Too Many Lasts...

The last week of school our PE teacher, Profe Angel, planned an all school Field Day. In WA, a school field day the end of June would ideally be a day of pre-summer sun. However, in Guatemala during a season of tropical storm, a mid June Field day entails mud and precipitation… He had organized an incredible Olympic style event, with the school divided into 8 colored teams. I was a captain of the yellow team with Jason, and each team had students ages 3-18. There were a number of obstacle courses, relay races and climbing through spider web mazes! Naturally all of them ended up in a mud fight or mud slide of some sort. See pictures below.

Tug of War!!

Spider Wed Army Crawls

Team Yellow or AMA-Rillo Captains! (Jason and I)

Half of an All Group Shot

Despite the fact that I told my students months ago that I was going to be moving back home next year, the last day fo school and the idea that this was final farewell was unfathomable…Ya Ya Miss Allison, you are going home and then see you in September. Wait…..you’re NOT teaching here next year? YOU are not going to be our teacher next year…..pause, look around, make eye contact with other students with similar shocked expressions and simultaneously group hug Miss Allison. It was tough…really really tough. I know a teacher’s first year of teaching is always memorable and his/her first class will always be special, but teaching abroad you don’t get the chance to check in with the students next year to see how everyone is doing. I won’t pass their toothless grins in the hallway or get visitation time with them on the playground. I know many of them will be easy to track down if I go back to Pana, because I know where their family shops and restaurants are but wow it was tough saying goodbye. Below are a few shots of my kiddos with their "This year I learned...." posters.

This year I leraned to be part of a community.

This year I learned math and to make good decision.

This year I learned how to be a goalie and to do my homework and to respect.

This year I learned to respect everyone in our school.

This year I learned to be nice. (As of January, this girl spoke no English and just a bit of Spanish)

A few pics from our last day of school....

Faces of the last day of school

Class Picture ( a few missing)

Meghan and I hosted one last epic trivia night at La Palapa. Our theme was HOME. We both debuted our new caps representing the cities / states in the US we call home CHICAGO and WASHINGTON. Never again in my life will I consider a local bar one of my places of comfort but I consider the bartenders, and guards some of my closest acquaintances in Pana. I guess that is small town for you. When hosting trivia, my goblet of lemonade (sin alcohol, without alcohol) would be delivered to our table within 3 minutes of arriving. They knew me; they knew my order and no questions were asked.

Emily and I also hiked one last volcano…it was the month of lasts! We hitched a ride with a friend to Xela and hiked Santiagito the next day. After a major eruption of Volcan Santa Maria in 1902 that sent ash flying as far as Los Angelos, the volcano established numerous secondary vents to help self regulate. Now, rather than major eruptions, the side vents erupt mildly every 20 minutes. It keeps the ventral vent clear and the lava never has a chance to build up. Santiagito is one of the secondary vents that was established. So we hiked up the side and ate a delicious breakfast on top, watching it erupt every 20 minutes! A cup of hot coffee and volcanic eruptions….breakfast and a show---doesn’t get much better than that…well if you’re into that kinda stuff!

I said a final farewell to all the teachers and other staff at AMA graduation, just an hour before driving to the city to intercept my family in their Guatemalan arrival! The whole weekend was bitter, sweet.