Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could go to
Antigua, Guatemala for 3 weeks for a total immersion Spanish school, but I
did. Why didn’t it cross my wildest
dreams? Because:
I had a severe stroke 10 years ago that left me unable to
walk unassisted or use my left arm
I cannot walk on rough terrain
I cannot carry my own bags
I’m often forgetful and lose things
My husband worries about me too much.
I not used to being away from Bob and my family over the
holidays
I was very fortunate that the timing of my classes coincided
with friends needing to be in Antigua.
They helped me navigate the terrain while in my wheelchair. (Walking was
not an option when outside the school; while in the wheelchair, I had to be in
a constant wheelie to get over the bumps.)My friends were wonderful and I could
not have done this without them.
When I arrived at the school, I got to my room with no
towels, no toilet paper, and no phone at midnight, I immediately thought, I
can’t do this. These things were all
fixed by morning. I was there to learn
Spanish and nothing was going to deter me from this goal. The cost of the program included 4-6 hours of
Spanish, and 3 meals a day, and my room. When we were not attending class we were
studying, eating, playing games such as Spanish Scrabble, enjoying the Antigua
nightlife: restaurants, shopping, and attending cultural events,
An important point is Central America, like many places
outside the U.S. is not at all handicap friendly. At the school’s Christmas party, one of the
students walking with a cane asked me if I knew how tough the terrain was in
Antigua before I visited. I indicated,
“Yes, I had heard.”” And she said, “Boy
are you brave.(That was a good moment. )
Thanks to this trip I have a big time travel bug, particularly
outside the U.S. Fortunately, one month later is a planned trip to Costa Rica,
thanks to my sister-in-law who understands my need to continue practicing
Spanish.
