Adventures In Guatemala (and elsewhere): UPDATES!!!!

Okay, so I have done a really crap job of keeping up this whole blogging thing, sorry about that. Here is a (moderately) quick update on my life…somewhat in order(ish):

· I am no longer a Peace Corps Volunteer, I closed my service April 15, 2016. Insane. I sometimes still forget, mostly when speaking Spanish and someone asks me what I do.

· Weekend adventures in Antigua with the host family, heart wrenching, tearful, ugly cry goodbye with the family. Tearful goodbye with boss lady. Ugh.

· Considered not actually leaving

· Beach trip with Erica, surfing! Broken knee….

· I traveled from Guatemala to Mexico to celebrate the end of my service. Here are some highlights from Belize and Mexico. I absolutely loved Mexico, that food though <3

· Swimming with sharks, sting rays, gigantic turtle, sun poisoning, amazing views, ruins, cenotes, mojitos, failed attempts at swinging from rope swings, the split, salsa dancing with strangers

· Isla Mujeres, hello love.

· I met someone in Belize who is now my Belizean souvenir, and I guess more, whatever J

· More mojitos

· I made it back to the states!

· Week long work trip to Denver, caught up with Nickle, loved the rockies

· ROLLER DERBY

· Wife time, bestie time, sister time, faja time, friend time, lady friend time, kitties time, work baby time

· Camping etc.

· Impromptu trip to Chicago *read: stupid passport office and all the hours of driving

· MATTIE GRADUATED!!!!!!

· Help Marfullus move in to her dorm at IU (proud sister time)

· Empty nest syndrome?

· LEEEEEAAAAAVVVVEEEEE

· Made it back to Guatemala (I love this country!!!!)

· Officially became an independent contractor for Walking Tree Travel

· First group arrives

· Apprehensive about first group, 21 students, intimidating teacher

· Antigua sight seeing

· Travel to San Juan for service work, CONSTRUCTION, building shit like bosses

· Jailbalito trip, Pana, Guate City….all the way to TIKAL!!!!!!!!!!!! Stunning pyramids

(somewhere between Antigua and Tikal accidentally loving this group of students and obviously their amazing teacher, dreading their impending departure)

· Group leaves, airport tears. (must re-evaluate life, I don’t know when I became such a softy)

· Chill with Guillermo, my work buddy

· Head to San Pedro because I can be here (it’s an off limits zone for PCVs), try to relax, get rid of awful cold, enjoy alone time, catch up with friends back home, family, lady friend

-Visit host family

-Become terribly ill, slowly try to recover (obviously I have Malaria, Zika, and everything else)

-Visit Antigua, catch up with boss lady, celebrate the fourth!

-Skype chats with the best folks

-Visit my lake <3

Now I am headed back to my old site for a few days to visit the host family and Claranian friends. My second group arrives in three short days!

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The past three months have been the most intense, crazy roller coaster of emotions I have ever experienced. I have been in four different countries, traveled almost the width of almost all of them, made acquaintances in all, have left the country that feels like home, only to return to it. I have experienced more goodbyes than I care to count and have said more hellos than I am capable of counting.

Mostly, I have been reminded of how insanely lucky I am. I have been given the chance to continue my travels, to meet and know some truly incredible people (and I am getting paid for it, whut whut!). I have been granted the opportunity to continue on the road to self-discovery and continuous learning. More than anything, in the past few months I have been reminded of how incredibly blessed I am to have such amazing people in my life; it’s so easy to feel lonely, especially when traveling alone, and seeing all of those smiling faces, my friends, my family, my chosen family, it was exactly what I needed at that time.

So, to all of my loves, both past and present, thank you for growing with me, thank you for accepting me and all my abundance of weirdness and social ineptitude. Thank you for the honest, raw emotion, anything but small talk chats with me. Thanks for hanging in and trying to understand me bumbling through thoughts aloud, trying to articulate experiences and feelings that I do not yet know how to explain, thank you for being a safe shoulder for me to emote on. Most of all, thank you for loving me.

All of my loves

Sam Keely

Upcoming plans: group 2 (hiking, working, building, repeat) then NEEEWWWW YOOOOORRRRRRKKKK then Europe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, here are all of the pictures, highlights, we'll say