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.. :)