It’s been three weeks since I’ve been back from Guatemala. So figured it was the right time to finish up the lessons and reflections from my time spent in that beautiful country.
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Before going to Guatemala, I had very vague plans and mostly just went along making plans up as I went. I had two towns in mind originally, and planned to go to other towns from there. The first was Antigua, where I didn’t have the best time – probably because of my own internal turmoil. Antigua itself was beautiful and full of culture. After a few days in Antigua, I had plans to go to Lake Atitlan.
Indigenous culture around the lake
Lake Atitlan is a beautiful lake and the second most tourist frequented area in Guatemala. There are multiple different towns surrounding the lake and most people take a public speedboat to get around the different towns. These towns are also special because there is a large indigenous population across the villages of Lake Atitlan. As soon as I arrived in Lake Atitlan’s port town of Panajachel, I started hearing people speak in different languages. I speak fluent Spanish so I knew they weren’t speaking that. It was very beautiful and different to be surrounded by so many indigenous people in the midst of traveling.
My first week at the lake
Since I had no real plans, I booked hotels at a moment’s whim to stay at 4 different towns around the lake: Santa Catarina, San Juan, San Pedro, and San Marcos, in that order. My longest stay at any hotel for the duration of the trip was 2 nights maximum. This wasn’t on purpose but it’s just the way my brain and the hotels ended up going. So as you can imagine, I was living a very nomadic, straight out of the suitcase lifestyle. I really enjoyed my alone time in the quiet town of Santa Catarina.
Village hopping
In San Juan, I explored the local streets filled with different themes. There was a hat street, a coffee street, and an umbrella street, each slightly different but very colorful and vibrant. San Juan is known for their many coops of indigenous textiles, where visitors can learn how to make fabrics the same way the Mayan people have been doing for generations. San Juan’s streets were filled with indigenous vendors and shop owners, which was very beautiful to see both their artwork and the weaving of multiple cultures coming together in a central location.
San Pedro is supposed to be the party village. A few weeks before embarking on my trip I had one of those embarrassingly drunk moments that I hadn’t had in years and I was committed to sobriety. Not only am I sober now, but hopping around the different towns and going on frequent hikes also made me committed to my bedtime so I didn’t partake in the party scene. I did however, have some of the best food there at a local Israeli-owned restaurant. At first I also thought “Who goes to Guatemala for Israeli food?” But as soon as I had a bite, I fell in love. 10/10 recommend!
That WOO-WOO kind of town
Finally, after spending 5 days across the first three towns, I landed at San Marcos. I was supposed to stay here for at 4 nights but I ended up staying in this town for the rest of my trip. San Marcos is known as the expat-filled spiritual, WOO-WOO kind of town. I spent the first two nights at a hostel and the next two nights at a yoga retreat up in the forest. I hadn’t done yoga in three years, but since the main point of being there was to escape and do something different, I decided to participate in the yoga classes included with my stay. It was intimidating at first, especially when I saw it was a two hour long class. However, I was surprised that I was able to do most of the yoga moves, and two hours seemed to fly by.
Dancing alone in a crowded bar
Across the first four days in San Marcos, I was able to meet a lot of fellow travelers and really started to build a network across this small town. At one point, I was dancing in a bar with a new friend and it seemed like she knew everyone at the bar and kept introducing me. After exchanging a few awkward hellos we were all just dancing next to each other, together. I felt like I knew everyone there but at the same time didn’t know anyone at all. It was a beautiful moment. Because after all, isn’t that how life truly is? Even when you think you know someone, you never really fully know them. It made me deeply appreciate the moment of dancing in a crowd of strangers in a foreign country, feeling safe and secure. It made me feel like nothing really mattered. Nothing but this moment.
Should I stay or should I go?
After the first four nights of staying in San Marcos, I debated moving on to explore further parts of the country. I mulled this over day after day but finally felt that I didn’t want to leave. I decided to stay and see if I can spend my final week in this tiny town of San Marcos. I kept meeting people in cafes, at airbnbs, and even attended a local saint’s feast with the host of my AirBnb. I took every day slightly differently and explored the town’s shops and masseuses. I watched the volcano across the lake erupting against the star-filled night sky. I talked to strangers about our time in Guatemala and our lives back home. I lived in the moment as much as possible, but also found myself missing home and feeling lonely at different points in time. I remembered how much community and exploring was important to me. Truly important. Not just for appearances or instagram posts but because it genuinely helps fill my soul with happiness. There is always this balance needed in our lives, and my trip to Guatemala allowed me to feel more balanced by validating my own opinions and desires over that of everyone and anyone else’s.
Bringing lessons of Guatemala back home with me
Now I’m back home and see the ripple effects of continuing to be my authentic self while giving myself the validation I was often frequently looking for outside. Still, I know I have a lot more healing and inner work to do. The kind of self-love and reflections that take a lifetime.
My trip to Guatemala reminded me of the importance and happiness that comes with enjoying the journey and all the experiences and people you meet along the way.
