Amigos, Carros y Cambios.

¡Feliz (casi) fin de semana y febrero, todos! I’m enjoying my third lunch at Panera since being back in the States and wow – I missed this place! It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks, with some time in Omaha to see some great friends and moving out to Fort Collins. The important things: I am safe, healthy, and really loving living out in the mountains for the first time.

I met up with Kelsey (from Spearfish, SD) in Vermillion on my drive down to Omaha! 

I managed to fit my entire life (keyboard and guitar included) into my car and made my way to Omaha mid-January. Apparently my driving skills got a little rusty during my time in Guate: I got caught speeding through Sioux City by a traffic camera (okay, maybe just my ability to notice speed limit signs needs a little work). The week in Omaha couldn’t have been more refreshing. Honestly, at first it felt a little weird being back on Creighton’s campus for the first time as an alum. Once I started seeing people I knew though, it immediately felt like home again, although in a different way. It was great to be in Omaha and have nothing on my schedule other than seeing people. I stayed with Justin and Eric, who are now in med school (crazy!), and we had a great time. I may have OD’d on frozen yogurt, which is fine by me…

I got some great flying time in during my week in Omaha. I miss it already!

Last Wednesday, I downloaded an audiobook and made the 8-hour drive across Nebraska to my new home in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is beautiful here! I am living with Kelsey, one of my best friends from Creighton who is going to grad school at CSU. We (well, mostly Kelsey – I watch and try to help where I can) have been cooking some great meals, have gone on some great runs, and have explored a lot of the city and campus.

I wasn't kidding about the food. Yummmmmmm.

I have been going a little stir-crazy lately and am learning first-hand that the word ‘job-hunting’ really is like hunting: I spend time scouring websites like Craig’s List for listings, sending in cover letters and resumes, and getting really excited when I hear back from someone. I interviewed at a couple financial investment firms last week, which I thought would be a good challenge and learning experience. However, I quickly realized these opportunities required a lot more commitment (time and career-wise) than I am willing to give with med school starting in August, so I ended up turning a job offer down. It felt really great to actually get a ‘job’ though, and the invitation meant as much as anything.

My new room! Thanks for the artwork above my bed, Adyson :)

So, that brings things up to speed for today. I just finished an interview for a staff position at a homeless shelter (fingers crossed --- I loved it!) and have an interview at Starbucks on Monday. Both jobs would be part-time, and how cool would it be to work at a homeless shelter AND learn how to make some awesome drinks?!

This week, although it has challenged my patience, has been a great opportunity for me to slow down a bit. I made no-bake cookies for the first time. I recorded a few songs in my new studio (a.k.a. my bedroom that has been taken over by music equipment). And, I have been working on a lot of those things at the bottom of my to-do list –- the ‘wish list’ things you never really actually expect to get done. I am learning to take more reflection time and to embrace the silence and time alone rather than fear it. Wow--- I think I might be starting to grow up a bit. Weird!

Celebrating Rachel's birthday --- ¡feliz cumple!  

Here’s to the weekend, days filled with opportunity and change, and embracing the silence when we find it. I am thinking of you and hope things are going well!

Paz,

Nico

Aviones, Buses, Carros y Lanchas!

It is a surreal experience sitting here in my bedroom at home in SoDak, reading over some of my past blog posts nearly a month after finishing the Somos Hermanos program in Guatemala. Some things have returned back to normal as I work on settling back into life in the States, and other things remind me that a part of my life (and heart) will always be in the mountains of Guatemala.

The last month has flown by with a nearly 50-hour bus ride throughout Central America to visit Mike, a great friend from Creighton, followed by the holidays at home and a family vacation down to St. Maarten. It has been a lot of traveling, a lot of eating, and a lot of family time: all great things in my book.

Adyson and I have been working hard to stay in shape after all of those Christmas cookies...

The trip down to Ecuador was…eventful. I am proud to say I actually made the bus ride from Guatemala to Panama before flying down to Ecuador, and I met some great people along the way. We had a nine-hour layover in El Salvador, where I was able to meet up with the girl who coordinated our group trip there, and we had a great time (including karaoke, español style!). The bus had some issues in Costa Rica, and so we ended up getting to Panama only an hour before my flight. Bags flying and totally stressed out, I found a great taxi driver who tried to help me make it to the airport in time any way he could (I'll leave it at that). After a little begging, I was able to get on the flight to Ecuador that left only 25 minutes after I got to the airport. Whew!

Scuba diving in Ayangue, Ecuador -- Merry Christmas from under-water Jesus and me! 

Once I got to Ecuador, I spent a day on the coast at Ayangue to go scuba diving and relax before heading to Guayaquil to see Mike. It was a great time to unwind! And, seeing Mike – and his girlfriend Emily, who was visiting at the same time – was incredible. It was great to meet the people he works with and spend time in the community where he is volunteering this year.

Reunited in Guayaquil!

I made the flight back home and surprised my parents by getting back a little early. It was really surreal being back with my family, and it was great to be home for the holidays! I’m sure they have seen more pictures and heard more stories from my last few months than they were expecting, but they have been great listeners and I love sharing.

The family at Christmas, finally all together again.

Two weeks later, I packed my bags again for a family vacation to St. Maarten in the Caribbean. Honestly, it almost felt more like ‘going home’ than going on vacation in a way – and it was great to speak a little Spanish and enjoy the sun! We came back on Saturday night to freezing temperatures, snow, and ice. All I can say is…brrrr.

Enjoying the relaxing isolation of Shoal Bay. I could have stayed here a while longer! 

So there you have it – a long-overdue update on where things are at post-Guate! If I had to pick one word to describe my life over the past six months, I think it would be ‘packing’. And, it continues. I am packing now and getting ready to head out on my next adventure by moving to Colorado to live with a great friend, Kelsey, and get my first ‘real job’ (and hopefully keep traveling a little bit!) until I head out to D.C. in the summer to start med school. I’ll be making a short stop by Omaha to see friends on my way and absolutely cannot wait.

Every day continues to amaze me, and I am loving the adventure. It’s time for another chapter and another change. One of the biggest things this year has done for me so far is help me realize that change is what you make it, and adaptability is vital. With that in mind, I am going to continue trying to make my entire life (keyboard included) fit into my car and make the long trek to the Rocky Mountains.

Te extraño, te quiero, and if I haven’t seen you yet, I hope to see you soon!

Paz,

Nico

Mi último blog de Guatemala.

Wow – ya estoy escribiendo mi último blog de mis experiences aquí en Guatemala. Hielo (frost/ice) is starting to make a regular appearance on the grass here in the mornings, Christmas celebrations are in full swing, and we just got back from our weekend trip to Antigua…which means, although I can hardly believe it, my time in Guatemala is coming to an end. A week from now, I will have arrived in Ecuador to visit one of my best friends, Mike, for a few days before heading home for Christmas. I am really excited to go to Ecuador, and to see my family and friends back in the States, but at the same time it is going to be very difficult to leave the place I have come to call home.

Practicing our salsa dance before the big show tomorrow night!

Things are coming around full circle in the school. My teacher this week, Vilma, is one of the only maestras who has had all of the Creighton grads at some point (myself and Becca this year, as well as Rachel a year ago). She is great to talk with and I am learning a lot! We have a graduation ceremony on Friday, complete with our host families, diplomas, and a reception. It should be fun!

 Making pumpkin pancakes at the school after our final exam! Yummm. 

The parties here haven’t let up a bit; we had Sergio’s (my host dad) birthday party last Thursday. After some convincing from my host family, I decided to try making my mom’s tuna casserole for what I though would be a small family lunch. The guest list grew quite a bit, so I ended up doubling the recipe. But, the casserole and brownies turned out great (thankfully!) and it was really fun to have everyone together again. I am getting used to a few large family gatherings per week now!

My host mom, Carolina, and I with our tuna casserole. 

This weekend, we packed ourselves into the microbus one last time for a group trip to Antigua, a small tourist town between Xela and Guatemala City. Although the town was a little touristy, we had a great time together exploring church ruins and a chocolate museum (yum!), as well as finishing up last-minute shopping before heading home. We stayed at a hostel in the mountains twenty minutes outside of the city, and it was gorgeous! It is going to be hard to leave the landscapes of Guatemala, where seeing active volcanoes and beautiful lakes has become normal. Throughout the weekend, we had a lot of time to enjoy each others’ company and reflect on our personal experiences here in Guatemala as well as how we have bonded as a group.

In case you were curious, here is how we pack into the microbus for our trips...sometimes for 12 hours or more at a time..

When I arrived in Guatemala nearly six months ago, the program coordinators asked us to set some goals for our time here. I remember my first goal being to ‘have a very difficult time leaving this place and the people I have developed relationships with.’ It sounds a little weird, and maybe even a little backward at first, but the idea is that the more something has become a part of who we are – and the more positive the experience has been – the harder it will be to leave. My time in Guatemala has, in one way or another, touched and affected nearly every part of my being. Learning about this country’s history and current affairs has challenged me to become more informed about global concerns. Living with a host family has demonstrated the true depths and meaning of ‘hospitality.’ Traveling throughout Central America has opened my eyes to a world I had never experienced and ignited a passion to continue exploring the world. And getting to know a group of twelve amazing people who are passionate about medicine has, in addition to giving me faith in the next generation of health care professionals, reaffirmed my passion and desire to pursue medicine.

So, as I sit here now after six of the most exciting, challenging, and formative months of my life, I am happy to say that leaving will indeed be a very challenging experience.

I was able to take my host family out to their first Italian restaurant last night as a thank-you for the last six months.
We loved it! 

Thank you so much for joining me throughout this experience. Thank you for your thoughts, and thank you for your prayers. I still have a lot of changes coming my way in the coming weeks and months before heading off to medical school at Georgetown, with a trip to Ecuador next week and moving to Fort Collins, CO, after spending the holidays at home, and so I am going to continue with the blog every couple of weeks.

Until next time, espero que todo esté bien y que tengas una buena navidad. ¡Nos vemos pronto!

Paz,

Nico