Written by Central America Students, Maia and Ripley
What’s New?
This past week, we had the pleasure of continuing to explore Xela, but through a different lens—homestays! We were paired off with another person in the group and got to build one-on-one relationships while also building community and connection with the host families. Seeing Guatemalan life through the perspective of a local family was an enriching experience. Eating delicious meals and spending time with the families was a great exposure to the culture and a wonderful way to continue practicing our Spanish. We worked hard in Spanish classes in the mornings and explored the city in the afternoons. One-on-one Spanish classes allowed us to build unique connections with our teachers. The school was tailored to our needs and interests, and we had the opportunity to explore Xela with our teachers as guides.
Top Highlights of the Week
🐴 Equestrian Adventures: This week was filled with fun activities offered by the school, and most of the group elected to go horseback riding one of the days! Many of us have limited experience with horses, which made it all the more exhilarating when our guides started having us trot, and eventually gallop on the horses. The freeing feeling of galloping on the back of a horse is unmatched.
🛶 Kayaking on Lake Atitlan: Another activity organized by the school ended up with many of us in kayaks, boating the beautiful Lake Atitlan. We were surprised when our guides put us on the boats, told us to be safe, and then sent us off by ourselves, but that led to amazing group bonding time and an opportunity for us to explore all together. We ended up on one of the public beaches and went in for a quick soak before heading back to shore.
🏖️ Relaxing Days by the Lake: Another favorite day this week was on Saturday. We woke gently and had peaceful mornings spent with our separate host families. Then host families packed us sack lunches full of food, which we took through San Juan, on a boat, and along the shore of San Marcos, where we sat as a group and ate and kicked our legs off the edge of the dock while we watched the lake. A couple of us went swimming, or shell hunting at the water’s edge. But mostly we talked, laughed, and soaked up the sun.
A Challenge We Faced
This week we began planning our Student Directed Travel Week and were definitely challenged by connecting our ambitious ideas with our limited planning time and budget. We met almost every day as a group to research hostels and activities, and brainstorm cheap meals so we could jigsaw everything we wanted to do within our budget.
Gratitude Reflections
Surprising Warmth: We were very pleasantly surprised by just how warmly we were welcomed into the homes of our host families. We ate our meals with the whole family, helped with chores, and spent evenings playing with our host siblings or talking with host parents.
Language Growth: We have noticed a lot of growth in our Spanish communication skills, as many of us have appreciated deeper conversations with our host families or teachers.
So grateful to have been able to be immersed in the culture this way and to have a safe and comfortable home to return to at the end of each day.
