Antigua
After my week of self-care at Lake Atitlan, I headed to Antigua for three days. I had been loosely looking for a place to study Spanish in the future, and I had read that Guatemala was a good place to learn. Guatemalan Spanish is said to be clearer and easier to understand than some of the other Spanish speaking countries. I had also read that Antigua was one of the safer places in Guatemala for tourists, and therefore had a substantial expat population. So I decided to get a feel for the city and see if it would be a place where I’d want to return to spend more time in the future.
Read More
I typically save my international trips to just once per year so I can take an extended trip at least two weeks long. But after my last trip to Mexico for Dia de Los Muertos, I realized how quick and easy it is to go to Mexico, and cheaper than traveling in the US. I decided a couple months ago to treat myself to a shorter trip this year for my birthday and was initially looking at Miami. 
Last fall I went on a two-week trip to Mexico that ended up being a roller coaster ride of some highs and lows. I forget each time I leave the country just how awkward and uncomfortable it can be to visit a foreign place. I assumed Mexico would be a fairly easy country to navigate in comparison to some of the other places I’ve visited. 
Although our AirBnb in Mexico City was only a few miles from the airport, our cab ride took close to an hour because the traffic was so bad at that time. But it gave us the opportunity to begin to get familiar with the enormous city we just found ourselves in. One of the largest cities in the world with more than 21 million people. 
An adventure was long overdue and much needed, and Belize had been a highly recommended travel destination by many friends who had spoken very highly of it. After deciding to plan a two week visit in November, a couple of friends who had travelled to Belize before decided to join me for the second week of my trip. 
