THE HARDSHIPS OF LIFE IN ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA:

All right, so the title is obviously a little sarcastic. Life here in Antigua is awesome! I have little to no complaints. I do, however, have some things that I would like to share with you that could be viewed as difficult, inconvenient, or dangerous. Not to worry, however. The following items are minimal, easily managed, and nothing to stress about!

The first point of interest is the rainy season. This is hardly worthy of mention, except I though it would be a good opportunity to share some pictures I took! It gets pretty wet here and we have to take care to travel without things that can get ruined in water, or else always keep an umbrella. It rains sporadically and for various amounts of time. Worst case scenario, we can always take a tuktuk! A tuktuk is, basically a small motorized trike with about two more seats installed on it than there should be. Antigua's equivalent of a taxi.

Something that I have had to get used to while living here is the care that is needed to ensure safety. This should be something that any student thinks about as he or she considers going out of the country for any amount of time. Our caution comes in the form of how we travel around the city, especially at night.  The crime rate in Antigua is extremely low. That being said, we are not trying to invite trouble. In the last couple of years, there have been only a few instances of crime against tourists. Although these have few and far between, we are constantly vigilant, making sure we don't have targets on us. During the day, it is safe for males and females to travel in any size group. As it becomes darker, we make sure to be in larger groups and keep at least one male with a group of females. Additionally, there are police constantly patrolling the streets at all times. As it is the tourists that bring capital into Antigua primarily, it is in the city's best interest to keep the "extranjeros," or foreigners safe. All in all, we little to worry about. We do, however, take much more care when we go into Guatemala City.

Entrance to the National Museum

This weekend, we made a trip into the capitol of Guatemala, Guatemala City, to see some museums and the market. After classes on Friday, we got on a bus and headed into the city. We visited a museum that contained the largest/oldest collection of Myan art and architecture (pictures below). The next day, we visited the palace, a giant mansion of sorts that a Guatemalan ruler built for himself. It has since been changed into a cultural center and historical location. We visited the Guatemalan Cathedral, a beautiful building. Finally, we took a trip to the market and headed home. My apologies for the slight messiness of the pictures. It is a little difficult to get them to a point that is pleasing to the eye.

Scale Model of Tikal.

Jade necklace and flares. Should I get some like that?

Myan king, much as he was found.

Maximon, said to be the reincarnation of an apostle. Guatemalans still bring offerings to shrines like this in hopes of an answer to prayer.

Meeting room in the Palace. Used for formal meetings.

Peace Rose at the Palace. Changed every day to symbolize another day of peace in Guatemala. This custom was put into place after the end of the recent civil war.

This picture and the two above are of the Cathedral.

So, excluding the challenges of language (becoming less and less of a challenge as I learn more and more), getting used to the food (great food, the body just needs time to adjust), and overcoming the desire to sleep (once again, I just had to get used to a different schedule), I have one final challenge to share. I'm sure that many students thinking of going on a study abroad program, especially for a semester or longer, consider what it will be like to be away from home/school/loved ones for such a long period of time. I have only been away from the United States for about two and a half weeks, so I'm sure that, as time goes on, my thoughts and feelings about this will change. I don't typically get homesick and have not yet while in Guatemala. As of now, however, I have mixed feelings. Naturally, if I sit around and look at pictures of home and try to stay updated about what is going on back at school, I find myself missing those places more and more. The more I video chat with friends and family, the stronger the feeling of their absence becomes. Conversely, if I stay busy and keep my head in my books, it is easier to focus on studies and enjoy my time here. This, naturally, poses a problem. I have to stay in touch with those that I care about, but I can't spend my time here thinking about home the whole time. I have concluded that a balance is needed and I am finding that balance for myself. I spend most of my day studying and exploring the Guatemalan culture. I choose to spend less time communicating with those at home and checking the latest buzz on Facebook. I try to make the little bit of time that I do have for communication count and utilize video chat services often. If you are reading this as a student considering a semester abroad, this is an aspect of the package to consider. Can you manage to be away from home and school and friends for that amount of time? Can you stand to be away from your significant other for that amount of time? However, I have been dating my lovely girlfriend, Stephanie, for about a year and a half now, and it was hard to leave her for three months. It is a little bit difficult realizing all that I am missing out on back at school. I believe, however, that the experience is well worth it.

So far, my experience studying in Guatemala has been phenomenal, and I think that studying abroad is very beneficial for many reasons. All of the "hardships" mentioned above are manageable and can hardly even be called such. So, all is well. As always, thanks for taking the time to check out my posts and I hope that you find them interesting, informative, and helpful! Feel free to comment with suggestions for a post or questions.


A good resource for students thinking about studying abroad: Gilman Scholarship Program.