In my first visit to this selvatic, religious and welcoming country, mi intention was to explore it 100% with an adventurous mindset and to experience as much as I could while keeping an extremely - maybe exaggerated - low budget. By my own decision, I learned to live in a continuous state of scarcity and constant effort. Guatemala taught me that I am capable to accomplish a lot with very little, I learned that I´m not made of glass and that I can take several hits before breaking, I can grasp now how complicated is life when you are away from home, but it is completely up to you to change your reality.
My experiences in Guatemala span from being in a hospital with a possible broken back, a gun pointing at my head, a 39 celsius fever with no money for medicine, the first broken heart I left when I decided to continue traveling instead of staying with her, to living for a week with a local family with 6 daughters.
My Chapina (how guatemalans are called) adventure was about learning and self-discovery through risking my life every time I had the chance, but this time my travel style will be very different. Back then, Guatemala was the 4th country I visited in my whole life and it was the first one where I experienced several change of plans and goals; everything I had to go through during those 40 days marked an end and a beginning in my life, and whether it may be good or bad, it played an important role in who I am today.
This time Guatemala welcomes an Eric with a more specific goal, more than 20 stamps in the passport and a new way of thinking. I don´t have to prove to me what I am capable of, I already know that; I´m also conscious of my limits and I´m not planning on putting them to test - at least not this time, there will be a chance to do that in another ocassion. I still have a lot to learn and grow, but I feel that I´ve made a lot of progress compared to the man who came here a year ago.
I don´t know what to expect from this visit... The project I have prepared for this month involves having to re-visit every town I went the first time, but to explore them from a different point of view. I´m curious to see if these places are how I remember them, how I idealize the, how I described them in those posts I wrote when I was just starting on Steemit.
There is a phrase that I don´t recall who said it, or if I read it somewhere or if I´m just simply inventing it right now, but I have it engraved in my mind: "People and places, they don´t change, it is our own perception and mental state what makes them look different".
Well, it´s about time... I want to demonstrate the truth behind this phrase. I´m not going to say I´m not anxious about the outcome but, what I can say is that I expect it to be better than what I think. I wish my capacity for amazement is still there and I can enjoy this adventure to it´s fullest, I hope I don´t have to repeat to myself...
Hey Eric, I've heard a lot of nice things about Guatemala. How long are you going to stay there?
Have a good time there.
I´m going to stay for around 3-4 weeks Joy! Hey btw, nice win that BCH atm acceptance!! :D
Half naked Eric - shut up and take my 100% :P :D :D :D xD
HAhahahahahahah oh my god, I should never had use that photo! Everyone is commenting about that instead of the ideas! :P lololol
What did you expect?? :P I doubt most people actually read the post - I skimmed through it ;))) :D We Love Eric! xD
I think people change. Maybe not as much as the person who has been away for a long time, but they still change. Everyone goes through their own travel in life and they grow even though they might be staying in one spot their whole lives. Places stay quite the same and mostly change because of people changing or moving away. That's my experience at least :) and cities that I used to spend time in start to seem smaller as I see more of the world.
Hope you have a great time in Guatemala :)
I read your post, I am so glad you are back :) Exactly, at least for me, we change, and with that change, everywhere we go changes with us.
How is California going? Are you going to post something about these past 3-4 months? I can wait to see how the hikes have bee, or the acting lessons (it was acting right?).
Thanks for dropping by, I thought we lost you for good, don´t ever scare us like that again.
Californias good! I will be posting some pictures of the trips I've made :) acting is going good too, I'm auditioning for some plays today!
You didn't loose me for good, I just had a busy period where I struggled a bit with my motivation to write. I'm back now :)
Came here for the update but I can't stop staring at that sexy beast in the picture.
Lol this no shirt picture is going to haunt me forever, a lot of people has already commented about it hahahaha
I think your findings would be different from the last time you visited towns in Guatemala.
Because now your mind is more aware of the details. In another word, wiser.
Have fun in your quest for new experience.
Thank you for sharing.
I don´t know if wiser, but at least better fed with experience haha
Thanks for dropping by and commenting my friend.
You are most welcome. Thank you for all the supports given.
"People and places, they don´t change, it is our own perception and mental state what makes them look different".
Life is what we see or believe it to be, and that's exactly what works for us.. I hope you keep making impacts on the people you meet and I wish you luck.
Exactly, it depends solely on ourselves to take things as they happen to us, and what to do with them :D
Happiest of journeys, Eric! Woah a gun to the head, broken hearts and back, high fever! Wishing you perhaps lower key journeys this time 😂
“We see things not as they are, but as we are.” -anais nin
💞
I really expect this time will be uneventful, or at least only positive events hahaha. Damn, that ending quote, I love it. I have to reply to more comments, I saw yours from yesterday and it was on point, but I was on cellphone so it was too hard, and now I have to reply to like 50 comments from yesterday hahaha. Great to see you drop by, always nice to read your comments ^^
Haha! I can’t even imagine what it’s like to have so many comments like you do!! I have trouble and we don’t even have that many...
Yeah anais nin is a gem! 😊
i just recently got back from Florida 2 months ago. From being somewhere when it is almost always freezing Florida is a great vacation spot. But this time when I went it never felt like a vacation it never felt like a thrill. We done all the fun things you would so on vacation, go to amusement parks, go to carnivals, go swimming, get tattooed and eat at places you never been before. But this time it never felt like it did the first time we went to Florida.
The phrase you mentioned, definitely relates to me not finding Florida vacation a thrill anymore. As a kid I was blinded of all the chores that you would have to do to keep on top of things and I guess simple "adult" things. So my perception has definitely changed.
Its funny what you mention, I think it has happened to me a few times. At some point you out-grow a place, a sensation or a person (not because you are better or worse, but because you simply differ from that person you were when you enjoyed their company), and puff, you are just not interested anymore in visiting the place, conversating with the person or wanting to feel like that again, I agree 100%.
Being a nomad is by no means easy. It means giving up a lot to gain, in my opinion, something even more. There's a small window in our lives where we can undertake an adventure like this with the right mind set before life and experience change the way we think.
That's why I love the line you included, "People and places, they don´t change, it is our own perception and mental state what makes them look different." Because it's so true. We can never go back on the path of life, only forward, so that means even if we go back to places, they'll never be the same. Thanks for sharing!
As in life, some decisions take away other postive experiences from us, we just have to choose. It doesn´t mean we have to stick to that decision for the rest of your life, it just means that, at least up until you regret it, you may want to stick with your decision, even if it is hard for you to "miss out".
Yeah, life isn't about following the same path forever, it's knowing when it's time to try something different. A poignant moment that I'm going through right now. I think the modern marketing term is called, pivoting, hehe.
This is RADICAL! I share many of your points of view, having been to Guatemaya on a scarcity trip 4 years ago... Unfortunately, I was infected with giardia after going for a leisurely swim in Lago Atitlan, and the following 3 months were pretty horrific until I came back home to Montréal to get cured... I believe that the only thing that never changes is change itself. I appreciate your words and look forward to seeing the world from the new perspectives that are inevitable as I grow and learn to know and love myself as a being of love and light, yo! Presence is the best present, this is where we need to be, right here, right now!
Wow I bet u do a lot of traveling ....this is great.thanks fokr sharing
Amazing
Guatemala is a wonderful and beautiful area. I also liked the way you put the subject of precision and expressive words. Welcome to Morocco. You will be impressed with the wonderful views and we are the owners of hospitality and generosity.
I´m trying a new writing style where I describe more the places and ideas, I´m glad you appreciate it, I still have to polish it a bit to get where I want to. Thanks for the invitation my friend, if I ever go to Morocco I´m sure I will love it :D
Well they say 'that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger', but here's hoping you don't end up in hospital this time around!
Here in the UK Gautemala City is represented via the mainstream media as one of the most dangerous, gang controlled places on earth. Is there actually any truth in this do you know?
Nice 'shirt off' off shot there btw
Oh noo, I really expect this adventure is only full of positive experiences, not because I don´t crave any kind of experience, but because I feel like being calm and not stressed, at least for a few weeks :D
It is, along Tegucigalps and San Pedro Sula (Honduras), Guatemala city has been one of the few places where I felt like I had to keep an eye on every corner and everyone... There are some places where even when nothing happens, you don´t feel quite safe, Gt city was one of those for me, and I come from Mexico city, so go figure haha.
Lol I was doubting to use that pic, but went for it hahaha
Wow - thanks for the insight on GC!
We learn with time and hopefully, all the tragedies happened to you may have some wisdom for your future and I'm glad that you survive during all the difficult times. The essence of the Quote you quoted here is so so deep that only few could understand that. I would use the word "Awareness" for it. If we are aware on each moment, we can experience and enjoy those moments as they are instead of what we perceive they are. Be aware, Be present, Be here Now.
Best of luck buddy for your future experiences. It was good and amazing to read your story.
Every experience, good or bad, gives you the chance to learn soemthing, it is up to us to take this opportunities to actually improve and keep growin.
Awareness is a big word, it is not only about our surroundings, people, experiences, but also about ourselves, you are so on point on that one man.
Thanks for dropping by and commenting!
Visiting old haunts never lived up to expectations for me. I remember the city of my youth and missed it intensely when I moved. All I wanted to do was move back. Years later, I did just that. It was never the same. I realized that home is where your heart is, not one specific place. In this case, home was with my family in our new City.
I hope you have a better experience this time around in Guatemala. I’m positive you will see it with a different set of lens; adding experience and knowledge into the mix. We would like you to continue traveling and post more pics so be careful. No traumatic back incidences or close encounter with a violent weapon this time around. Perhaps fate may work its magic and you will run into that certain someone from the past there. 😉As always, safe travels!
Has it ever happened to you that you remember places bigger than they are? And then when you visit them again as an adult, they are tiny... Well, I firmly believe it is because of our own perception, our present it molds our perception and it depends of our state of mind, how will we see things, places or people.
Oh yes! Has to be an amusement park I visited regularly as a child. It was da thing! Coolest ever. New experiences and grandness of it all.
Years later as an adult, we become jaded by life. Some things are never as ‘grand’ as you remember it to be. I’m actually afraid to get on some of those roller coaster rides now, lol.
Yes, our perception of things change as we grow and experience and learn. I do agree. Will be interesting to see your perception of Guatemala with years of traveling and experience under your belt. Was the culture as you remembered? Are you still wowed by the country? Or did the luster and grandness of years past fade? 🙂
I think it's our perception that changes most. Of course town change but very slowly overtime we only notice such drastic changes because we haven't seen it in a long time and how we see things have changed over time so something that we may have looked at but never saw last time still exist and is now fascinating.
It sounds like you had a pretty interesting trip last time. I hope this one is just as fun but less dangerous. Lol. Enjoy!
I wish you the best on your adventure and see a different light once you visit. It's nice to revisit the places that you've been to and see how those places feel the second time.
I'm curious though, why did someone point a gun at you?
It's like coming back to where you started, discovering new things, do people and places actually change? Innovations and advancement can we call that change? if yes then people do, do we really change? now it is getting confusing, I will really want you to prove that to me, am still following, in me I believe people don't change, transformation always occur as we grow to be who we are, places also transform and knowledge increases.......just prove it bro
Adventure and exploring things are the best ways to reconnect to your one true self. I wish you all the best in your journey my friend.
@anomadsoul how fun and exciting to jungle to enjoy the beauty of nature. but why did you take off the shirt? are you not afraid there's an animal like a pacat or a leech sucking blood
There's always this excitement whenever you visit a new place for the first time. The experience and things learn are memories that cant be forgotten for a life time. Thanks @anomadsoul for sharing your adventure with us.
You've captured the essence of travel so well. The way we grow over time from challenging ourselves to new environments. It is wonderful that you are going back with some wisdom under your belt.
We change while the place remains the same. It is like coming home and stepping into the water, everytime you come home, it is new, and everytime you step into the water, it is new as well. Enjoy your adventure my friend.
Why did they point their weapon at you though? Robbed? Border Patrol? Militia in the jungle?
It was a gunpoint robbery in a chicken bus late at night, they cleaned our pocket empty while pointing at us :(
Always amazed reading your stories. I'm inspired. Wish you the best in your journey.. Thanks for sharing. Keep safe always!
Me encantan tus aventuras... aunque no dejaste nada para la imaginación, no tienes frío?
Jajajajaja estaba dudando si usar esa foto y ahora me hiciste dudar! Jajaja
es que no puedes andar por la vida en cuero jajajaja
This is very true. It mirrors pretty much what is on my mind after having toured and looked around my hometown for my post.
You are a different person now and this should be quite the adventure.
Alcanzaste a recibir mi video en steem.chat?
Siiii, pero no se si lo guardé :( Me lo mandas a nomadsouleric@gmail.com Valkiria? :D
listo
Be strong! You will have fun but always stay safe! :)
I loved the phrase "I am not made of glass." Indeed, sometimes it is necessary to believe that we are capable of more than we think. Extreme conditions often allow people to open up the strong side. This makes sense of many adventures and travels. No one returns from such trips as the same person. It builds character. But sometimes, when you have already tested yourself and learned your essence you need to travel, pursuing other goals. Travel for relaxation, to observe the surrounding beauty, to nourish our soul. Trips that provide food for thought and charge with positive emotions.
I don't think I would be able to return to a country linked to so many powerful emotions after just one year. I'm very curious what you will find.
Nice reminder at the end, I find it very useful when caught up in everyday life.
Be careful of snakes on your head @anomadsoul, hahahaha...
Wow, espero puedas disfrutar por allá al 100%, que tu viaje sea algo inolvidable y no indeseable. Good vibes and blessing for you bro!
Your photo cool friend .. i am a newcomer in steemit..and i want to learn about steemit more deeply..and please help his vote ya friend .. know your best friend steemit
It's a wonderful post!
Amazing story!! Heard of Guatemala so many times about the safety but hope someday I’ll experience it myself. I myself is a traveler too. Like your write up and started following you @anomadsoul. Let’s get connected and we can share our travel stories.
I have always been afraid of expectations cos they are so disappointing..but l think you just right anyway..thanks @anomadsoul
such a great time having fun with your adventure sir!
God Bless..
we wait for you some day in Venezuela :)
Wow that's inspiring dude. You lived so much the first time, how you process all that? D:
I hope you enjoy the country again and prove the phrase.
Each time you return to a place, you will find it different, one changes with life and looks at different details or sees them with different eyes, in addition to the other people also change and places too with age.
Upvoted and conitnue following
As you indicate @anomadsoul, the place or country, which again visit, with complete certainty, has not changed at all; but, what has changed is the way you see things and people; which will indicate that you are growing or maturing as a person; and something very important, surely those old friends with whom you will meet again will realize that you have changed, that you have grown; and they will surely let you know.
all that trip is to break the "big cost" ... an exciting trip ! Please visiting my blog...thank you
I think people rub on places...If a place changes it's feel, I'd say check what the people have been up to in the recent past....We, human dictate the feel of a place. Sometimes, mother nature can also have it impact!
I like your post.
Upvote back.
Adventure time!! Have fun out there bud. Keep living life to the fullest.