This trip to Guatemala wasn’t my first excursion to a Latin American country, but it was certainly the best. Initially, I signed up for this trip in hopes of satisfying a university requirement and getting practice speaking Spanish. However, I was astounded by the amount of selfless work we performed and the opportunity to explore a beautiful country and culture.

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I made the trip with Judith Mallory, the coordinator, and seven other guys from UT. Most of them were engineers and also strangers to me, but that didn’t last long. On the second day of our trip, we started work on our service project. Our host family would always serve us a warm breakfast of tortillas, fresh fruit, and coffee every morning before work. After a short drive out to the work location, we would split up into teams and begin working on the various tasks needed to complete an outdoor stove. Some guys would mix concrete with shovels while others would transport materials and start laying the foundation.

The work was almost entirely manual, but working shoulder-to-shoulder alongside the other guys demanded a great deal of collaboration and built a sense of camaraderie that was well worth the effort. The most rewarding part of the experience, however, was being able to see the spark of joy in the homeowners’ eyes once we completed our project. It was evident that they were all deeply appreciative of the work we did and would often repay us with refreshments and souvenirs to take home.

Aside from the service we were able to perform, I also really enjoyed the opportunity to explore a country and culture in an entirely new fashion. After making multiple family vacations to Latin American countries in the past, I was accustomed to seeing these countries from a tourist’s perspective. However with this trip, we traveled past the tourist-flocked centers of Guatemala City and Antigua to what appeared to be the heart of the nation in the quaint city of Quetzaltenango, or Xela as the locals call it. Nestled in a valley of the western mountainous region of Guatemala, Quetzaltenango is located 7,640 feet above sea level (The Smoky Mountains’ Clingman’s Dome is 6,644 feet) and is surrounded by volcanoes. It was difficult to comprehend just how high we were until we tried to climb a steep hill back home.

Like many colonial Latin American cities, Quetzaltenango also has a park at the center of town which functions as a meeting area for the local. The Parque Central is flanked on all sides by extravagant colonial era buildings, local vendors, bars, musicians, and cafes. This was an excellent area to sit, have a drink, and observe the jovial happenings of the town. Venturing away from the central park, we found a large open marketplace where the vendors would sell sunglasses, fresh fruits, and spices.

Haggling for a handful of fruits was an excellent experience. The vendors were so pleased to see us attempting to communicate in Spanish and amiably asked what brought us to Xela. A unique thing about Xela that separated it from most other Latin cities was that it was also home to many Americans and Europeans that would spend months in the city to learn Spanish. Many of the locals were accustomed to this and were very patient when communicating with us.

All in all, the trip was an extraordinary experience. I had the opportunity to make unforgettable memories with a great group of guys, and came back feeling wonderful for the selfless work we were able to do. If you are on the edge of making of one these trips, I highly recommend it!