Again?

Walking to School, Antigua Guatemala

It's a bit of a dilemma for travelers, isn't it?  If you love a place, do you go back?  Repeatedly, even?  Or do you figure you've been-there-done-that and move on to a different t-shirt?  

Is there something to be said for knowing a place in greater depth, or are we just clinging to the familiar?  What is the purpose of travel anyway?

Yeah, I don't know either.

We spent another week in Guatemala.  This was my sixth trip and my husband's fourth.  So many things keep us coming back, from the volcano - dotted countryside to the warmth and beauty of the rural (mostly Mayan) people.  We go with the nonprofit Cooperative for Education, which has made striking progress improving the educational prospects for impoverished kids here for 15 years.  We believe in what they do.  I also love to photograph the people and the landscapes.  

Best Friends, Santiago Cooperative School, Sacatepequez Guatemala

We've been sponsoring Florentina through school since she was 12.  She's 17, in High School (called Diversificado), and thinking she'd like to be a systems analyst.  She's the youngest of 5 and has made really good use of the opportunity to go to school.  Without it, she was likely to have dropped out after primary school and be working in the fields for the rest of her life.  If we're honest, we'd tell you the seeing her is often the highlight of the visit and a big reason for our return.

Marco With Florentina, Antigua Guatemala

 This year we also had the honor of sharing the experience with four friends who had never been there before.  Now they're sponsoring students, too.

And there are the photo-ops.

Fishernem in the Dawn Mist, Lake Atitlan Guatemala

More images from this Guatemala trip are on the website.