IRL

Although we don’t see one another often in IRL, our connections are deep. I love meeting up with friends from our adoption community in Guatemala! The photo is taken on the roof of Restaurant Aqua on 4th Avenida Norte in Antigua, Guatemala. Volcano Agua looms in the background and the yellow steeple belongs to La Merced.

Trip to Chichicastenango

We spent a few days in Chichicastenango in the department of El Quiche, northwest of Guatemala City in the highlands, elevation 6,447 feet. “Chichi” is 98% indigenous Maya K’iche, with 21% of the population speaking only K’iche and 71% bilingual K’iche and Spanish. Chichi is known for its market day, which attracts sellers and buyers from across the region. It’s also known for the beautiful Santo Tomas cathedral, where Mayan ceremonies are welcomed along with Catholic worship. Santo Tomas is one of many Catholic churches in Guatemala where the faithful crawl on their knees to the altar, hands uplifted and praying, for reasons known to them and their God. To witness this practice is, for me, very moving, so much so that I incorporated it into one of the final scenes of my novel, Mother Mother. We stayed in the lovely Hotel Santo Tomas, home to macaws and parrots who squawk “Hola!” and a wonderful collection of masks and carvings. When Olivia was almost two and her adoption was finally finished, Tim and I rented a car and set off as a new family to explore Totonicapan, Quetzaltenango, Panajachel and Chichi. Since that first visit, Chichi has captured our hearts.

At the restaurant Agua

Here’s a photo of family and friends at Agua Restaurant in Antigua Guatemala. With us in the center is Carlos Haas, university professor in Munich Germany, who grew up in Germany and is adopted from Guatemala. I’m grateful to Carlos or connecting with us as we overlap trips in Guatemala–and to all adult adoptees in our community who are role models and friends to us and our children. Thank you!

July in Antigua

Grateful to be in Antigua Guatemala with family and friends. xoxo

Friends

One of the reasons I love visiting Antigua is that we often run into other adoptive families. Case in point: This week, we bumped into longtime friend Velvet Beard and her daughter at Finca Azotea and hatched a plan to share a meal at one of our favorite restaurants, Quesos y Vino. Velvet asked if she could bring Rebecca Center, who also happened to be in town, and of course I said yes, happily. I’ve “known” Rebecca for years from various listservs but we’d never met in person. Here’s a picture of that fun night. We’ve also spent wonderful days and evenings with Susan Brady and her twin sons, members of our Bay Area group who moved to Antigua four years ago. And of course Susan Hurst and Marisol, with whom we’re sharing a rental house and other adventures. Adoption has expanded my life in countless ways, including introducing me to cherished friends I’d never have met otherwise. I’m blessed and grateful.