Leaving Paradise

Our last day of the trip cannot be described with words. Some of us started the day with a walk back up to the cross overlooking Antigua and a morning coffee near the central square. After a quick breakfast, we took off for our first adventure at Finca Filadelphia.

During our tour of the coffee plantation, we were able to see the complete process of coffee from the plants to the roast. At the end, we tried fresh coffee right from the plantation. This provided the perfect boost of energy for the next excursion... zip lining. If you are a fan of flying over the trees while simultaneously feeling like you may fall hundreds of feet, zip lining is for you! We were able to take in the amazing view of the volcanoes and Antigua from above the trees (after you got over the fear aspect).

We wrapped up our time at Finca Filadelphia with lunch (including coffee cake) and gift shopping for authentic Guatemalan coffee. We returned to the city of Antigua and meandered through the Artisan market for souvenirs. After our last exploration through Antigua, we settled in for our last dinner in Guatemala at Las Palmas. Immediately after dinner, we returned to Guatemala city for 6 short hours before heading to the airport.

A 3 AM wake up call has never felt so refreshing.... just kidding. Most of us slept on the first flight from Guatemala to Dallas. Luckily, customs in Dallas was very peaceful and allowed for a smooth transition to our connecting flight. We picked up our first American meal in a week. Ironically, some of us chose a hispanic restaurant. Our last flight to Nashville flew by (pun is absolutely intended). We are now peacefully in our dorms unwinding and preparing for this upcoming week.

We want to express our sincerest gratitude for being able to go on this service trip and impact not only the hospitals but also the students and faculty we worked with from UVG.  We hope they can continue their awesome work until we return next time. Thanks for following us through our journey!