By Connor Duryea
I have had the privilege to say that this is my second time experiencing the crazy and unexpected adventures of Guatemala. Last year during our trip I was given the opportunity to be the “Leader Of The Day” on our hike up the volcano. Today (5/31) I got the opportunity to be the leader of the day on my second volcano hike in Guate, and this experience was like none other. As we were on our way up, we were struck by this crazy view of where the lava had torn through almost 8 miles of land below the volcano. This kind of destruction effects the people of Guatemala much more than it would back in my country, due to the Guatemalan economy and the income of the individuals effected by this natural disaster. It is generations upon generations of land, just destroyed in a mere moment. I can’t imagine having my home, and everything I’ve grown up to know, just taken away, gone, dissipated without a way to gain it back. Once we got to the peak it was very cloudy and misty. Our tour guide Rogelio gave us some skewers, marshmallows, and showed us where to roast them over steam pockets raising out of the ground.
The scenery has changed since we left the city, in my opinion the change has been amazing. Going from all city views and not being able to fully enjoy this beautiful “Land Of Eternal Spring” to being on top of a volcano overlooking miles and miles of never ending skies, and beauty. Experiences are temporary, but it is the memories that last forever.
CCS GLOBAL EDUCATION 
Connor – how amazing it must be to actually hike the volcano that we saw in the news reports and to see its effects first hand. And to roast marshmallows over the pockets of steam? Wow! Enjoy the rest of your adventure. And thanks for taking time out to post and bring us all along with you for the ride!
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Great post! Wise words about the memories and images. So glad you are having this experience. I wonder if Guatemala has disaster relief programs like the USA. If so, do they work? In our country, it seems as though billions are set aside but people wait for years to have their lives restored and their homes rebuilt. It might be cool to find a country that has gotten this right!
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Amazed by your experiences, little brother. Your words paint such an awesome picture of how it must have been to see such a horrible disaster created in just a few moments of time. Thank you for sharing your experiences and taking time out of your trip to keep us updated. I love you a lot. – Big sis Kati
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Live it up; you are correct that memories are priceless! What an amazing and unique experience 🙂
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Connor, thanks for your thoughtful posts. It’s crazy how people in Guatemala have to really think about the dangers of volcanoes as a realistic threat. I’m so glad you got to be leader of the day for the hike again this year!
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