By Callie Penick Today in Guatemala we went exploring two towns that showed me different perspectives. San Marcos was quiet and peaceful, but it also surprised me with an amazing cliff-jumping spot on old Mayan ruins. The town felt small and tucked away, almost like a hidden place on the lake. Because it was so…

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By Abinet My time in Guatemala passed far quicker than I expected. Already, the memories of our first time helping build stoves feels distant to me. Even though so much has happened, I know that the memories I’ve made while stay with me for years. Keeping in line with the thought of being thankful this…

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By Hudson Metsala This was the view from our first breakfast spot. With this being the first volcano that most of us ever been close to, it was a jaw-dropping sight, especially with the occasional booms and ash coming from the peak. This was our first night in Guatemala, the view from the Boys Airbnb’s…

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By Brynleigh Allen Coming to Guatemala was definitely not my ideal way to spend Thanksgiving. I came into the trip with a very negative mindset and more of a mindset of thinking what could go right with this trip? People told me that Guatemala was so dangerous and I needed to always keep my head…

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By Teal Cola On our day as the leader, Brynleigh, Hudson, and I challenged the group to go into Cerro de Oro and observe the community while putting ourselves in their shoes to find a better understanding of the town that we would be staying in for the next four days. As I walked through…

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By Ozzy Brown A plague has enveloped the world. Reaching the coldest peaks to the scorching deserts. It has corrupted, brought its tendrils up noses taking hold of each slice of the mind. The plague is inescapable, it forces conformity and change It has brought ruin to small tight-knit towns and sprawling metropolis It kills…

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By Loc Huynh I’ll start this blog post with a rather bizarre question for something like this – “How long has it been since my last haircut?” In fact, to the answer to this is it has been a little over two months since my friend Hoang tried to give me one. Unfortunately, it was…

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Lake Atitlan, our base for the core of the trip, is widely considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. For good reason – towering volcanoes surround the lake, green mountains slope into turquoise blue water, and small communities bustle with life. We’ve been staying in the quiet town of Cerro de Oro,…

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By Via Metsala

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By Lillian Williams International Laughter: A simple phrase with such a complex meaning. Something I had never thought of or interpreted before coming on this trip. Laughter to most of us is something that we experience in our day to day lives. A small action that most of us don’t even realize we’re doing until…

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By Cuong Luong The truth in life is that everyone is born with a fortune or many fortunes: some are born with physical fortunes or traits – to be really tall or extremely smart – and some of them with the fortune of opportunities in their life. I first came to realize this when I…

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By Stella Mayhew The first day in Guatemala was the day I saw two family members for the first time in seven years – Emma, my aunt, and my uncle, Renzo. When I saw them as we stepped out of the bus into their small courtyard, I had a hard time telling if it was…

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Although the group left campus on Thursday, November 20th, the trip really began yesterday, on Friday, November 21st. That’s the day the plane took off from Dulles, the group became the group (minus two who are coming a bit late), the first meals of the trip were enjoyed, we tasted the first sips and then…

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