Zunil

 Zunil

 Almolonga

Lake Atitlan

My wonderful Aunt Leslie came to visit in February and we had a blast waltzing around Guatemala!  It was so special for me to be able to share this place and the people that have become a part of who I am... Thanks Aunt Leslie, you made all the difference!


A visit to Guatemala, to Xela, Almolonga, and Zunil, the “lake” and Antigua.  Magical places.  Amazing sights, sounds, experiences.  But nothing topped seeing Samantha, and seeing her in the setting that has become so precious to her.  A beautiful young woman in a special place.  Learning much, much to learn.  Strong opinions being chiseled and formed by opportunities far beyond what most of us will ever experience.  I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this niece of mine.

Public health was my profession, and seeing Samantha embrace and teach some of the most basic messages of public health was a delight.  To see her in the classroom, all eyes glued to her, certainly because of the enthusiasm she brought to the room; perhaps helped by the long blond hair and light complexion rarely seen in that part of the world, was a hoot!

To see her interact with friends and acquaintances, to hear her language skills praised by local professionals, to see her struggle with the loneliness that comes with the separation from family and long-familiar friends, to see how she deals with it all; that was a big part of the joy of visiting.

For me, it was a second visit to Guatemala, the first being about 40 years ago; a time when young women could travel safely anywhere in the country.  To see/hear of the dangers now to tourists (and Peace Corps volunteers) is so sad, especially since much of it is likely related to drug trafficking to the U.S.  To see how little has changed in the lives of the people of southwestern Guatemala, to see what seemed to be very limited teaching going on in the rural schools I visited, to see only the very basic level of water and sanitation available to the people, to see the seemingly limited impact of the Church in the lives of the people, was sad.  To see the resilience and graciousness of these amazing people, the fruits (mostly vegetables!) of their hard work, the curiosity and playfulness of the children, the beauty of their traditional textiles, the spectacular beauty of the countryside, all this was amazing.

Kudos to Samantha, and all young people who, in giving two years and working hard for others through organizations like the Peace Corps, gain so much themselves.  Sam, you will never be the same!