A week after returning from Belize, my birthday rolled around. I wrote in my journal last
year on my birthday, “So many unknowns lie ahead. Right now Panajachel, Atitlan
Multicultural Academy, and Lake Atitlan are just google images and job
descriptions, but a year from now these will be home. Next year on my birthday I
will be celebrating with amazing individuals…individuals that I don’t even know
exist at this point. How exciting!?”
Wow, I was spot on! That is exactly what I did. I was treated
like a queen all day long by these incredible new friends, whom a year ago I
had never met.
The night before Jason and Carrie hosted a game night, and Carrie had made Coffee Cupcakes in my honor!! She is so amazing and thoughtful! I am blessed for their friendship. The morning of my birthday, I woke up to Carlos and his mom, Mirna, delivering me flowers and breakfast to my doorstep. Then I headed with my friends to my favorite local joint for breakfast, then onto a pool party at a hotel pool in town (compete with blow up toys, floaties and Cheez-Its), coffee shop hopping, and dinner with Carlos. After dinner we were walking down the Santander when I heard a live band start singing Happy Birthday. It was coming from inside the Solomon’s Porch door, and sure enough Lloyd and his band spotted me in the street and serenaded me into the porch. There were actually 3 birthdays to be celebrated that night at the porch…so the night was complete with dancing, cake, ice cream and live music in a place I have called home all year.
The night before Jason and Carrie hosted a game night, and Carrie had made Coffee Cupcakes in my honor!! She is so amazing and thoughtful! I am blessed for their friendship. The morning of my birthday, I woke up to Carlos and his mom, Mirna, delivering me flowers and breakfast to my doorstep. Then I headed with my friends to my favorite local joint for breakfast, then onto a pool party at a hotel pool in town (compete with blow up toys, floaties and Cheez-Its), coffee shop hopping, and dinner with Carlos. After dinner we were walking down the Santander when I heard a live band start singing Happy Birthday. It was coming from inside the Solomon’s Porch door, and sure enough Lloyd and his band spotted me in the street and serenaded me into the porch. There were actually 3 birthdays to be celebrated that night at the porch…so the night was complete with dancing, cake, ice cream and live music in a place I have called home all year.
Alyssa, Meghan and Emily decked out for birthday breakfast
Michaela, Meghan, Alyssa, Emily, Emily, Liz
Cafe Loco owner, Diego, whipped me up a capp for my birthday!
Mirna and the cake at Solomon's porch!
May 1 is Guatemalan labor day, so we had the day off which
was a treat! But it also meant the next day at school was full of celebrations
with my students. They had planned a surprise birthday party for me. They decorated
our classroom with balloons and signs, “Happy Birday Miss Allison! You ar the best
techer!” ...shoot gotta work on their spelling I guess :) They had popped popcorn, bought chocolates, and written hilarious
cards. A few weeks prior one of my students had asked for a list of my favorite
things…not knowing her intentions I listed them “nutella, popcorn, mangos,
birds, apples, bracelets, dance, my family, chocolate, green and purple.” Well
she came with a bag full of goods: a bag of popcorn, a single mango, nutella
candy, a drawn picture of a bird, an apple, a variety of bracelets, a picture
of me dancing, her creative rendition of a portrait of my family, and chocolate
bars wrapped with green and purple string….CREATIVE!!!!” She covered it all! So
thoughtful and precious!
After two days of celebrations the surprises still weren’t over!
Saturday May 3, Emily, Meghan, Alyssa, Carlos,
and Chino planned a day of wake
boarding and intertubing on the lake. They had rented a boat and hired a captain for the day, and we spent the morning and afternoon shredding some great waves in
front of San Pedro volcano!!! So so incredible. That evening I traveled across
the lake to a quiet, haven of a lodge, Casa del Mundo, to play some dominos,
swim in the lake, and eat an incredible dinner with Carlos. Yes…3 days of
celebration!!!! I feel so loved and spoiled, and blessed to have such amazing,
thoughtful people in my life! Thank you to all of my amazing friends, you know
who you are, for making my birthday so incredibly special!! I will never forget
my Guate-birthday!
The boating crew: Carlos, Emily, Alyssa, Chino and Meghan
Keeping it classy playing dominos on the lake
Volcano Santiago from Casa del Mundo
Photos taken online of Casa del Mundo:
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