Back To Reality In Guatemala
It took me weeks to write an entire post on 7 reasons why you should visit Guatemala. I procrastinated. And researched. And procrastinated some more.
And then I deleted it.
Because as much as I know those are the kinds of posts most people want to read, the posts that are shared, the posts that people come back to, that’s just not what I want to write about.
That feels so good to say. (Exhale)
There’s no soul in my writing when I’m giving typical travel advice like that. I know it’s super useful information. For goodness sake, those are the first posts I read when I start planning a trip.
But it’s just not me.
And you eventually get to a point where, even though you know it’s a good idea and it will help a lot of people, if it’s not coming from your heart, it’s just not coming.
What I REALLY want to write about is how Guate brought me back to life. How I booked my flight the night before, no plans, no itinerary, simply because it made me happy. How solo-traveling is an incredibly spiritual experience for me. How I feel so alive when I follow my heart.
It’s like the second I was dropped off at Miami International Airport, I was back. Walking through those double doors, waving goodbye to my sister, making my way to the self check-in counter, scanning my beloved passport, getting ready to embark on yet another unplanned adventure, is one of the most empowering feelings we can experience as humans.
I went to Guatemala kind of on a whim. I mean, she did call. But I had no plans. And 8 days.
I spent a week in Guate reconnecting with my higher self. That part of me that knows better. She just knows better than to care about the things of this world. She knows better than to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle. She knows better than to plan out every detail of her life.
She knows how to relax. How to just be. How to let go.
How to surrender. How to trust. How to flow.
I spent a week with Her. No plans. Doing things that fulfill me in a way that only solo-travel can.
I found myself hiking active volcanoes. Getting lost in charming colonial towns. Scavenging for the best papayas in the world. Exchanging life stories with fellow backpackers. Lazing around a mystical lake. Remembering the rhythm of nature.
Alone.
Completely immersed in the ancient Mayan energy that is Guatemala. An energy that will completely consume you. For it’s masculine. And grounding. And earthy.
It’s fire. And red. And hot.
And it was this fiery energy that suddenly snapped me back to reality. To the reality that we’re so much bigger than we can ever imagine. The reality that there’s more to life than the rat race. The reality that we’re connected to the perfection that is nature.
I came back fully to that understanding in Guatemala. And that’s what I want to write about.
