OWW Gautemala Reflection

I am so glad that I chose this trip to Guatemala. When I first signed up I was just going to go, unaware of what was actually going to be going on. Its amazing how much stuff we have done over the week that we have been here;climbing Volan Pacaya, visiting Uaxactun, seeing the ancient ruin in Tikal, working with ARCAS Wildlife Foundation, mountain biking down a mountain, kayaking across lake Atitlan, and very many hikes, all which I never imagined myself doing. I had to push myself physically and mentally to accomplish all of this especially climbing Volcan Pacaya. After i was getting closer and closer to lava flow a rock beneath me crush and I no longer wished to continue further, but I was proud to at least get to a point where I could see lava flow, feel the change in temperature as I approached it. ARCAS opened up my eyes to endagered species, specifically the Macaw, which I never knew the story behind how they were traumatized by being smuggled in plastic bags. I fed and claned Howler Monkey Cages and another animal which was about the size of a chihuahua with a long nose. Cleaning the cage that belonged to the small animal was the hardest because they were agressive, biting and scratching at me every chance they got. In Uaxactun and Tikal we learned about the ancient Mayan culture and saw many temples. I am still amazed at the structures because they live so long ago and its a very hard concept to grasp of how they built them. This trip has also enabled me to open up socially, since I am usualy shy and the fact that I didn´t know the people on this trip and that I am the only ninth grader, and I am very proud of myself. I am very grateful that I got to go on this trip with World School during my One World Week at High Tech High Media Arts and I already know that these are ten days of my life that I will never forget.

Brandi Coley
High Tech High Media Arts
Grade 9