Goodbye Guatemala!

Unfortunately my time in guatemala came to a close. To celebrate the end to a wonderful 8 weeks we had a graduation where all our home stay parents came to support us as we got an official "social entrepreneurship certified" certificate. 

Team Esperanza on stage

Getting my certificate!

We then enjoyed food and drinks with our home stay families and I had to say my final good byes and thank yous for a wonderful summer! 

My Family!

Team Esperanza again with Anna!

For our last night we had a nice dinner all together and had to say our sad goodbyes to the amazing friends we have made over the past two months. 

Been so great to spend so much time with these two!

The boys

Love you Gabby!

and you Whitney!

We were picked up bright and early at 5am and our bus driver put our luggage on the roof. Unfortunately, he didn't bring his rain protector to put on our luggage and it started to POUR on the way to the airport and all our luggage got soaking wet! Thankfully mine was water proof but other people's stuff was sopping...We definitely did not leave him a tip.

We all boarded our planes and I was off to New york to visit Taylor for visiting day! My travels really do not end here as I am going to Argentina in two weeks!

This has been such an incredible experience and I am so blessed to have been given this amazing opportunity. I am so happy I have this blog to remember all of the new things I learned and experienced. I really have learned so much not only about a new culture and a new place but about myself. I have become more grateful, more understanding of how I deal with new and challenging situations, a better leader, given a better understanding of how I work in a team, and really tested my limits in so many new situations. 

Goodbye Blog! I really did enjoy writing this even though it was tedious at times and hope this serves as a memory for a lifetime! 

Sick..AGAIN

Apparently Guatemala hates me and decided to plague me once again with another Amoeba and stomach infection. So, I am laying in my bed a little miserable after eating a dinner of bananas in bed. Today the morning consisted of going to the doctor and the afternoon was figuring out what my results meant and prepping for our final presentation tomorrow. We are presenting for an hour tomorrow in front of our whole group and I was able to make the powerpoint (at least I was a little productive). Cannot wait to be in american soil and get rid of all these Guatemalan parasites. Cannot believe only one night after this one left in my home stay. Going to sleep really early and hopefully I feel better in the morning!

Back to the home stays!

We packed all our stuff out of the hotel and headed back to Antigua in our microbus. I successfully told my home stay I had eaten lunch to avoid my first home stay cooked meal. I then met up with everyone from other groups and we had so many funny stories to tell each other! We played a little basketball and then returned home for dinner. Unfortunately I could not avoid my home stay dinner and had to bear through a red sauce covered beef, rice, and potatoes...ew, just like I remembered. Tomorrow we start preparing for our final presentations and deliverables. Cannot believe there are only 3 short days left!

Lakeside Villa Part 2

 This weekend was another great weekend spent at the lakeside villa! We had anothger amazing dinner followed by time spent chilling by the water. The pictures really say it all.

Eating and Chilling by the water

Banana Bread!!

Ready to eat!

Whit and I

So cute!

Me and Katie- love this pic

The house from the outside- three different bungalows a lower by the lake middle on teh right and top on the left

Our dinner!- roasted butternut squash, tomato and avocado salad, hearts of palm salad, garlic tomatoe and basil pasta, guacamole, mashed potatoes- and the grilled chicken and sauteed green beans couldn't fit!

And dessert- banana bread and brownies

My plate

garlic bread

guacamole

The STACKED fridge

so beautiful

The view from our house

Personal Shopping trip!

Happy fourth of july! Was not exactly the most festive of holidays here in guatemala. But, we were able to be together and "celebrate" with each other.

Fourth of July!

Me and Whit

Bruschetta

Tomato and Avocado Salad

After a fun fourth of July today we had a early morning campaign at the store front. We were able to give our ipod to the store next door who blasted music which made it enjoyable. I did not persoanlly do much during the campaign as we had 9 people manning the station. I was mostly in charge of more marketing and directly people to where they could get free eye exams and free water from our filter.

After the campaign we had free time and we got a delicious lunch.

Steamed Vegetables and Chicken!

We then were set up with the owner of Hiptipico- a company that sells Guatemalan hand made products by local artisans to the United States. But, she took us to all the stores where they are made so we could get all the items whole sale price! It was a really fun afternoon and I got a leather bag and a few pieces of jewelry!

Writing my name in the leather bag!

IT IS MINE!

Us with Alyssa the owner of Hip Tipico at a whole sale store.

After our shopping spree we went to Casa Kakchiquel where Nikki used to work. It is the first hotel that opened in this part of Guatemala and housed Che Guevera! We had a dinner of the traditional dish Pepian and then watched a documentary about the Guatemalan genocide with clips that were used in the Rios Montt trial. It was definitely a hard video to watch at times but really was eye opening about the war and the silence that is still present about it in Guatemala. 

Us at dinner

Pepian!

Tomorrow we have another campaign in Pana! Hopefully it is successful and in the afternoon we are returning to the lakeside villa!

Publicity, Sanik Presentation, and Cooking Dinner again!

In the morning we did publicity for our campaign saturday in the market of Panachel. We reached so many people and we hope our marketing turns into sales!

We then took a microbus to Triunfo where we were able to meet the weavers of Sanik. Juana, the regional coordinator/owner of Sanik had us over her house and cooked us lunch. We had friend chicken, rice and tortillas. 

The bracelets I bought from Sanik!

After lunch and shopping we presented our work to the ladies of Sanik. Gabby made a lookbook of ideas and a poster for possible designs for them to implement that will help them reach more people in the states. Then I got to show the ladies the catalog I had designed and they were in aw. Juana thanked us with so much appreciation because she does not even know how to use a computer and the idea that the catalog is made is such an incredible feat. They also loved Gabby's suggestions and overall the presentation went really well!

We drank bags of agua pura

Before the Presentation

Showing them the catalog!

Our group with Juana!

When we returned from our presentation gabby and I went to the market to buy food to cook for our group tonight! Unfortunately we still have a few sickies so it was not the full group.

The menu:

Main Course: Mediterrenean Grilled Chicken

Garlic Grilled chicken topped with hearts of palm. olives, artichokes, red onions, and capers in balsamic  vinegar and olive oil.

Personally my favorite part of the meal very successful and delicious!

Side Dish 1: Avocado Quinoa salad

Quinoa with a lemon honey vinagarette with peas and Avocado- served hot

Did not turn out great...Quinoa is definitely better cold and the vinaigrette was not the greatest dressing

Side Dish 2: Guacamole and Chips

Guacamole made with avocadoes, tomatoes, onions with lime juice and salt-

The one from Saturday made by Katie was a bit better- but not bad

Side Dish 3: Roasted Butternut Squash

DELICIOUS

Dessert: Cookie Cake!

no words necessary

The meal! 

Roasted Butternut Squash 

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Grilled Chicken

Topping of the chicken- olives, artichokes, capers, and hearts of palm with balsamic red onions

Quinoa Salad

The cookie cake!

My plate!

All of us at dinner!

Selfie with Nikki

The Cooks- Nikki, me, Gabby, and Whitney

Then we came home and fell asleep after a nice big dinner!