Krysten is always lost This winter I'm spending a semester in Antigua, Guatemala: learning spanish and other things, hopefully some volunteering and some killer picture taking as well. It's my third trip to Guatemala, it's the kind of place that sucks you in and never lets you leave completely, which is why I'll probably keep going back. This time I get to go with 19 of my classmates from Guelph, and another 18 or 19 from the University of Saskatchewan who I have yet to meet. So I definetly wont be alone.

Since I found out last February that I would be going to Guatemala this winter, I have probably had at least 50 dreams in which I’m about to leave for the airport (or am actually at the airport) and haven’t packed yet. Someone is trying to tell me something. Why am I not listening? 5 days left at home and I have barely started to get my act together. I haven't even finished my vaccinations, nevermind started packing. My time management skills are seriously lacking, and instead of crossing things off my to-do list, I keep adding new things. New not necessary things. Like cake baking. At this point it will be a miracle if I manage a smooth departure.

In other news, the word from Guatemala is that there’s a bit of a money shortage going on. And by ‘bit of a money shortage’ I mean big money shortage. Someone forgot to order new bills from the mint or something. I’m short on details. What I do know is that cash will be hard to come by, which could make things interesting for the first couple weeks. Hopefully it’ll all get sorted out, and if it doesn’t… well… not much I can do really.

That’s really all I’ve got for now seeing as the trip hasn’t actually started yet. At this point I’m super nervous and stressed about leaving, but I’m also really excited. I have the benefit of knowing that Guatemala is a beautiful country, and that I already love it there. It’s just too bad I can’t be two places at once… that would be pretty awesome actually. I’m terrible with goodbyes.