I was nervous about our trip to Guatemala. As of December 2024 the U.S. State Department gives the country a Travel Advisory rating of 3: Reconsider Travel due to crime. All the guidebooks we found clearly mentioned taking safety precautions against bandits that target the popular tourist destinations. Michelle convinced me, though, that we could manage the safety concerns. Boy am I glad she persevered. I did not feel unsafe at any time. It felt like traveling in any other poorer country. Just pay attention, be smart about where you go and when you go, and use guides when recommended.
Michelle and I got a lot of concentrated quality time together, something we had been missing especially since the start of her new job, the start of the school year, and since my kids both left for college. We’ve been successfully cohabiting and even co-working: no issues and we’ve held true to our Friday night date nights. But this kind of concentrated time – navigating a new country and having an adventure together – created a special space for us to reconnect doing something we both love. Not only the hiking and mountain biking, but sampling local cuisine, learning some of the local history, negotiating with street vendors and tuk-tuk drivers, interacting with Spanish-only speakers with each of us having limited Spanish ability. There was time for deeper conversations about our families, our careers, health and fitness, retirement plans, current events. It’s not like we’ve been strangers living together, but we took full advantage of the time to be present with each other and go deeper than what’s available amidst the hustle of life.
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