Nineteen years ago today, right about now, I was settling down for my first night ever in Guatemala. It was way before the days of easy $10 airport shuttles, but I was in luck. Back home in Norwalk I had just met the friend of a friend who was involved with a non-profit in Guatemala and she happened to be in the country the day I arrived. My now very dear friend, Pat Krause, rode a chicken bus on the windy mountain road from Antigua into Guatemala City to meet me at the airport. We caught one bus and then had to change to another somewhere in the heart of the chaotic city. I remember carrying a big backpack, twice as heavy as it should have been for all the books I was unwilling to leave behind.
While we waited for the second bus on a busy street corner, Pat treated me to an orange soda from a street vendor. She asked for it to go, Guate-style: poured into a plastic baggie with a straw, room temperature. I imagine the me from then: exhausted from the flight, struggling under the weight of a heavy pack, gripping the soda bag in one hand and a duffel bag in the other, the hot sun beating down relentlessly overhead. I must have been overwhelmed because I vaguely remember trying to keep a poker face, but I know I wasn’t especially nervous. I had never been to Guatemala and I was really excited for this adventure, a new chapter in my life. I had no idea what to expect but somehow it felt like I was in the right place.
In a million lifetimes I couldn’t have written the story that would unfold in the months and years to come. I think about that girl waiting for the bus, sipping her orange soda. She had no idea that she was about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.
Julie, I love this story. I can just picture you arriving in Guatamala – young, open, filled with the excitement of a new adventure, with nary a thought to what was ahead of you. Bewildered, yes, but fearless!Impressive.
And who better to be there to greet you, to be your companionon on the first leg of your (chicken bus} journey than Pat Krause?
What a journey it has been! Your love, your steadfast commitment to the people of Guatamala through EDUCATION AND HOPE has been and continues to be remarkable. No one could have guessed what the future of that brave young woman would be.
Blessings, Julie.
Love,
Sheila
Dearest Sheila, what a beautiful reply! Not only were you one of the first at St. Jerome to hear of my connection to the people of Guatemala and my desire to lengthen my stay thre, you were also a tie to the Pat Krause side of the story. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. You’re very right – NO ONE, not even me, could have guessed what was to come. I am so blessed for this journey, and so grateful for your blessings. Love, Julie