homeward...

From our very last country to wherever you are, 'Hola!' 

For 3 weeks, we have been enjoying the beauty of Guatemala and the warmth of its people. We have grown quite fond of the children we are teaching--both in the after school program and in the public school, though some of them aren't quite as easy to love... Manos de Colores is an after school program where community kids come for homework help, as well as English and art lessons. The 5 to 14-year-old kids greet us with cheery hellos and bid us farewell with besitos. Tuesdays and Thursdays, we trek to teach English at a public school just outside of the city. The 5th and 6th grade students can be a delight to teach, but can also be less of a delight--especially when blowing spit wads at us. 

We have been living in Xela with our host family, who feeds us delightful Mexican-esque things, which is just warming us up for home. They are patient and kind as we try to communicate with our broken Spanish (Taylor's a little less broken Spanish than mine) and their non-existent English. All in all, they've been a treat, but at this point, home is sounding better and better. 

Like all of the other countries we have visited, Guatemala has character to boot. With stray dogs EVERYWHERE and buses crowded full of people, to babies wrapped in colorful woven cloths and apron-donning women slapping fresh tortillas, our eyes are constantly entertained as we walk our daily miles. 

Not only have we walked, but we have also had the pleasure of joining our Guate-mama on her frequent morning runs. Although on the first day we were a little unprepared and found ourselves jogging in flip-flops behind a little Guatemalan grandma, we have since wisened up and are sure to leave the house in shoes. 

Our spare time has been filled with the beautiful lake vistas of Atitlan, climbing up the hill just outside of town to see the nearby volcano, strolling through vibrant markets, and playing with our newfound gatito. 

We had an unexpected change of plans when our commitment here ended a week early, so we thought: "Why not head home and surprise the pants off of our friends and families??" (who we are more than excited to see after 7 long, but wonderful months away). By the time you read this, we will be settled into our more permanent places of residence, so if you live near us and would like to hear more stories or to see pictures of faraway places, please let us know. 

But whether you live far or near, we would both just like to say: thank you, dhannyevad, webale nyo, teshekular, grazi, danke, obrigada, gracias, and THANK YOU again--for caring and for praying and for coming along for the ride. We couldn't have done it without so many of you, and it's been a dream--maybe even more. 

With SO much love, 

Taylor and Corie

Brasil pictures

Tiff painting with the girls, from the walls to faces

Taylor washing sweet little Emily's hair

Corie painting hands to print on the walls

Home of the Good Shepher

Brasil: Que Legal!! (translation: So Cool!!)

"Oi! Tudu bang?" (Hi! Everything good?) the words we were greeted with each morning as we arrived at the children's home, usually accompanied with big hugs despite little arms. For three weeks we were surrounded by beautiful children with whom we shared lots of laughter and love, despite our inability to speak Portuguese. They were a hoot! Plus, our dear friend Tiffany came along for the Brazilian portion of our adventure, and she was just a treat to have around.

We split our time between the boys' and girls' sites; each was fun in it's own way. We were given the project of painting the boys' homes.  The boys started out watching us and keeping us company, but were so eager to help that we turned the task over to them, one boy after another, until there weren't enough paint brushes for us. Thus, our role became monitoring the scene: washing paint drips off the wall before they dried, turning a puddle of spilt paint into a soccer ball and washing paint out of the boys' hair. All that said, it was so fun to watch them focus intently the job they had been given, and show it off proudly every few minutes. We took breaks to eat oranges that they had picked from the trees for us, or to sing along with them to Justin Beiber. 

Our time at the girls site was split between baking cookies, playing voleyball, tye-dying shirts and painting nails.  We even got to treat them to a salon day, using a hair washing sink that the local hair stylist donated. We shampooed and braided 25 beautiful heads of hair. Mondy and Wednesday nights the boys and girls came together to play 2 games of soccer. The first was for the younger kids, the only ones we were qualified to play with. It was fun to cheer and watch the second game, but they would have run circles around us, because by age 10, a Brazilian can school almost anyone at soccer.

It's safe to say that the kids stole our hearts and every minute spent with them was packed with fun, even if a lot of it was at our expense. Our time outside the home was spent with our wonderful hosts Randy and Carla.  We were constantly impressed and inspired by their love for the children and the time and energy they pour into the home. If you're looking for a cause to support, Home of the Good Shepherd is a great one to look into. Carla, one of the warmest and most hilarious people we've encountered, never failed to provide us with entertainment and laughter. She also provided is with jars of salsa and the closest thing to a DQ Blizzard outside America--two things we've been craving for months.

On our way out of Brazil we spent two amazing days at Iguazu Falls, a place that cannot be done justice with words. Not only did we get to admire the expansive falls from afar, we were soaked by the cascading water as sped under it in a boat--so incredible!! This was followed by a day in Rio de Janeiro, where passed the moring at the beach and summited Sugar Loaf Mountain by cable car in the afternon. We bid Tiff farewell at the airport, before having the privilege of sleeping there (one of the things we certainly won't miss about budget traveling). En route to our final destination...how crazy is that?! and just like that, we are back on the home continent. PS. Pictures to come later...maybe.              

A hop, skip and a jump through Europe

Way back when, in the beginning of June, we enjoyed a fantastic 4 days in Switzerland.  The Best family wins the prize for being great hosts, for not only did they spoil us--rotten, in fact--but they also allowed our friends, Diana and Tiffany to join in on the fun. (They came to meet us from Hungary and Germany, respectively).  While Taylor enjoyed reconnecting with old Colorado friends and getting a taste of their life in Switzerland, the rest of us were thrilled to meet such warm, new friends and to experience such a gorgeous country. 4 days might seem short, but we sure packed in a lot.  We strolled over the flower-covered wooden bridge in the city of Lucerne, drove up and down the vivid green hills, feasted Swiss-style at a family barbecue, and sipped countless lattes from Tanya's in-home coffee shop. What a treat it was to be both in Switzerland and with the Bests (Corey, Tanya, Livia, Silas, and Sarah).  En route to Brazil, with Tiffany along for the ride, we had a one-day pit stop in Lisbon. And man--what a COOL city. With colored plastic chairs along the ocean, cute cobblestone streets, and statues galore, we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. It was great to escape the airport and soak up some Vitamin D, all before crossing the Atlantic--and the equator. For the first time in 6 months, we will be now on land connected to the good 'ol US of A (in the words of Taylor).