Guatemala Spring of 2022

It's now been 6 months since we traveled to Guatemala with the 2 oldest kids, but we are still feeling the affects of that time together. Michael had traveled to Guatemala in 2020 and returned home as borders were closing across the globe. I'm still amazed that he was able to make it home and do so without catching Covid in the crowded airports. Since he's come home, though, we have known that we wanted to go back to Guatemala as a family. This seemed like an ideal trip to introduce our family to international travel. 

When we went in April of 2022, the country was still feeling many of the effects of the pandemic. Because of this, there weren't many kids in public spaces, which made it feel like ours were louder and busier than usual. Michael and I were oscillating between shushing and encouragements of how well they were behaving. Both things were true. It was a lot to process at times.

Reasons why this trip felt important:

• The kids first international experience was with their parents! Both Michael and I first traveled internationally with church groups (which were also great experiences). The first trip abroad is a big deal! I'm grateful that A and P's first trips included all of us. 
• It gave the kids a wider context to understand some of the Spanish speaking cultures in Chicago. Despite our many corrections, the kids used to act like any language that was foreign to them was gibberish. It was important for them to see a whole society and culture in all of the important ways, not using English. They were nervous about going without knowing Spanish. We taught them a few phrases and were able to get by with Michael's Spanish.
• This trip showed religious and cultural diversity apart from the saviorism that can happen on a short term mission trip. I pray that they have a heart for missions in a meaningful way as they grow. But I also wanted to them to acknowledge the historical significance of ancient traditions, and experience a Christianity that does not look like the tradition that they know. We talked about theological differences that are significant, as well as practices that are shaped by culture and differ no matter where you go.
• We all got to exercise our city skills! The sidewalks were narrow in Antigua, so we were usually in a single file line as we walked. Walking is such a great experience for all of us, and especially for kids. However, especially in a city, walking doesn't mean free ranging. There were guidelines for how we would handle ourselves while walking, while also trying to enjoy conversation and our surroundings.
• We were in Antigua during Holy Week, which is a week of festivals celebrating the death of Jesus. It was very powerful to be a witness to the processionals. It also gave us opportunities to talk to the the boys about why it is important to focus on Jesus' resurrection. The whole experience was sometimes disorienting and sad, but I think it was important to see that other countries and cultures believe in the significance of Jesus' death. 

Logistics of traveling with the kids:

• We found an activity for us to do every day that was kid friendly. Bonus points if it was outside! I hadn't wanted to replicate Chicago experiences by going to museums, but the children's museum in Guatemala City was, of course, so different than Chicago's children's museum. Public outdoor spaces were not easy to stumble upon, so we would plan trips to parks once we realized we'd have to seek them out.   
• The kids' personal carryons were for activities and snacks that we used on travel days and at the air bnbs. 
• Every day had some time of chill at the air bnb. Even kids who are go with the flow can struggle to stay positive and attentive for an entire, busy day. They would usually chill with Veggie Tales. 
• Centrally located air bnb's made sure that. we were never far from a bathroom!
• Involvement in decisions was a higher priority on this trip. We let them pick pastries, yummy drinks, and souvenirs. This felt special for them, and kept them involved!

Schedule

With the ultimate destination being Antigua, we decided to spend the first few days of the trip in Guatemala City. Michael had some friends to see and places to show us, but we also thought it would be a good context for the boys to adjust to a new (to them) culture. They are used to navigating city scenes as a family, so we started there. The drive to Antigua is about 90 minutes long and busses that you can take between the two cities, but we decided to Uber. We traveled back to the States on Good Friday, but we were up very early to see the Alfombras before the processionals began. Once the sun was up we grabbed coffee and got an Uber directly to the airport in Guatemala City. (We covid tested the day before at a hotel in Antigua.)

I can't wait to go back to Guatemala. We've talked about the next time we go to Antigua maybe renting a house a little outside of the city with more green space and views of the surrounding volcanoes (of which there are 3). However, our last air bnb was in a great, not super touristy location, and the host was so wonderful!