Chasing the Sun: And then one month happened...

After Atitlan I got just so sick, and it was the worst ever. I made my second trip to the doctor with Gloria and Savannah, it was so fun. A series of exciting events led us to understand that we had an infection, possibly from the water of lake Atitlan and were prescribed antibiotic....little did I know that this would lead to a toxic cocktail of all the medication I've been on: Antihistamine for the bed bugs, malaria pills, medication for nausea, and a strong antibiotic for my stomach. Severe anxiety ensued. Two nights of no sleep followed by 2 panic attacks...things I have never experienced in my life. Late into the second night, my dad sat on the phone with me offering support in any way he could and in that moment he did something I will hold with me forever...I am almost 21 years old and while I lay in Guatemala and he in Minnesota, he sang me to sleep.

The next day I made my third trip to the doctor with Gloria and Ruth to get some happy pills. After a couple days of recuperating and a change of scenery I am doing great now, and I never want to go back to that icky dark place. I'm so lucky for the people around me that helped me climb back out and am forever grateful.

Last Sunday we departed for Chizabal, a rural community just 30 minutes outside of Xela. This place was incredible. It was nice to be out of the city and in a much more relaxed space. We spent 4 nights there. Savannah and were paired and lived with a great family. A husband and wife who were in there twenties, and Kimberli, their daughter who is turning 8 two days before I turn 21. My Spanish might not be very good, but the compassion of the people in this town crossed all language barriers. We spent time playing with the children, hiking down the mountain right behind our house, and connecting with our host mom, Doris. I did not want to leave.

We also had our last 4 days of Spanish in Cantell and did fun activities each afternoon: a cooking class where a woman taught us how to make a traditional meal, the natural hot springs that blew my fricken mind, and we met with a natural doctor who taught us all sorts of fun things. Showering also was a thing that didn't happen which is cool.

Another fun thing that's been happening is the level of bonding between the group over discussions about the fun bodily things happening to us all. It's the best.

I loved this town and I will really miss it. We made our way to Xela yesterday afternoon for one night and are now in Antigua for one night...and tomorrow morning we head back to Guatemala City to hop on a plane to Costa Rica!!! I can't believe it's already been a month. I really cannot wrap my head around it.

Meanwhile, Zo is stomping through Paris and Emma is drinking her way through Italy. The adventures are SO REAL.

One thing that I have been struggling with is the empty goodbyes. When I left my home I said goodbye to my people and it was so hard, but I left knowing I would see them in 4 shorts months. In the past week I have had to say goodbye to many people and places that I'm not sure I will ever see again, and that is painfully difficult for me to wrap my head around. Gloria, Doña Maria Teresa, Paty, Fidel, Doris, Kimberli, Cantel, Xela and so many other people and places that have touched my heart. I feel like I am leaving little pieces of me everywhere I go and picking up little treasures for my soul along the way.

"Happiness keeps you sweet. Trials keep you strong. Sorrow keeps you human. Failure keeps you humble. And god keeps you human."

At the natural hotsprings. Fuentes Georgina. Hot water comes down from the volcano and there were 3 different pools that were different temperatures. Amazing!