Highlights of the last few weeks

•  I'm proud to have "successfully" completed 6 weeks of Spanish classes. In case you didn't read my last post, which you probably should, it's kind of nice now because I'm able to actually engage in some conversation with people and feel sort of comfortable with basic conversations. (I could easily take another 6 months of classes and still have a plethora of Spanish to learn.) Because Antigua is so small, it's pretty easy to see people you know just about every time you go out. Despite all of the tourists and the number of times I hear "Ay man, you need some weed?", the city has somewhat of small-town feeling that I've grown to really like.

• I successfully made it into my 21st year of life. This past Saturday, our whole house went out to McDonald's for lunch together and had a great time. It was the first time we all went somewhere together and it kind of felt like we were a little family *sniff*. We then had a cake later on at the house and watched a movie. I also got to FaceTime my parents and some of my brothers, so it was a lovely birthday.

• I've recently been able to spend a lot of time with Anderson, the 10-year-old that we're living with. He's a super bright young guy and has been a ton of fun to be with. He's been through more difficulties in his ten years than I have in twice the amount of time, and yet he always has what seems to be very authentic joy. He's also a great teacher when it comes to Spanish, kite-making, and Guatemalan swag. Today, he just randomly grabbed me and gave me a massive hug. It was so great. I love the kid.

• There was a Texan who moved down here to Antigua to open up a legitimate BBQ restaurant and we had the privilege of eating from there this weekend. Now, I like Guatemalan food. But it was a thing of beauty to allow the carnivore inside of me to surface and enjoy some fine Texan cooking. 

• I visited a couple of different places at which I'll be volunteering over the next couple of months. As I've mentioned before, it's such and encouragement to see some people who are doing incredible things for people in need here. I'm really excited for the upcoming weeks as I'll be spending some time at a couple of different places learning from the people and getting to interact with them a bit more. 

If you want to see more pictures, check Facebook. Thanks for reading!

Note:
If you or someone you know is interested in studying abroad in the near future, be sure to look into something called the Gilman Scholarship. I was a recipient of the scholarship and it was really helpful in making it possible for me to come to Guatemala. Click here for more info.