazing was that you dealt with this racism through humor. Every story you told us had us laughing hysterically. Through your stories it was obvious that you didn’t let the ignorance of others bring you down.                            

Unfortunately while in the United States, ignorance got the best of you too, my friend, and you ended up in prison for four years; however, it was while you were there that you were able to master your skill of tattooing. You even showed us your first ink needle which you made from a phone charger and a small piece of a Walkman player. I have never seen anything like it and it was absolutely incredible. I might have to make one myself…

After seeing your shop and your house, the next stop was the secret local hangout spot to swim. It was absolutely beautiful and it is probably one of my favorite places to go now. While we just sat on the rocks, we could take in the entire view of the lake and the volcanos around it. Sadly it began to rain so we had to end our Sunday Funday a bit early, but Marley, I am sure we will hang out again, as we had such a great time with you.

I just want to say thank you for being so welcoming and sharing some local secrets with us. You, like many other locals in this town, continue to confirm how friendly and hospitable the people of Guatemala are. Instead of holding any resentment or anger towards us or anyone else from the United States because of how you were wrongfully treated there, you welcomed us into your country, your town, and your house without a second thought.

Inspired por you,

Kristen

Dear Alberto the Hiker,

Although we didn’t speak too much to each other, as my Spanish skills are still comparable to my singing abilities (a.k.a- almost non-existent), you made such a huge impact not only on me, but on our entire hiking group, as we might not be alive today without you. Okay so maybe that is a bit of an overstatement, but really… With your resilient nature, we were able to make our trek up the tallest volcano in Central America, Tajumulco.

I don’t know how you do it day in and day out, but my friend, you must have legs of steel and a back of titanium. Are you superman by chance? While the rest of us were gasping for air and tripping over our own feet, you were the one carrying all of our camping supplies. You said it was about 75 kilos, but it must have weighed much more than that, considering it took two grown men to just put your backpack on top of the chicken bus.

I know hiking through Guatemala’s vast wilderness every day is your job and I’m guessing it must get easier as time goes on (or I can only hope that’s the case for you), but I also think that there are very few people out there like you who can endure what you do every single day with no complaints.

Not only is this hike quite a physical one, but it also is such a mental game. Through the beads of sweat which froze on top of our foreheads to the hail storm we got caught in during the middle of the afternoon, you just took it as it came with the most positive of attitudes and the most generous of actions. While I was being quite pathetic (yep, that is me sleeping on rocks...), you boiled hot water for us, cooked a delicious spaghetti dinner, and even created a mote around our tent so that when the rain continued throughout the night, it wouldn’t go under our tent and get our camping gear wet.

At four in the morning you were the one who had to be the dreaded alarm clock for the rest of us and push us to make it to the top of the mountain to see the sunrise. It was quite a memorable sight, but to have the motivation to do this hike with a bunch of strangers under the most extreme weather circumstances every other day is beyond me.

Your display of complete selflessness throughout the entire hike along with your motivating guidance, is something which I can only strive to achieve one day. Not to mention those legs of steel…

Inspired por you,

Kristen

Dear Hanna Lucia the Musician,

Your music touches many; however, what is most touching is your story. It is like a song that will never be forgotten and has a trembling, sweet melody. I think the only way to do your story justice is to share it, as you have done for so many others.

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, your mother came from Guatemala and your father was from the States. At the young age of eight, your parents divorced and your mother went back to Guatemala and you stayed with your dad, who quickly remarried.

At age 11, you were hospitalized for two weeks and given the diagnosis that you were a hermaphrodite. You were terrified and bewildered, as you had grown up a girl, but now you were developing more masculine features such as facial hair. With no mother to comfort you, suicide was never far from your mind. Fortunately, you were unsuccessful in these attempts.

While you were still trying to come to terms with your changing body, your dad sadly died and at eighteen you were kicked out of your house and given just enough money to make it to Guatemala so you could find your mother. When you finally got to Guatemala, you found out that your mother had also died, and with just the clothes on your back and the little money you had left, you began to play your guitar on the streets.

For the past 20 years, you have been on and off the streets making music and touching other people with your story. Besides the clothes you have been given from travelers that you have met along the way and your precious guitar, you only keep with you a book of simple notes from people you have met and who have been blessed by you. It is through these notes and your music that you say you are able to stay positive and continue to keep living.

Hanna Lucia, your story is one of pure determination and strength. Being a woman myself, I can’t even imagine experiencing what you have gone through. You are so positive and an encouragement to more people than I think you will ever be able to imagine. Thank you for opening your heart to me and showing me how much I have to appreciate in my own life. I think I can only leave you with the advice you left with me. “If you change your thinking, you can change your life.”

Inspired por you,

Kristen

Dear Harry and Charlie the English Lads,

Oh wow, there is so much I could say about you two considering we spent quite a lot of time together. Let’s be honest, you probably know way more about us than you actually want to…

Anyways, with that being said, we met both of you while kayaking on the beautiful Lake Atitlan. You guys were playing Frisbee in your kayaks and asked if we would like to join. With no specific plans ahead of us, we paddled on over and thus began our adventure through out Lake Atitlan for the next week or so.

There was never really a dull moment with the two of you--from being our first interviewees for our documentary to being our translators and bus buddies (and when I say bus buddies, I really mean bus cushions, considering we practically sat on top of each other on our Chicken Bus adventures).

You both were quite a lot of fun to hang out with and you reminded us of our two cousins back in the States. Who knows… maybe you are their dopplegangers, or they are yours? Regardless, you two became our travel family through your crazy antics and brutal honesty. We could make fun of each other (which happened quite a lot- see facebook message for evidence…). We could call each other out on our crap (both literally and figuratively) and we could just sit in silence comfortably (even though we know that didn’t happen very often).

You also really encouraged us to work on our documentary. Thank you so much for your participation and support. Also, thank you for finding us a sweet crib in Xela (a pizzaria...our dream home) and giving us advice for the rest of our trip.

Charlie, we will always remember you considering we have more pictures of you than all of us combined... this may be creepy, but you were destined to be in front of the camera my friend!

And Harry, what would we do without your Spanish skills? We probably would of ridden a Chicken Bus all the way to El Salvador... next time.

I am sure we will meet again, but for now, I will say adios amigos!

Inspired por you,

Kristen, Kelli, and Kailynn

P.S.- Your air biscuits are manky.

Dear Jam the Hippie,

I knew I wanted to talk to you the moment I saw you sitting at the bar. Not for the reasons most guys and gals want to talk when at a bar late at night, but rather, you had this peaceful presence about you. We made eye contact and both gave each other a passing smile right away, but it wasn’t until the end of the night that we actually started chatting and I am glad we did.

You had long dreadlocks held back by a purple bandana and your beard, which was braided, had green and blue beads strung throughout it. You wore a purple and blue lined shirt that hung around your thin body like a decorated draped sheet and your pants were of the same material, loosely hanging, to the point where it looked as if you might be were wearing a skirt. I am not sure if you were wearing shoes or not, as the bar was quite dark, but I would assume not, since in this town not many people do. Your eyes, which were as clear as the lake that I had been swimming in that morning, scanned the people around the bar, as you quietly sipped your drink.

As the night passed on, I finally came up to you and we introduced ourselves. You were originally from Canada and had traveled down here seven years ago. Although many people come to visit San Pedro and get “stuck” for a few months, it seemed as if you had no desire to ever leave. You did some online freelance work on the side to have enough for the necessities, but besides that, you were just enjoying your time here and fully embracing who you were without a second thought, even though you said that your family back home thought of you as a bit crazy.

I asked you how you were able to just pick up and leave everything else behind and be so confident in what you were doing, disregarding what society deemed as normal. With a voice that sounded as if you were putting a baby to bed, you spoke about the love of oneself and explained that “you must get rid of one’s ego in order to really be at peace within.” I asked how you were able to do so, as the concept was one I had heard of before, but never had been able to put into action. Your answer said it all. “You must take some LSD. But it must be a very large dose, so that you are able to go over the edge and defeat your ego. With just a small dose of LSD, your ego will win and you will not be able to fight back. DMT works too.” 

No response was needed as I just stood there with a smile. By that point, Kelli had heard it all and told Kailynn and I it was time to leave.  Although I am not sure I will take your advice on LSD my friend, I do have to say thank you for inspiring me to embrace exactly who I am, as you so easily do yourself. You do such an incredible job being you and because of that people just gravitate towards you.

Inspired por you,

Kristen

Dear Carlos the Businessman,

First of all, let me just say mucho gracias for finding us a bit lost on the streets of Antigua and taking the time to literally stop in your path and ask us if we needed help. I don’t know if you just telepathically knew we were looking for your hostel (Posada de San Carlos) but the thing is, if this were the case, it wouldn't surprise me at all. You have this incredible talent of finding someone that needs help or something that needs attention to fixing and literally the next minute you are there, working on it until it is okay again.

The minute that the terrace got a bit too sunny, you were putting up the umbrellas and the minute it got a bit too dark in the garden, you were lighting the candles. I have never seen anyone so fast on their feet with making sure everyone felt at peace and comfortable in a place which was not their own.

The very first evening, while we were sitting on the terrace probably in a bit of a trance and feeling a bit overwhelmed from the obvious lack of Spanish we knew, you walked right up and sat down next to us with a beer in your hand.

With no hesitation at all, you introduced yourself and proceeded to tell us all about your elaborate plan for the hostel and what exactly that would entail. You even gave us the tour of the terrace, explaining with great animation what your dreams were for the “next phase,” which included a few more bedrooms, a bar, and a hot tub to boot. I am not sure if you do that with all your guest or not, but the thing is, by sharing a bit of yourself, you made us feel so at home and we felt as if we were getting a bit of the “inside info.”

From that point forward, if we needed anything whether it was directions about how to get somewhere, who to take Spanish lessons from, or what to do in the city, you were our man and you never disappointed. You introduced us to your two friends, who became our body guards when we went out at night. You hooked us up with a sweet Spanish teacher, who was so patient with us, even with our lack of sleep, which led to our most graceful state of delusional laughter. More importantly, you shared with us what to do in your city of Antigua.

Carlos, you are a man of many coats, and you wear them all very well. You not only inspire hard work ethic, but you also inspire hospitality. The way in which you have such excitement and liveliness when telling stories makes everyone feel at ease. Thank you again for all you did for us. You will always be our first friend in Guatemala J

Inspired por you,

Kristen

Hola Family and Friends,

The day has finally come!! It is 12 am and in about 5 ½ hours I will be boarding a plane to Guatemala on a one way ticket with my two younger sisters, Kelli and Kailynn. I am not sure where the road will exactly lead us, but I do know that I could not be more excited and ready to go! It has been a long time coming, and it is just about time for me to get a little lost.

For the first weeks of our trip, all three of us will be venturing through the country with our backpacks in tow. After that, my youngest sister, Kailynn, and I will be heading down to Peru to work for a while until the wind blows us somewhere else or we get kicked out of the country. I guess whatever comes first.

It is a bit surreal to say the least and I can’t stop my mind from racing about the unknown. I am anxious, scared, excited, and most of all READY. Ready to explore; ready to learn; ready to discover; and ready to get on the plane FINALLY. 

I am sure this trip will be one that is filled with both exciting adventures (a.k.a- fending off some crazy mosquitos), as well as some personal discovery (a.k.a- learning how to keep track of important docs/ speaking Spanish…), but even with that being the case, these adventures are not what this blog is going to be about. I do not want to bore you with the typical “white girl” travel blog, but instead I want to introduce you to the people I meet along the way who inspire and bring a smile to your face.

Like any good book, TV show, or movie, the characters are what make the plot come alive; and I believe the same to be true with the people in our lives. People are the ones who challenge you, teach you, motivate you, and give you purpose. Without the people I meet, my story can only develop so much, and to be honest, it would be quite a dull read. So let the adventure begin and with my laptop in hand, I will try my best to keep you entertained with letters full of insight of the people around me and funny stories.

Inspired por you,

Kristen