"Oh, are you from Mexico?" is the most frequently asked question when I tell people I speak Spanish. Spoiler alert: I'm not. My mom's side of the family is actually from Antigua, Guatemala. When I was younger, my grandmother use to take care of me while my parents were at work and she didn't know one word of English, hence how I learned to speak Spanish from such a young age. I had always been nervous to travel to Guatemala because my fluent Spanish is now broken Spanish, and I wanted to get to know my family, but I felt like the language barrier was going to keep me from doing so. Lucky for me, I was had the chance to get a lot better when I took my first of many trips to Guatemala. I didn't know it yet, but this trip was going to change my life forever.
When my mom and I first landed in Guatemala, we were greeted by my mom's cousin, who's wedding we had flown in for. Immediately after picking us up, she took us to this beautiful rooftop bar over looking Antigua, and the volcanoes that surrounded the city. It was then, only an hour after landing, that I established I never wanted to leave.
After trying the local beers and getting to know each other in person instead of on Facebook, it was time to meet the family that I had dreamed about for so long. I was aware that I had a large extended family on my mom's side, but I never anticipated it to be as big as it was. I was introduced to 40 new family members that night (no exaggeration) and was greeted with the warmest hugs and upmost hospitality. I have always wanted a big family, so for me this was heaven on Earth.
"FONDO!", they all screamed as they cheered on my mom and I while we chugged our beers until there wasn't a single drop left. Apparently, this was our initiation into our wild, fun-filled family. As the beers kept coming, my Spanish kept getting better. My family was very understanding of the true "gringita" that I am and helped me feel comfortable speaking throughout the week.
The days that led up to the wedding were full of amazing, authentic, homemade food, breath-taking sights, unique culture, and even better company. My cousins took me to tour all of Antigua and Ciuadad Vieja, giving me a true taste of the authentic Guatemalan lifestyle and a heart attack along with it when my younger cousin decided he wanted to drive the rest of the way home. We tried dulces tipicos (authentic Guatemalan pastries), comidia tipica (authentic Guatemalan food), aguardiente (the alcohol made in Guatemala), and the Guatemalan coffee. Needless to say, I never went hungry during this trip.
We all danced the night away at the wedding and enjoyed each other's company, while celebrating the newlyweds and the fact that our whole family was in the same place at the same time. I was overcome with emotion due to the overwhelming feeling of love that was radiating from each and every person at the party. I had never felt so wanted before and I couldn't believe that I had just met these people! It didn't feel like 19 years had gone by without knowing each other.
When it came time to leave, we promised each other that we would not lose touch, and also that my Spanish would get better. I learned that technology and materialistic items were no match for good company. The lifestyle in Guatemala was simplistic, rural, and authentic, which not always very common in the United States. I never wanted to leave, and thankfully I have over 10 places to stay when I return. I could not be more thankful to have gotten the chance to know my family in Guatemala and finally find the missing piece to the puzzle I had been trying to solve. I can't wait to go back, but until then, the happy hour pictures in our family Group Me will have to suffice.
