Santa Maria, Guatemala

Living as a transplant in the Pacific Northwest, I am compelled to take any opportunity to visit a warmer climate with  more frequent access to the sun. So when Allison, my "bold soul sister" and creative partner, moved to Central America, I lined myself up as the first to visit.
With a ticket booked the week of Thanksgiving and an email with instructions of how to arrive at her doorstep in Xela (Quetzaltenango), I was on my way to Guatemala. Other than gathering a few provisions for Allison and a guide book for myself, I set aside very little time for preparation. And low expectations. I knew whatever we would do would be extraordinary. Because when it came down to it, we would be together again, like complementary colors of the rainbow. And I packed the ukulele!
Red eye flight to Guatemala City via Houston, taxi to the bus station, four hour bus ride to Xela, a taxi to the doorstep, and I was for the first time in my recent memory, on time.
Our week together was filled with volcanoes. Swimming in Lake Atitlan, a crater lake with floating pumice stone; volcanic steam baths at Los Vahos; and the day before my departure, a midnight hike up Santa Maria (3772m), a volcano with an active sidekick Santiaguito. The four hours of steep switchbacks were peaceful and relentless. With a handful of trail mix and one starburst from our guides, we watched the view expand as our ascent continued higher. What you see below is a bit of what we saw from the top. Cold shelterless night. Laughter. Fog and clouds over Xela. Laughter. Song. Laughter. Sunrise. Clouds passing with the volcanoes of Lake Atitlan in the distance. The steam of Santiaguito. And prayer.
It's all that remains as a record. Other then the sketch from our time composing songs with the ukulele in a hammock at Lake Atitlan. The point and shoot camera, borrowed from my friend Ashley, was stolen immediately after our descent.