I had arrived.

Hola Amigos! 

I'm coming at you today from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, having just spent the last two weeks in Antigua. Here's how my first day played out:

After a rather uneventful flight, I arrived in Guatemala City on Sunday, May 19 and quickly hopped in a cab bound for Antigua. It was all a blur so far, that morning in the airport (flying Spirit) as well as the previous day, running last minute errands and getting all my stuff together. A bit stressful. I arrived in Antigua around 4pm and was introduced to my host family, who I would be living with for the next two weeks as I attended spanish school. It was a bit awkward at first, as I was not able to engage in much of any verbal communication beyond "hola" and "gracias", but they were very warm and welcoming nonetheless. I slung my bags into my room for it was time to do some exploring! Based on what I had read on the internet, and the multitude of warnings given to me by my mother, a newfound expert on safety precautions specific to Central America (Hi Deb!), I cautiously left the safe confines of my home. I left my backpack in my room because it might as well be a bullseye to opportunistic thieves. I took only a small amount of money with me, spreading my credit cards into different pockets in preparation for the likely event that I was robbed. I consciously adjusted my body language to look as confident as possible and tried to appear as if I knew exactly where I was going, hardly pausing to take in the scenery. Wouldn't that be a dead giveaway to the robbers and thieves lurking in the shadows? Ok, I wasn't that paranoid, but some of the stuff I had read on the internet forums did cross my mind as I took my first forray into the streets. I was bound for El Parque Central, the central park that I had seen a bunch of pictures on online when researching Antigua. Apparently it was a few blocks from my home, and seemed like a safe place with lots of other people. 

It wasn't long before I was completely lost. My pace quickened a bit as I realized I had no idea where I was going and no clue where I was in relation to either the park or my home. Cars blew by, drivers hidden behind tinted windsheilds, without a split second of hesitation for crossing pedestrians. I froze each time a feral dog darted past, wondering whether or not my last tetanus shot was still valid. Probably not. Every guy I passed in the streets seemed like a shady character, capable of ripping me off in an instance. But as I weaved my way deeper and deeper into the maze of cobblestone streets without incident, I began to relax and enjoy the scenary. Indigenous women dressed in colorful garb balancing baskets on their head, kids laughing and chasing each other in the streets, and people generally going about their merry way, uninterested in a lost gringo mulling about. As my perspective began to shift and I started to embrace my new surroundings, I stumbled upon El Parque Central. 

After weeks of reading up on and scrolling through google images of Antigua, I was finally seeing it with my own eyes. Right in the middle of the park is the iconic "Fuente de los Sirenas" built in 1738. As the gentle splash of the fountian came within earshot, the sirens drew me in. As I drew closer, everything around me seemed to slow down, and then there I was. It was no longer a picture of a place far away, an idea, or an image in my imagination. Nope. I was standing right in front of it. And that was the moment it truly hit me - I was really doing this. I had arrived. 

Shit just got real.  

    

                                  

I hung out at the park for the rest of the afternoon, taking it all in, and chuckling to myself about what a crazy / awesome idea this whole thing was. I had no idea where it would ultimately lead me, but it had officially begun. And I was ready. Estuve listo. 

    El Parque Central - buzzing with activity

    Live indigenous music

As the sun began to set I decided it was time to meander back home. I found my way back without too much hassle, but as I slid the key in, turning it round and round, the door would not budge. Several minutes passed as I stood there messing with the key - turning left, turning right, without any luck. I knocked a few times but no answer. Annoyed, I took a step back and began to wonder if I was at the right place after all. It was just a door on the side of the street, and they all looked the same, one door after another. My gut told me I was at the right place but as I stepped back up to the plate and struck out once again, I began to seriously doubt it. Sunlight was fading and it would be nearly impossible to find the place if this wasn't it. Really?? Just then, a girl accompanied by a local man walked up. Turns out it was another student living at the house who had also wandered out and gotten lost, only to be helped back by a friendly local. We messed with the keys for a few more minutes and then bam! Door open. Victory! We introduced ourselves and shared a laugh over the situation. And just like that I had made my first friend. 

I made my way up to my room, plopped down in bed and reflected on what was a monumental day.

It was going to be a great trip.