Written by: Yorlan Herrera
01/17/25
Guatemala 2025 – Work Day # 5
Today was an early morning; I woke at 0600 to have enough time for a cold shower and enjoy my morning coffee. This one of my favorite parts of a day – a warm cup of coffee on the rooftop while looking at two breathtaking volcanoes, Fuego and Acatenango. This calm routine has become a special part of my Guatemala mornings.
We went to Violetta’s for breakfast, where we had coffee with apples, bananas, and a delicious chicken patty. Simple but satisfying – just what we needed to fuel up for the day ahead.
After breakfast, we took a “chicken bus” out to the Jardin de Amor school in Santa María de Jesús, our work site for the day. The rides on these colorful and sometimes boisterous buses are an adventure in and of themselves and a key part of any Guatemalan experience. We got down to work once we arrived. Today’s work was to cover one of the classrooms with a white base coat of paint so the next student group could come in and paint it yellow.
At 0900, we took a break from painting for our first presentation of the day. We spoke to a group of sixth graders about our studies at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and explained why we chose to come to Guatemala. It was inspiring for us to share our experiences and see the curiosity and excitement on their faces.
After the presentation, we resumed painting for another hour before taking a well-deserved break and playing soccer with the third graders. Finally, on the fourth try, we won one! Some of these kids are amazingly good players, and their energy made every match another highlight.
Spirits lifted, we headed back to finish our work in the classroom. At the end of the workday, we put on a white base coat, leaving it ready for the next group to paint yellow. Before we wrapped up, we gave our second presentation to a group of fifth graders. I shared a bit about my personal journey – how I was born in Medellín, Colombia, and moved to the United States when I was eleven.
Sharing my story meant a lot to me because it reminded me of when I was growing up in Colombia when college students from the U.S. would come to volunteer with my school. I remember how cool and inspiring those students were, and it kind of felt like a full circle to be one of those students now, hoping to inspire kids just like I had been.
At the San Antonio site, Group 1 continued to work at the Community Center doing painting. They finished the day with a walk to the San Antonio town square where the visited a store selling traditional Guatemalan arts, crafts, and textiles. At the Jocotenango work site, Group 2 continued getting the school ready for the students’ return on Monday and gave a CPR class to the teachers.
After bidding my farewells to the Santa María de Jesús kids and taking the bus to Antigua, I returned to the hostel for a well-needed 30-minute nap before Spanish class. The funny thing is how hard Spanish class is for me. My professor and I are really working on building up my vocabulary and perfecting the usage of certain words. During our 15-minute break, my professor suggested this new coffee place, Fat Cat. I ordered an iced latte with a medium chocolate chip cookie. Immediately, this place became my second favorite to the Artista de Cafe for coffee. Vincenzo got an espresso shot, which smelled really nice.
After class, Pablo and I took an adventure around the beautiful city of Antigua. We found a taco place called Taquería El Changarrito for dinner. I ordered six tacos and a root beer. I loved the tacos and would definitely go back there more often.
In the evening, we went to the local market to purchase some essentials for tomorrow’s hike up the volcano. I bought a Gatorade, two Red Bulls, a box of granola bars, and a jar of Pringles as snacks for the climb.
All in all, today was a day of satisfaction and productivity, with hard work, meaningful connections, and moments of relaxation. I’m so excited to see what tomorrow’s adventure will bring as we tackle the volcano!
