At last, I'm in Guatemala!

I've made it to Antigua, Guatemala and I feel like I'm half dreaming. If this post makes little sense, please forgive me because I don't think I slept last night. I arrived 2 days late because the weather in Kodiak kept me home a little longer than expected but that's okay because everything has worked out better than expected!

I got picked up from the airport in Guatemala City and was entertained the entire car ride to Antigua. Buses and cars were breaking down all over the highway, a man was walking about 10 goats on the shoulder of the road, people collected trash using salad tongs. Clouds of exhaust and stop and go traffic made me a little queezy but luckily, I survived. As soon as the van began to bump along the cobblestone streets of Antigua, I felt relieved and like I've returned home. After 10 years of being away from Antigua, I recognize much more than I expected to. The churches, volcanoes, and markets are all the way I left them. I even recognize the smell of the city. A mix of fresh bread, exhaust, tropical flowers, and coffee is how I would explain the scent. It is cool and humid here, but tomorrow I go to the coast where I am told I will cook.

I have been placed with a host family for the night and they are very welcoming! As soon as I arrived, I was fed delicious fresh fruit and some spaghetti. I'm sharing a room with a girl from Syndey, Australia who is volunteering in a local orphanage. There is another volunteer staying at the house and as soon as he heard I'm going to the coast to do turtle conservation work he said I'll hate it because they have the volunteers pick up trash from the beach. Hah! Luckily, a little marine debris cleanup has never scared me.

After a short nap (my host father blasted Michael Buble the entire time so I mostly just layed in bed and sang along), I walked to the Maximo Nivel headquarters for orientation. I found out I'll be living with a host family with other volunteers which is what I had hoped for. It sounds like I'm going to have a great time in Hawaii working with the locals and the wildlife!

I also got a cheap little phone to make occasional calls home. If anyone wants to write me a letter or a postcard, I have a mailing address now! Email or facebook me if you'd like it.

I have to go back to my host family's house now to eat dinner with them and to get ready to go to the coast tomorrow morning! Thanks for reading :)