Side Quests & Solitude

Welcome to Ella’s Bi-Weekly Spanish Lesson

Guatemalan Phrase of the Week…

“Púchica” = Wow

When I imagined spending several months in Guatemala, I naturally thought most about the project I would be working on. I pictured clinics, CPR trainings, Spanish classes, and the work that had brought me here in the first place. What I did not think nearly as much about were all the little moments that would happen in between.

Lately, I have started calling them my “side quests.”

Some have been adventurous, like riding an ATV through the mountains surrounding Lake Atitlán. Others have been completely unexpected, like judging a dance competition at a local orphanage alongside Miss Turismo Guatemala. And some have been complete moments of solitude by myself. These experiences may not have been written into my original Lumos proposal, but they have become an important part of what it means to actually live here rather than simply complete a project here.

As I mentioned, one of the many things I have appreciated most about this season is a side quest I did not necessarily expect: solitude.

There is a difference between being alone and being lonely, and Guatemala has given me the opportunity to see that difference. At the beginning of college, I was so uncomfortable with the idea of being alone that I felt like I always needed someone to spend time with or something to do. Guatemala has been teaching me that being by yourself does not have to mean loneliness; sometimes, it is an invitation to slow down and discover who you are when no one else is around to define the moment. I am realizing how valuable this season of self-discovery is, especially because I know life will not always give me this much space to simply be. I spend a lot of time by myself here, either studying in cafés, exploring Antigua, walking through the market, going to the gym, working on my project, or simply figuring out what I want to do with an afternoon.

And I genuinely love it.

I love it because I know there will probably never be another season of my life quite like this one. Medical school and whatever comes afterward will bring new communities, responsibilities, and demands on my time. But right now, I have been given the unusual gift of living in another country with the independence to create my own rhythm.

And with that, solitude has also made community feel more meaningful. 

One of the greatest gifts I have found in Antigua has been the community that has formed around me. While I have learned to appreciate solitude in a new way, I have also learned how special it is to build community somewhere new. I joined a bilingual church here, and through it, I have met an incredible group of women. We have shared dinners, played in pickleball tournaments, walked through markets, and spent time together in the ordinary moments of life. These friendships have reminded me that some of the most meaningful parts of living abroad are the connections you form, even without speaking the same language. I have also found community in the place I call home. I live at the same Spanish school where I take language classes, and because the school is a family endeavor, I have had the unique opportunity to become part of their everyday lives. The owners are two brothers, and my Spanish teacher is their sister. Living among them has allowed me to see not only how much work goes into teaching a language, but also the entrepreneurial side of building and growing a small business in Guatemala. Unexpectedly, I have even gotten to become a tiny part of that journey. I have helped film promotional videos for the school, participated in events, and found myself cheering them on as they work to share the Spanish language and Guatemalan culture with people from around the world, creating opportunities for students like me. Recently, Miss Turismo Guatemala and I filmed a promotional video together, which was certainly not something I had on my Guatemala bingo card when I arrived!

Experiences like these have also changed the way I think about cultural immersion. I used to imagine immersion primarily as learning Spanish, eating local food, and visiting new places. Those things matter, but I am realizing that truly living within another culture is much more relational. It means learning how families work together, how friendships form, how people celebrate, how businesses grow, how faith communities gather, and even what an ordinary Tuesday looks like.

Of course, the work that brought me to Guatemala continues to be incredibly important to me. I am continuing to develop relationships and opportunities surrounding health education, CPR and first-aid training, and community health initiatives. But I am also learning that Lumos is giving me something much larger than a collection of project outcomes. It is giving me the chance to build a life somewhere new. 

I came to Guatemala with a project and a plan. I am grateful for both.

I am equally as grateful for my side quests, too.