By Sienna Rowe

November 22, 2025;  the day me, Callie, and Sebastian were leaders, ended up being one of those days that just sticks with you. It wasn’t anything crazy, but it felt real and kind of special in a quiet way. We spent most of the day crossing Lake Atitlán on two small, funny-looking boats that somehow fit all of us. Everyone was squeezed in together, talking, laughing, taking pictures of the view and of each other, just being in the moment. And for a second, the whole scene reminded me of home, being on the water with people I care about, everyone enjoying the ride and enjoying being together.

But the more we rode, the more it hit me that it actually wasn’t like home at all.

Back home, boats are for fun, going out to the beach, going fast, hanging out, and just enjoying the day. Here, every boat I saw was being used for transportation or work. No music, no coolers, no people tanning on the bow, just locals trying to get from one place to another because the lake is part of their daily life. For them, the water isn’t optional or for fun, it’s their livelihood.

We went to San Marcos that morning, and it was the day we all went cliff-jumping, walked through the little touristy streets, got gelato, and explored together. And while we were there, I couldn’t stop comparing it to Cerro de Oro, the town we’ve been staying in. It’s wild how different two towns can be when they’re literally just a short boat ride apart.

San Marcos and San Juan are the two towns we visited on the lake that are mainly built for tourists. They’re more developed, way more colorful, lots of shops and cafés, and everything feels kind of catered to people visiting from all over the world. But Cerro de Oro? It’s completely local. People work from sun up to sun down in tiny little stores selling fruits, vegetables, eggs, and basic necessities. Most of the shops are more like gas-station-type places and those shops are the most common that I have seen. It’s simple, and it feels real.

During this trip we keep asking ourselves:

Will Cerro de Oro turn into the other towns someday? Or will the locals make sure tourism doesn’t take over and change it?

Tourism brings money and opportunity, but it also changes everything; how towns are built, how people live, and even how culture gets passed down. People can start forgetting what life was like before tourists showed up. Is that good or bad? Honestly, it depends on who you ask, and if you ask our very large group like callie, sebastian and I did, you might end up getting everyone sharing their different opinions and it will eventually turn into a little more of a heated argument than just a discussion. 

Being in Guatemala with Christchurch and 29 other students is nothing like going on vacation with my family. Back home, I feel like most of us grow up having almost everything we want, and if we don’t have it, we complain and still want more. But here, people work so hard, have so little, and still seem happy. Some of them can’t even get basic necessities, and yet they greet you with a smile.

Seeing all of this has made me really thankful for where I come from, the water, my family, the opportunities I have, and even the things I usually don’t think twice about. This day made me realize how different people’s lives can be depending on where they’re born, even if it’s just a few miles apart on the same lake.

And honestly, the boat ride back felt completely different than the one that morning, because now I understood what that water actually means to the people who live here. In the morning, it felt familiar, almost like home. But on the way back, I saw it for what it really is: a lifeline. A highway. A workplace. A source of pride, struggle, beauty, and survival all in one.