Where in the World is Christine Wicks?

After months and months of waiting and countdowns---July has finally arrived and Christine Wicks has made it to Guatemala! When Christine first told me she was booking her flight the end of June seemed liked years away---but it has finally arrived!!!!!

Christine arrived on Wednesday afternoon and we picked her up at the airport. In true Guatemalan fashion we were late and she was standing out on the platform with her huge bag waiting for me. I could not have been happier to see her! We headed to Antigua first and spent two days catching up, drinking coffee, eating amazing food and exploring the city of Antigua. We visited places in Antigua that I did not even know existed--beautiful ruins and churches.

After two full days in Antigua we head to the lake for a little relaxing. We went to a lakeside town called San Pedro--I had never been there before, but it comes highly recommended by all the other volunteers. The town itself is so cute with little winding streets, that are even too small for cars to fit on. We stayed at a hotel on the lake with a lawn of hammocks overlooking the water, mountains and the volcano. The first night we met up with Michael, Jess and Erika who also happened with be in San Pedro for the weekend. We had a fun dinner and drinks out and it was so fun to introduce Christine to the people I have been spending every day with for the past six months--to the people who have become my very good friends. The next day Christine and I woke up early and headed out on a guided tour/hike up Volcan San Pedro. Manuel, a native elderly man from the town, was our guide and he lead Christine and I up the volcano with dog and machete by his side. The trail of the volcano is directly uphill and was extremely challenging--but it had the most breathtaking views.

After our morning hike we decided we deserved massages. Another town on the lake, San Marcos, is known for yoga and massages so we headed on over. We took the boat across the lake to San Marcos and spent the afternoon exploring the village and getting massages---much needed! The next day--back in San Pedro--we woke up to rain and it did not stop raining all day. We hopped from restaurant, to coffee shop, to bar and read and played cards while it down poured. The rain let up for an hour or so in the middle of the day and we snuck in a kayak--which was beautiful. Always fun to see places from the water! The next morning we heading to an outdoor yoga session before headed back to Antigua. The yoga sesssion was so relaxing and beautiful under a canopy of trees.

After a few days of rest and relaxation we headed back to NPH--so I could show Christine where I have been and what I have been doing for the past six months. Christine spent the next to days being such a good sport--she came to classes with me, where she was bombarded with questions. She came to my section with me where she was attacked by my girls and she help my plan for my upcoming classes. We went on a tour of NPH and took a hike through the mountains so she could really come to understand why I am so happy and why I love being here.

It was so amazing having Christine here and showing her what has become such a big part of my life. It was hard to stay goodbye and I am already counting down until we are reunited back in DC!