Hola. Si. Gracious.

The language barrier is SO REAL. I am able to use maybe 10 words right now. I am feeling very angry at myself for neglecting my Spanish classes so much in the past years. Hopefully with some practice it will come back to me. But until then I am lucky that many of the students I am with speak it well and translate and speak for me. And Ruth, the woman who is traveling with us the whole trip, translates for all of our speakers. Ruth is the bomb. Her job and her work is so selfless and it's so comforting to have her in such unknown territory. 

I have already done so much and am absorbing my surroundings like a sponge. I keep having moments like in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty where the things I see are too good to photograph. And I know a picture would never do any of this justice. So instead I just gawk and lose my mind with my friends. 

I have learned that the process of culture shock is like a W. Many ups and downs. I'm very obviously at the initial peak of "holy shit this can't be real". The amount of times "I just can't even" has come of my mouth is embarrassing but I'm embracing it because I really just cannot right now. 

We had two speakers yesterday, one in Guatemala City and one in Antigua. They were incredible and there messages were powerful beyond words. The knowledge they have about their country and the passion they hold after what they've been through is admirable. After yesterday I can't even imagine how life changing this whole experience will be. I can't wait. I am so naive and it is hard but I am feeling every feeling and focusing on the positive more so than the negative I feel. I know guilt is also a big part of culture shock and I will work through it. 

I over packed severely. If only my sister could follow me wherever I go and unpack and repack for me daily. 

I want to buy every thing I see.

We meet our host families on Friday and that's fun. Oh and we are climbing a volcano on Saturday. Like...I just CANT ya know? 

We went out in Antigua last night for the first time. There was live music and people dancing everywhere. On a Tuesday. Naturally the first thing we did was a round of tequila shots. When it Guatemala. 

My bubble is being bursted more and more by the minute and it's the best thing ever. I've craved this my entire life.

I worry for when I have my first dip in the W of culture shock, but it's inevitable and probably coming soon. I am already building strong relationships with the other students I'm with and I know I will figure it out and they will help me...

Okay so I wrote that whole part on the way to Xela and then hit the first slippery slope of culture shock. It's been a very hard day. A lot going on. A lot of togetherness with the group. Life is overwhelming in every aspect and I shut down when that happens.  I'm just really glad I've connected so well with some of the people in my group and feel comfortable talking with them. I got to skype with Michael tonight which calms my spirits tremendously. I'm lucky to have him help hold my head up in times like this. As well as my family of course. 3 days and I already had a meltdown. Hopefully that means that by the end of the weak I'll be through this emotional roller coaster. But anyone that knows me well knows that isn't possible. I will bound aimlessly on this path and I know it will lead me to so many wonderful things. 

Adios,

Hannah 

I am only able to connect to internet through my phone right now, so I will share the beautiful pictures I have taken with my camera later! 

Our cute room in Antigua!

On the rooftop of our hotel in Antigua!

Cheers to the next four months! 

Rooftop of our hotel in Xela. Loving the sunshine here! 

Ready or not

I said my final goodbyes at 5am this morning and hopped into the security line. It was hard but I was in such shock that I was just running on auto, having a hard time feeling anything. It also could have been that it was 5am and I hadn't had any coffee yet. Big mistake. 

Two steps, stand, two steps, stand...25 minutes later I was in. The first thing I did when I got past security was buy an orange that was about the size of my head. I don't even like oranges very much. I guess I thought it would please my mother. Sorry mom, I didn't eat the orange. I had a window seat on the first flight. Score. I got to watch the beautiful sunrise from above the clouds. And then I took my first breathe. This is really happening. Queue stress sweat. I packed 3 pairs of headphones, super necessary. But did I pack any that I could easily access? No. Logical Hannah. 5 dollars on yet another pair. Spotify premium. So clutch. One Direction obsession is still in full effect.

About 30 minutes before landing, the woman next to me and I began talking about our travels. Right before we landed she turned to me and asked if I was okay. Instantly I started crying. She asked about what I was the most nervous/sad about. And then she said a prayer for me. Tears in both of our eyes. It was exactly what I needed. In that moment I knew everything was going to be okay. God sure has a way. Thank you Amy.

I then navigated my way through the Miami airport. I didn't know what a tram was until today. Hashtag sheltered. I met up with 7 of the 8 students I will be traveling with over the next four months! Yeeeeek. They're all very nice and I'm looking forward to getting to know them all well.

I couldn't stop looking out the plane the whole way to Guatemala. Beautiful landscape everywhere. The whole trip went very smooth and I'm happy to be settled in for the night. We are staying in a hostel tonight, traveling to Antigua tomorrow for a day, and then we'll make our way to Xela (pronounced shay-lah) where we will spend 3 
weeks in a home stay. I'm in total culture shock. And exhausted. Haven't slept more than 3 hours in 2 days. 

When I woke up this morning it was -13 degrees and felt like -35. Now I sit here writing this in 70 degree weather with the breeze blowing through the window next to me. What a trip. I'm not complaining. Apologies to my fellow Minnesotans facing the tundra back home, but I probably won't shut up about this beautiful fricken weather. We have a serious day of travels and adventures tomorrow so I'm off to nap land. Until next time.

Here I am,
Hannah

You jumped

I sit here this morning, drinking my morning coffee reading the blogs of my favorite girls who are breaking down barriers and learning how to live in another country. Alone. They are my role models. 

I am a planner. While I am also good at being spontaneous and changing plans at any time, I like to know initially what I'm doing when I'm doing it. And in 4 days I am doing a cannon ball off a cliff into the unknown. I will be moving into a home with strangers who speak another language. I will be alone. And that's scary. But it will be okay. Actually it will be f*cking fantastic. 

I sit here in the comfort of my own home. My cat in my lap, the fire on, and my parents sitting next to me. I am content here, I am safe. And while I am here I get pictures of Emma's pussing toes (ew), I admire her for how outgoing and strong she is, making friends 10 times faster than I ever could and forgetting about her sore feet due to pure joy. And then I get a message from Zoë telling me about her sketchy, moldy apartment and how "homey" it is beginning to feel. I admire her for her adaptability and bravery. You girls are my happy place and I can't wait to carry your stories to the other side of the globe with me. 

I will have the time of my life. I will see things that will make my jaw drop to the floor. I can't wait. Time for me to jump. 

Cowabunga! 

Hannah 

Bitch I be travelin!

I apologize for the vulgar title, you can blame my siblings.

I received an email last night from a woman who runs the show for our program giving us final details about registering with the state and what not. I got to the bottom and she discusses luggage. I want you all to read closely. She told us that we should be able to carry-on all of our luggage. I repeat, carry-on every single piece of luggage on the air craft that we will wear for 4 MONTHS. And I'm over here like, well I already have 7 swim suits and 12 pairs of Nike shorts packed soooo...that's a bridge I'll have to think about crossing relatively soon here. 

On Monday morning my flight leaves at 6am. Yikes. I wasn't kidding when I said I have the best team mates ever who are voluntarily bringing me to the airport around 4am (okay maybe not all voluntarily...) from Minneapolis I'll fly to Miami where I will meet up with 7 of the 8 students I will be spending the next four months with! It's cool because while the trip I'm going  on is a program through Augsburg, I'm the only Augsburg student going this semester which just means I get to meet fun new people! This is what I am the most excited about. 

I'll be in Guatemala City by around 3pm Monday. There's no time change from Minnesota to any of the countries I'm going to. Crazy, but also very convenient. We spend a night in Guatemala City and then make our way to Quetzaltenango where we will spending about 3 weeks with host families. There I will be taking a one on one Spanish course, 5 hours a day...I barely speak a lick of Spanish so that will be quite interesting. New environment, new culture, new people. I can/want to/will adapt. 

I'm excited, anxious, nervous, scared shitless, and every other emotion in the book. I'm just ready for it to all start! EEK. 

Later gators,

Hannah

It's not goodbye

My experience leading up to leaving for four months has been quite interesting. It's been a dream of mine to study abroad since high school, and I made a promise to myself when I entered college that I wasn't going to let anyone or anything keep me from seeing the world.

Studying abroad truly was just a dream and now that it keeps getting closer and closer it's becoming more and more real, along with every emotion. I've been very up and down, to say the least...You should all feel bad for the people that have to deal with me daily. The other day I yelled at Michael for losing something that actually wasn't missing (and I was the one that misplaced it), I'm lucky he's so patient. I can go from laughing, to crying, to being mad because someone breathed in the wrong direction, back to smiling and laughing all in 3 minutes flat. It's so fun. I'm rambling. Anyways...I am absolutely stoked to get to Guatemala and start this journey of self discovery and exploration, but I am also dreading leaving my friends and family, being away from the people I've created a comfortable life with. It's a strange sort of limbo that I'm stuck in.

What it all boils down to though, as A.A. Milne said, "how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." If I went back 2 and a half years, I would never have been able to dream up the life that I'm living right now and the people that are in it. I have built the most remarkable friendships that have a bond so tight, my love for my family grows every day, and I met an amazing guy that I love like crazy. 

I am happy to be where I am today and while this is going to be the scariest and most difficult thing I'll ever do, it will also be the most breath-taking, mind-blowing awesome experience I'll ever have. How lucky am I to have the best teammates imaginable to share it all with? Boo yah. And the countdown begins, 10 days until I embark on the adventure of a lifetime!

It's see you later,
Hannah