My name is Olivia Coffren, and I am a senior and one of the team leaders for the Guatemala trip. Day 6 was our first real workday in our small groups.
We started the morning early with breakfast at 6:50 a.m. at Violeta’s. Breakfast was pancakes with fresh fruit, which was perfect before a long day ahead. While we were there, we met Scott, the director of Buena Onda who is the person Professor Lennon works with to set up the various work sites and projects. We also met Helen, our mentor and Spanish language helper for the worksite. Helen is a local from Guatemala and will be with us every day at Escuela de los Niños.
After breakfast, we walked to the local bus terminal and took our very first “chicken bus” ride. The chicken bus is what they call the local buses because people regularly take animals such as chickens on the bus with them. The chicken buses were colorful, crowded, and definitely louder and more chaotic than anything we’re used to back home. It was a little overwhelming at first, but also exciting — it felt like a real glimpse into everyday life here. We took the bus to Jocotenago, where the school is located.
Once we arrived at Escuela de los Niños, we got right to work. Our job for the day was to take apart an old playscape and clear the area so the rest of the project can be completed later on. The work was physically exhausting but everyone worked really well together with the locals Marvin and Rodolfo. It felt good to finally be doing something hands-on and meaningful and to be more than just a tourist.
After finishing up at the school, we took another chicken bus back to the terminal and walked back to Violeta’s for lunch. By then, navigating the buses and the city already felt a little less intimidating.
In the afternoon, we had our first Spanish class, a three-hour session with one-on-one tutors. It was challenging but honestly really fun to finally be able to understand bits of the language. Being able to practice Spanish directly with locals made it feel much more useful and real, and it definitely pushed us out of our comfort zones in a good way.
Later that evening, we broke off into smaller groups to explore Antigua, which was a great way to wind down after a long day. A few of us ended up at a basketball court, just hanging out and taking in the atmosphere. After that, we met back up with some of the group at a local restaurant for dinner, where we watched the football game together. It was a relaxed, fun way to end the day and spend time as a group outside of work.
By the end of the day, we were exhausted and ready to rest for our next day of work. I had a great feeling of accomplishment after a hard day’s work. Day 6 felt like the start of our real work in Guatemala, and it made me excited for what the rest of the week has in store.
