Why Guatemala?

Many people ask me, why Guatemala? If you could be anywhere in the world, why there? There is political corruption, poverty and violence. It’s not your typical tourist spot or vacation destination. it’s dangerous! Last year, 5,975 people were murdered in the country (about 16 people die daily here from violence, and this does not include death by natural causes, disease, or hunger) But I think that it is more dangerous to live in the routine of unconsciousness and complacency. So why Guatemala? The same thing could be asked about our partners. Why do we fall in love with our spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends? For some unexplainable reason, I am attracted to this country for both its beauty and tragedy. For how I feel when I walk through the streets of Xela or when I listen to the language. It’s the food, the air, the cobble stone roads, the mountains, the children, the narrow sidewalks and street vendors. In a way, I did not seek Guatemala, she chose me. She appeared to me in an email and called to me like a child tugging on her father’s pant leg. “Hey, look at me, I want to show you something!” I came to Guatemala with no expectations, no preconceived notions. I came to her naked and desperate. In search of my language that was lost as a result of assimilation in the US. I came in search of my grandmother’s native tongue. My actions often are not driven by rational or logic. I’m a “feeler” that is intuitive and spiritual. It just felt like the right thing to do. I’ve been called crazy, bold, naïve, and fearless. I’m not sure what I am but I just know that us humans do drastic things sometimes to follow our hearts. And I have faith that at the end of my life, I will confidently say “I have no regrets.” That I will have had lived to the fullest, took chances, loved deeply, failed and succeeded all while helping a few people live better along the way. How many people can say that?