Written by: Sean Davis
Today was the second work day of our final week in Guatemala. Everyone is getting a bit sad that the end is near, but before we can think about going home, we need to finish our work and Spanish classes. It all begins with a good morning. My day began with a 0555 wake-up, the sweet spot in my sleep cycle. It is the perfect time to get ready and enjoy the 60-degree weather before the sun comes up and sets Antigua on fire. At 0700, we walked together to get breakfast and stuffed our faces with waffles and pineapple with chocolate drizzle. With full stomachs, we then picked up our bags, and the groups departed for work.
For my team, Group 3 (made up of me, Makynzi, Morgan, Yorlan), the most interesting part about seeing all three work sites is their stark differences. My team was first assigned to Santa Maria de Jesus, which was an eye-opening experience. From the streets we walked to the school we worked at, it was evident the community was significantly under-resourced. We then were assigned to San Antonio where there are still clear development needs, but the town appeared to be less impoverished. Finally, at our current site in Jocotenango, we are working at a school with its own soccer field and an open courtyard area with beautiful plants. The school relies on charitable organizations to support its operations, and renovations still need to be done to help the teachers and students. However, the requirements are not as severe as what we saw at our other two locations.
Today, my group started painting the bottom half of the school’s interior walls. Yesterday, we finished the top part of the walls, which we painted white, while today, we almost completed the lower section by painting it dark blue. The dark blue sticks out and really adds a clean and complete look to the school. We plan to finish the rest of the bottom tomorrow and do touch-ups. Other than painting, we celebrated a student’s 12th birthday. The whole school met in the cafeteria, sang him happy birthday, and then enjoyed cake. We were lucky enough to be given a piece and to share in this special moment. At the end of the work day, Professor Cadwalader asked if we were motivated and wanted to walk back to Violetta’s for lunch instead of taking the chicken bus. The whole team agreed to walk, and off we went for a 3.76-mile movement to Antigua. The walk was shorter than I thought, and we made it back in under an hour. Sunny weather with a light breeze and a little bit of Limp Bizkit through my headphones made for a nice hike.
As for work for the other teams, Team 1 (Seamus, Reagan, Pablo, Vicenzo) completed the office at their school in Santa Maria de Jesus by painting it yellow. They began prepping the next room, which needed new paint, by taking down posters and removing nails from the walls. In San Antonio, Team 3 (Hannah, Mackenzie, Tanner, Nate) built a water drainage system using PVC piping and laid down concrete for a bathroom.
In Spanish class, I learned how and when to use Qué or Cuál, which means “what” in English. For the second half of the class, Tanner, Morgan, Seamus, and I played charades with verb flashcards. Tanner and I scored a decisive victory. After class, a group of us headed to the local Antigua Gym for a workout.
The greatest thing about Tuesdays here in Antigua is a two-for-one taco deal at Tacorazon. Two-for-one tacos are the equivalent of Tom Brady returning to the NFL and winning the Super Bowl. So we went to Tacorazon for their tacos, and that’s how we ended our day in Guatemala. ¡Hasta Manana!