Opal House

Opal House

About Me

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Hi, my name is Maren Talcott. I am 22 years old, and I just graduated Washington State University with a degree in Elementary Education and minor in Spanish. My passion is teaching... I love children! I was born in Minnesota, but spent all of my life growing up in Washington. My dream is to become a kindergarten teacher, and inspire children to love learning! I have done little to no traveling in my lifetime outside of the United States. My goal for this blog is to keep my family, friends, and loved ones up to date on my experiences. I will be living in Guatemala for three months, Jan.-March 2014. I will be volunteering at the Opal House School near Lake Atitlan. The reason for traveling to Guatemala is to have the experience of a lifetime, and improve my Spanish! This journey will push me out of my comfort zone, and open my eyes to a whole new world. I know that I will show my love and compassion to the guatemalan people every single day, and hope that I can impact their lives as much as I know they will impact my own. You can email me at marentalcott@yahoo.com

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Celebrating the Passing of Loved Ones


Day One Adventures



Well, I said I was going to ease my mom into the culture...but we only have one week together here! So, her first day here...she went in the Mayan Taxi! And I am so proud of her. She did awesome! The hardest part for her was just getting on and off! She was waving to people, and she agrees with me...it is the best way to soak up the culture and enjoy the views! We took the taxi to a nearby town called San Lucas. There isn't much in San Lucas, but we wanted an adventure after school. Its about a 20-30 min ride there, and then we walked around and enjoyed the town. We went to a restaurant and shared a mini pizza, and then we got coconut ice cream...mmm super healthy I know!

As we were walking around, I showed her the town catholic church, and then the cemetery. I remember when I first saw the cemetery, I was like "What is that!!!". The cemeteries here are so different from what we are used to seeing in the United States. It is like a little village, with tombs the size of little houses! They are SO colorful, and they are decorated beautifully. Every tomb is different. My mom thought this was just the coolest thing, and really, it is! We explored around, and appreciated the differences in cultures. 




On our way back, in the Mayan Taxi again, we came across a procession. The street was completely flooded with people. This is the main road, kind of dangerous to be walking on. At first I was confused, and wasn't sure what was going on. But then I remembered, when someone dies, usually there is a service at the church, and then the people process and walk the streets with the casket, usually to the cemetery. It was very interesting that we visited the cemetery in San Lucas, then immediately after, we drive past a procession! The culture is so different here, and on her first day here in Guatemala, she got to really see a lot! I was so glad we went exploring and took advantage of the little time we have here together. 


Wednesday and Thursday are going to be our big adventure days! Stay posted for more stories. Don't be worried about my mom, she is doing amazing! 
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