SORRY AMIGOS! This post is late only because we were all so busy last week, soaking up every last second of each other’s company and the central american atmosphere, trying to get our fix before it was too late…
We were stationed on the lovely island of Roaton, Hondorus, in a totally lux hotel (hot water shower, wood floors, superbeds…the works.), where we spent the majority of our days working our ways to becoming certified scuba steves. I’m proud to report that after a week of videos (learning that if we should ever get bored scuba diving…ITS OUR OWN FAULT), “confined water dives” in the ocean, and exploring the incredible, indescribably unique world of breathing underwater, coral, turtles, fish….We are all PADI CERTIFIED! thanks to Tony and Reno, our awesome instructors. It was the perfect way to round out a perfect trip.
When we weren’t living goofin under the waves, we were sliding around on the muddy streets, eating baleadas and smoothies, and slaving over our plane letters in the hopes that they would express even half of how much we have all come to care about each other.
Before we knew it, it was time for the final meal and the final meetings. Tears, appreciation, love…we traveled through the trip in our mind, our own personal journeys, trying to comprehend how much we’ve all learned, and grown in the last three months. We appreciated all the opportunities we’ve had, the challenges we’ve overcome, the people we’ve met, the beautiful places we’ve seen…most of all the quirky little family that we’ve formed. Nothing would have been the same if even one of us weren’t there–if even one of us was not exactly who we are. We thanked our lucky stars that out of everyone in the world, the 14 of us were brought together, and thought about “what ifs”……
What if Charlotte didn’t love dogs?
What if Turner didn’t love to fish?
What if Rachel and Abbie didn’t share the same birthday?
What if Aaron didn’t give awesome hugs?
What if Callie didn’t have books?
What if Robbie didn’t have his guitar?
What if Bjorn was short?
What if Jacob didn’t ask questions?
What if Benjamin didn’t have his bee pollen or cacao?
What if Kristin couldn’t draw?
What if Alaina didn’t have her Tupperware?
What if Robbie didn’t have crazy dreams?
What if Jacob wasn’t the Old man and the sea?
What if Aaron hadn’t read I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell?
What if Benjamin hadn’t taught us boom tang?
What if Amanda was a beginner at Spanish?
What if Gail the Graceful didn’t exist?
What if Bjorn didn’t sleep talk?
What if Rachel forgot all of her bathing suits?
What if Benjamin only ate meat?
What if Aaron had his bad ass pole?
What if Robbie were agro?
What if Charlotte wasn’t born in Canada?
What if there weren’t four versions of Rachel?
What if Turner hadn’t eaten street meat in Antigua?
What if Abbie and Jacob weren’t from Boston?
What if Bjorn hadn’t lost his wallet in San Marcos?
What if Callie insisted on being called Caledonia?
What if Amanda couldn’t give massages?
What if the food at Earth Lodge sucked?
What if we never rode in an open truck?
What if Bjorn never got his luggage?
What if the Cha-Cha slide didn’t exist?
What if Pasac was a movie set?
What if the tent wasn’t so smokey?
What if Pasac wasn’t Pasacward?
What if Alfredo was an asshole?
What if Francisco had two front teeth?
What if we had hot sauce in Pasac?
What if we had finished Casa Blanca?
What if Casa Xelaju didn’t have field trips?
What if the Mennonites never migrated?
What if the hot springs were cold?
What if Amoeba’s didn’t exist?
What if Americas weren’t allowed to use Guatemalan health care?
What if there were no IV’s?
What if we had crossed the bridge during the day?
What if the roads hadn’t flooded and we had gone to Rocj Pumtila?
What if Olga wasn’t such a boss?
What if all of the candles had gone out in the cave?
What if we could understand Kush?
What if we hadn’t had choco bananas?
What if Mariya hadn’t told us to check under the car?
What if Kristin hadn’t gotten Dengue?
What if San Andres wasn’t on a lake?
What if Mariya didn’t leave her camera at Tikal?
What if there were no mosquitoes in Yaxah?
What if we hadn’t gotten into Yaxah?
What if we stayed in Guatemala forever?
What if we had taken one more plane to Nicaragua?
What if Rolando wasn’t awesome at his job?
What if we all had class at the same time in Leon?
What if Callie hadn’t fallen volcano boarding?
What if one of us had broken the speed record on Cerro Negro?
What if Amanda didn’t wash her clothes in a green trash can?
What if Callie and Abbie hadn’t bought Monopolio?
What if Ojos del Agua was actually eyeballs floating in a cup of water?
What if there were no taxi drivers to heckle us?
What if we had actually lost Mariya our first night at playa maderas?
What if Turner and Bjorn had gotten eaten by a shark?
What if Tyler’s cooking was just ok?
What if Jefferson and Rachel had gone to “talk”?
What if Steven AND Jefferson liked Mariya?
What if Kitch had come?
What if all sea turtles were already extinct?
What if Kristin hadn’t been attacked by mice?
What if Rachel hadn’t got a plane ticket?
What if Scuba class was only movies?
What if someone had failed their scuba test?
What if Abdullah had been here?
What if Sarita was funded by Gold Corp?
What if the rainy season wasn’t rainy?
What if we all had chosen different trips?
What if Benjamin and Amanda weren’t our leaders?
What if someone had gotten sent home?
What if we went home in between countries?
What if coffee was poisonous?
What if Joesph Campbell never spoke into a microphone?
What if no one liked Yoga, or Hackey Sac?
What if Carpe had no contacts?
What if we didn’t have the lonely planet?
What if we didn’t have suero?
What if we didn’t have suenos?
What if we only spoke in Spanish?
What if Mangoes were in season?
What if “perdiem” meant foot rub?
What if there were 36 hours in a day?
What if Carpe Diem meant 3 years instead of 3 months?
What if we could do it all again?
What if we were all going home together?
What if Carpe Diem Central America Fall 2011 Wasn’t the best Carpe semester ever?
Keep carping every diem amigos.
Con MUCHO MUCHO amor,
Mariya