in love.

If someone asked me to sum up this entire year, I would describe it as falling in love. In the country where trash is tossed to the ground without a second thought, where stray dogs are as common as tortilla shops, and where "cat calls" aren't intended for felines, I fell in love. You see, those aren't the bits and pieces of my year I'll remember. It is oh so much more.

I fell in love with the lifestyle.. the "Buenas tardes!" I received from complete strangers on my walk to Parramos, the hours upon hours spent around the dinner table, the guarantee that a bar always turns into a dance club at night. I fell in love with the mentality.. the idea of family being the most important, the easygoing approach of doing things mañana. I fell in love with mi Guate.. the sound of rain hitting the tin roof as I fell asleep, waking up to the sight of humbling volcanoes, the luscious greenery that is present year-round. But, most of all, I fell in love with the people.

I fell in love with my Tercero Básico English class.. the way Domingo left class saying "See you never!" with the biggest smile on his face, the way Iris and I came to have a close outside-of-class relationship, the way all my externos loved shouting "Teacher!" from afar.

I fell in love with my fellow librarians.. the way Stephanie would go crazy for Taylor Swift songs, the way Flori and I would laugh over silly jokes before lunch, the way Glenda would walk into the library and kid, "Matame Kristina, matame." during a busy Tuesday morning.

I fell in love with the año girls.. the way Suyapa always greeted me with an enthusiastic "Hey girl! How you doin' girl? What's up girl?", the way Yeimy teased me with Patito, the way Astrid and I pretended to be upper class French women, the way they turned into my younger sisters.

I fell in love with my boys.. the way sweet little Kevin brought me a chair while watching a movie, the way Jhustin pretended to be a mosca simply to annoy me at dinner, the way Jayron hugged me until he couldn't any longer.

I fell in love with the volunteers who became my best friends.. the way Mark cleverly inserted puns into everyday conversation, the way Sam could get you to dance (anywhere!) with her, the way Erika could bring a smile to your face even after the toughest of days, the way Nathan had you laughing until your stomach hurt while boogying to "Rack City."

So Guatemala, our year together has come to an end. Thank you. Thank you for providing me the setting in which to meet such beautiful individuals. Thank you for the opportunity to grow and to come to know myself in so many different ways. Thank you for the laughs, smiles, and even tears. Thank you for all the memories I will carry in my heart para siempre. Although we say goodbye to one another for now, don't think I will be forgetting about you anytime soon.

Hasta Pronto,
Kristi :)

despedidas galore.

Alright, despedidas are kind of a big deal in Latin America. So much, that instead of writing a post for each one, I'll just provide a quick recap:

#1:  The first one took place in the section with my boys. Remember? Dirt cups, gummy worms, and all.

#2:  I went out to lunch with my two favorite teachers from the English Department, Sam and Marielos. We ate delicious caesar pizza and tried not to think how I would no longer be working with them.

#3:  The school surprised me with a tasty snack.. in the library! I was totally clueless (despite being in the library ALL morning).

#4:  I brought cupcakes to my English class. We enjoyed them while simultaneously enjoying top-notch artists like Katy Perry and Pitbull.. :) Afterwards, we went outside to snap photos and take videos.

#5:  While still working the library in the afternoon, Flori, Glenda, Stephanie, and I had a quick photo shoot in between the bookshelves. We also ate cupcakes.

#6:  This was the actual despedida. It takes place every time volunteers leave. The kids all put on skits or dances as a way of saying thank you. My little boys dressed up like cows! And my older girls choreographed a dance (and then had me join them, despite my obvious lack of practice).

#7:  That Friday night, we had a volunteer and tio rendezvous in Parramos. A lot of dancing and silliness ensued :)

#8:  I invited my older ano de servicio girls to the library. I had individually written them letters and came up with a game for us to play. Then we went a little crazy on Photo Booth..

#9:  Sam, Erika, and I said adios to the university kids (see post below).

#10:  Eduardo, our taxi man, ever-so-sweetly invited us over to his house! We met his adorable family and then received our last taxi ride from him.

#11:  The final goodbye took place the night before I left. It was definitely the hardest one. Hugs, well wishes, and tears were the theme of the night. Luckily, the boys of San Antonio lightened the mood by presenting me with a Care Bear/Justin Bieber/homemade card combo while throwing feathers at me.  Repeatedly. Laughter obviously ensued :)

This list can't even begin to encompass the number of goodbyes and send-offs that took place during my last few weeks in Guatemala. While incredibly difficult at moments, these despedidas were a wonderful reminder of just how many beautiful individuals I have come to know and been surrounded by this past year <3

the palace.

Our last week in Guatemala wouldn't have been complete without a trip to The Palace. No, I'm not talking about El Palacio Municipal, I'm talking about the new home our university kids just moved into. It is stunning! And big! Aka perfect for the whole group of them. When they couldn't hang out on Saturday like we had originally planned, we decided to turn our visit into a Friday night sleepover!

The night consisted of competitive foosball ("Man, I'm feeling it in my upper arms!"), multiple rounds of Uno, and a movie marathon that ran into the early hours. Then, in the morning, the three of us made delicious banana and peanut butter pancakes for our favorite boys :)

back in the saddle.

Every Wednesday morning is a special treat for nuestros especiales. They head into town for horse therapy! It had caught my attention way back when, but I was never able to help out due to morning library classes. Thus, seeing as I’m still in Guatemala without any classes to give, Erika and I decided to go! It was such a blast. Erika was able to help a bit timid Carlitos, and I was able to escort Delmy as we chit chatted away. Even though I had my little horse incident less than a month ago, it felt great to be "back in the saddle" :)

a shady fourth.

I just about died when, in my fourth of July package from my lovely Momma, I received teeny-tiny star-shaped sunglasses. In that moment, I knew exactly who would receive them! These little guys and gals just so happen to be in the section called Los Luceros, or The Stars! They did quite the munchkin modeling for me on that sunny afternoon.

my week of lasts.

As I sit here with cupcakes in the oven (and yes, the bowl in front of me to make sure no batter goes unlicked), I can't help but think that this is my week of "lasts". Tomorrow is my last class with my English students. Today was my last class with Montessori. Yesterday was my last class with los especiales. And Friday is my last.. last. Gulp.

So, what's a girl to do? The only thing she can do.. Aprovecharlo! All of it. I'm not going to be here forever. I've got to enjoy it while it's still here (or, more correctly, while I'm still here). That's why I'm going crazy with the camera. That's why I'm baking cupcakes for my English students. That's why I'm having despedida after despedida. That's why I'm enjoying every. last. moment.

the forgotten post.

Here's a post I had written at least six months back, but never got around to posting..

Earlier this week, I went down to my section. Typically I bring a book with me to read a bedtime story. But seeing as I was running around all afternoon, I spaced. Luckily the tía of the section saved my bum by whipping one out of the closet titled, "Winnie the Pooh's Encyclopedia of Insects." My twelve boys and I were literally dog-piled on top of one another as we flipped from page to page learning about bees, spiders, and centipedes galore! After reading about the number of legs this one has, the appetite of that one, the wingspan of the other one, two boys had an idea. Chris and Tony took me by the hand as we ran down the hall. We stopped at the showers and looked up. "Look Kristina, look!" I followed Chris' pointed finger to find.. teleranas! Spiderwebs! And lots of them! The excited expression on each of their faces was priceless. "Look at this one!" "There's one in that corner!" "This one even has a spider on it!" Watching them connect things we had read to real life quickly put a huge smile on my face.

These boys don't even know sometimes.. :)

525,600 minutes.

Has it really been a year? I can't believe it. While there have been obvious ups and downs, I wouldn't trade this experience por nada :)

On this special day, I thought I'd share a few of those 525,600 minutes:

Francesca: "I would miss myself if I could.."

Mark: [when talking about the hole in Nathan's pants] "Yeah Nathan, you don't want to be an asshole."

Antje: "Esa es una canción para Kristina." "This is a song for Kristina."
Karla: "Es de nalgas? O que?" "It's about booty? Or what?"
Everyone: "Hahaha."

And my personal favorite..
Jhustin: "Como amaneciste esa mañana?" "How did you wake up this morning?"
Lisa: "Bien, gracias. Y tu?" "Good, thanks. And you?"
Jhustin: "Yo? En mi cama, abajo de mis almohadas." "Me? In my bed, underneath my sheets."

:)

"está saliendo sangre del gusano!"

What do dirt cups, Popeye the Sailor Man, and 18 little boys have in common? They all came together for my despedida!

 

Typically, each volunteer has a send-off in his or her section before the year is over. Mine took place this morning. Don't ask me how, but a few weeks ago I came up with the idea of dirt cups. Pretending to eat mud, dirt, and worms with 9-11 year olds? Perfect! I started with that. And, let me tell you, they ate it up (ha.. ha.. get it?). At first they didn't believe me when I told them we were gonna be diggin' in to dirt and worms, but then they figured it out. They loved pretending to kill the worms with every bite.

After that, we watched some Popeye en español. I then handed out their individualized photo albums. Each of them just HAD to show me the picture of him and I (as if I didn't put it in there myself haha). Al final, we headed outside for a hillside photo shoot. Cue bunny ears and funny faces, and we were set!

the backpack brigade!

Every now and then, the four of us will catch each other by surprise when we discover that we're sportin' outfits iguales. We are quite the site as we head to grocery shop in Antigua with matching white v-necks, blue jeans, flips flops, sunglasses, and backpacks. Typical Americans..

la vida mexicana.

You know you had a great time in Mexico when you..

- hung out with your two favorite gals, Sam and Erika :)

- drank your favorite beer! Indio!

- salsa danced on the rooftop of your hostel
- ate a ridiculous amount of creme-filled pastries

- got your fix of tacos al pastor and homemade salsa verde

- went horse-back riding in the beautiful paisaje of San Cristobal

- thought you broke your nose

..wait, what?

Yup. There was definitely a hot second in which I thought I had. It happened right after my horse fell. With me on top of him. Pinto thought it was a good idea to try to catch up with the much faster, much older horses that Sam and Erika were riding. Pair his sudden surge of speed with the downhill slope and smooth cement of the road, and you have yourself a little accident. When his feet went out from under him, he went out from under me. Silly little Pinto. Luckily, I only scraped up my knee and bloodied/bruised my nose. I really could've walked away with (or hobbled away with) a whole lot worse :)

"super" babies.

Dear Super Cola company,

In case you're ever at a loss for advertising ideas, these photos are SURE to help you sell your product.

Sincerely,

Kristina

best. project. ever.

Caval. My last family project was the best family project. When Edith handed off the sheet to me, I literally screamed out of excitement. It is a family of six boys. But not just any boys. Sweetheart boys who know how to be cool AND laugh at my cheesy jokes. Aka Jayron, Isaias, Daniel, Emiliano, Marcelino, and Agusto are super fun to hang around.

When I asked what they wanted to do for project, they could not have responded in a better way. They wanted to buy snacks in town and then (get this) play board games in the library! Heart officially melted. After returning from Parramos, we had everything from Jenga to Connect Four to Guess Who to chess going. Total win.

my feet hurt.

But it's no surprise as to why. Yesterday was the biggest party of the year! Our quinceañera celebration, in which a whopping sixteen girls celebrated, took place. The schedule included Mass, a ring ceremony, a specially-practiced waltz, an outdoor photo shoot, a tasty dinner, caramel-filled cake, and the grand finale of a dance party!

All in all, it was a heartwarming day. From noting how many of the girls had chosen older brothers as their waltz escorts, to how many former volunteers flew down for a surprise visit, to how las tías helped with hair up-dos, to how the babies were dressed to the nines in suits and dresses.. it was an event to remember para siempre.

field trip!

Yesterday was no ordinary Thursday. Heck, it wasn't even an ordinary day. It was THE annual school field trip. And by 'school' I quite literally mean the entire school.

It took us to El Parque de las Naciones Unidadas. A park next to Lake Amatitlan, it had a full-fledged ropes course, multiple replicas of well-known Guatemalan sights, soccer fields, basketball courts, a fish oasis, and even a turtle pool! We took a guided tour through all the sites, and then had the afternoon free to explore. Pair that with a special lunch of soda, chips, and a sandwich and you have got yourself a group of more than content kids.

the k & l adventure: part two.

Now I hope you didn't think that I was done describing our adventure. It's time I share the "we-certainly-did-not-expect-that-to-happen!" moment of the trip.

It all started over the weekend. That was when I made a reservation for our trip out to Semuc. Wrote it down. Confirmed the details with someone Monday morning. Confirmed them again with someone else Monday night. Didn't receive a ticket or a confirmation note (like I asked), but was smart enough to write down both their names. At 7:50 on Wednesday morning, Lisa and I were outside our hostel ready for our 8:00 shuttle. 8:15 rolls around. Head down to reception to hear, "Don't worry, chica! Give it another 10-15 minutes." 8:30 comes and goes. Run down to reception to hear, "What? You guys are still here?!" Well that sounds promising. Reception then calls the travel agency to find out that they passed by our hostel for us already.. At 6:00. Uh, excuse me? I was told 8:00. Three times. From three separate employees. When did the time switch happen? Oh, that's right.. it didn't!

Luckily, the travel agent was sweet enough to stay with us to see if the shuttle could wait for us in the next town. They could! Phew, now we just had to find a public bus to take us there. While waiting at the travel agency, the travel agent left for a hot second. Well, like Murphy's Law calls for, the 9:00 public bus drove past us. Oops. The travel agent comes back in a flurry telling us to chase after it! Considering el camino was all uphill, the bus was all speed, and we were all sweat, we didn't catch it. That's fine, we'll just catch the 10:00 public bus. Oh, what's that? Martín who drives the 10:00 bus wasn't working today? Of course not. We'll just wait for the 11:00, meaning the transport would no longer wait for us. At this point, I would've been content just getting out of middle-of-nowhere Semuc and into the next town. The travel agent started asking her townspeople friends if they were headed to Cobán. Yeah? Who could let us tag along? Great. For the same price it would've cost us to arrive all the way home? No gracias. We started making ourselves comfortable in the shade for the two hour wait. THEN, just then, a flat-bed truck turns the corner. Seeing as Semuc is so small, the travel agent knew him too. Did he have space? Yup. Was he willing to take us? Claro que sí. For what price? 25Q as opposed to 150Q. Well, mi amigo, you've got yourself a deal.

Seeing as there were already three full-grown men up front, that left the flat-bed part of the flat-bed truck for Lisa and I. Eh, porque no? We hopped in the back. Right next to the strapped-in refrigerator. We didn't initially pay much attention to how well the refrigerator was strapped in. But, as we started the two hour trip to the next town, we quickly realized why: an unpaved road full of rocks and divets is more than half the trip to Cobán. Thus, we laid out our still-damp towels to provide our behinds a little extra cushion. And we were off! About twenty minutes into the ridiculously bumpy ride, the truck stopped and one of the guys came to the back. The preceding conversation went a little like this:

Him: "Mucho polvo acá, verdad?" "There's a lot of dust here, right?"
Me: "No, no hay tanto." "No, not that much."
Him: "Siii. Permitanme a barrer." "Yes. Allow me to sweep."
Me: "Haha. En serio?" "Haha. Seriously?"
Him: "Si! Por favor." "Yes! Please."
Me: "Pues, si quieres.." "Well, if you want to.."

The gentleman (yes, that is what I'm calling a complete stranger in who we put way too much trust) then swiftly pulled out his broom and sweetly swept around us while making small chat. When he finished, he hopped back up front and drove off again. Did they really just stop the truck to sweep the back of it for us? Awww. In addition to this momento dulce, we found our ride extremely hilarious. Here we were bouncing around the back of a random truck, holding on for dear life, and laughing our heads off about the story that is our lives. Oh, Guatemala.. :)

the k & l adventure: part one.

Seeing as I've been here for eleven months, it was about time the final Nicchi came to visit! Lisa ever-so-sweetly graced me with her presence this past week. This simultaneously meant we graced Guatemala with our silly sister moments and our ridiculous amounts of laughter :)

We checked off quite a few bucket list items while together. We visited a macadamia nut farm to eat mouth-watering pancakes (oh, and I guess to see how they harvest the nuts..), pit-stopped at a coffee plantation for Lisa's java fix, played with the babes over the weekend, tested my English students' abilities with Lisa's minimal Spanish, and traveled up north to Semuc Champey.

While all of it was a blast, I would have to say that Semuc topped the cake. It is a picturesque collection of limestone pools that glimmer under the afternoon sun. It was here that we scaled pitch black caves via candlelight, floated down the river, hiked to the famous viewpoint, swam in the deliciously turquoise waters, and even found ourselves amongst a Latin lover (our tour guide!). It certainly was a sister trip well worth the wait.

last friday night.

Actually, it wasn't just last Friday night, Katy Perry. It was last Thursday, Friday AND Saturday night. What happened exactly? The much-anticipated trip of five best friends. Mark, Sam, Erika, Nathan, and I headed to the lake for a long weekend of cooking, eating, relaxing, joking, dancing, and photo snapping. Aka our kind of fun!

We stayed at a beautiful home right on the water. It was complete with bean bag chairs, an extra-hot shower, Hercules bedsheets, an adorable kitchen, and it's very own dock. Jack pot! We couldn't help but kill three iPod batteries while laughing 'til we cried and feasting like presidents (they were very American meals).

"two" little time.

Like every other day, I started off English class asking my students, "What's today?" Like every other day, they responded. Unlike every other day, I realized that only two months remain here in Guatemala. Two months. With Lisa visiting soon (weeee!), leaving the country with Sam again, and summer vacation for the school, that means even less time physically at NPH. Aka this chapter of my life is very quickly coming to a close.

Buuut I'm not on the last page just yet. I still have plenty of adventures coming my way. Look out next two months.. Kristi is gonna make the best of these last few pages :)

emerson!

Who's he? Oh, just THE happiest pequeño of all pequeños. Emerson is one of our fourteen with disabilities. But that does not, by any means, limit his happiness level. Whether at a school assembly or a dance competition on the weekend, he is always right up front.. throwing his hand in the air out of excitement.

Since January, he has been receiving library classes with me. Due to this weekly interaction, he has come to recognize me all around the home. All I have to do is say "Emersonnn!" and he can't seem to wipe that cute smile off his face.

I'm usually able to bank on three things during our Tuesday morning class: Being greeted by a great big Emerson hug. This is followed by him packing everyone tightly on the bench so that a space remains for me. Conveniently at his side. Finally, we color together. But there's something about the way Emerson colors. He is just too excited about watching my reaction to stay focused on where he is coloring. The crayon goes every which way, while his smile goes only one way.. upward!

pick me up.

Sometimes, on a gorgeously sunny day, your boss asks you if you want a lift.

In the back of his pick-up truck.

Along with a dozen other volunteers.

To go the three minutes into town.

Sometimes, just sometimes..

universitarios.

Hanging out with our university boys, three pizza pies, a deck of Uno, and the "Top 40" radio station?  Yup, that sounds like the perfect Saturday to us!

We promised Rudy, Jonathan, Eduardo, Ludwin, Oscar, and Felipe a visit to their capital house way back when. So, basically, we were all thrilled when it finally happened. Those hard-working boys make us proud AND keep us constantly laughing :)

my beloved passport.

I never thought I would be so excited to have my passport beside me on my bed. But, then again, I never thought it would require multiple attempts, a handful of phone calls, 2.5 days of missed work, and lunch dates at Taco Bell and McDonald's. I know, I know, that last one's really a kicker..

A while back, I was due for a visa passport renewal. Fellow English teacher, Janelle, ever-so-sweetly brought mine along with hers to drop it off. No problem. The issue came along when it was time to pick up our passports. The first day, the immigration office had decided to take it's own personal vacation. The second time, we called beforehand to a) make sure they were open and b) make sure the employee who stamps the passports was in. Yes and yes. Welllll, they failed to mention that he wouldn't be in until 3:30pm. We found that out when we arrived at 10:30am. Cool. So we hung around, only to realize that his arrival ever-so-coincidentally left just an hour de trabajo for him. So, we hung around the capital all day just to be told to "come back Monday" when he couldn't get to ours? Yup. Well, Janelle and I were feeling a bit generous and decided to go in on Tuesday instead of Monday. Sadly, the transport for yesterday was cancelled. Cue today's transport. We walked into immigration and were swiftly handed our passports! Por fin!


I guess if I'm craving an American fast food chain over these next few months, I know what card to pull, right? :)

baptized beauties.

A handful of our littles ones were baptized this morning (this includes above cutey siblings, Yordi and Marisol). Sporting everything from freshly-ironed Oxford shirts, to sparkly white dresses, to delicate veils, to springy hats.. they looked absolutely adorable. It was a beautiful ceremony attended by the entire house. It's just one of those many moments in which I am reminded of the family feel we have here :)

a momentous moment.

Excuse me.. I'm having a moment.

Every class has it's challenging child. It's typical to have a sour grape or two. In the case of the 3rd grade class here, there are a few going-sour grapes and one well-on-her-way-to-wine sour grape. The other librarian and I have tried to not let their negative attitudes get to our optimistic ones. But we hadn't been giving it our all. That's why, for this week's class, I tried something totally different. Why don't we read a story about a worm? And then channel our inner-crafty-sides by making our own worms! With egg cartons and pipe cleaners!

The 3rd graders came into library today and, like usual, asked what we were doing. I didn't want to spill the beans just yet, so I responded, "We'll read a story and then we'll do an activity." Once done, they came up to the counter to ask what was next. I pulled out my example worm to excited squeals. In just a few seconds, the counter became covered with markers, pipe cleaner dust, scissors, colored pencil shavings, and hard-at-work kids. Everyone seemed to be into it!

Now, cue Linda. She's that sour grape. I don't particularly blame her; she's been held back a time or two. Yet, when I looked over to where she was working, I happened to catch the most incredible string of words come out of her mouth, "Eso es bien chilero! Me gusta estar acá en la biblioteca cuando hacemos actividades asi." Linda was loving up on my idea?! Music to my ears. Needless to say, I can now die a happy volunteer :)

birthdays galore.

This weekend has been the weekend of birthdays. Sam's was on Friday, while Liz's was today. That means we saw everything from Ghiradelli brownies (thanks Mamma and Papa Osterbur!), cookies n' cream ice cream, a night out on the town, silly Nathan attempting to rap, lots and lots of dancing, a lopsided pizza, Liz's delicious Texas sheet cake, and just all-around fun. I sure will miss nights like these with the ones I love <3

kermes: round five.

It's sunny. It's hot. It's summer. Entonces, do you blame us volunteers for putting on a Kermes that involved water games? I didn't think so.

"Juegos del Agua" commenced right before noon on Sunday. There was everything from splish splish splash, to a water balloon toss, to bobbing for apples, to even a makeshift slip n' slide! Needless to say, by the end, the kids were soaked and satisfied.

"tu camisa me llega!"

Remember that one time I donned a Chelsea jersey before heading into the comedor? I do!

I was curious to see the kind of reaction I'd receive, especially as the Championship League heats up AND after Chelsea won 1-0 over Barsa. At first, when nothing happened, I thought maybe no one was gonna say anything. But, little by little, the boys started noticing and calling me over. First they'd ask if I was for Chelsea. "Of course! It's my team." Then they'd do one of two things. They'd respond, "Ah, come on!" if they were Barsa fans. Or they'd say, "Yeah, me too!" if they wanted to see Barsa hurt (as Real Madrid fans). Needless to say, I either was able to laugh in their faces after the win OR receive a fist pound and a huge smile. I loved it.

earth lodge.

This past weekend was our salida to Earth Lodge. It is a high-up-in-the-hills getaway perfect for 20 volunteers to find rest and relaxation. Our weekend was filled with stunning views, casual reading, hikes, delicious vegetarian meals, Bananagrams, and our fair share of girl talk (seeing as there are only three male volunteers hah).

We even lucked out because there was a barbecue and a free outdoor concert on Sunday! It felt very summery to enjoy the sounds of acoustic guitar and the company of friends under the skin-freckling sun :)