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A woman stands by a door in Antigua, Guatemala
April 26, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

Antigua, Guatemala.

After four and a half weeks, after a month of Spanish lessons, it was time to move on from Antigua...

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Sevilla Spanish School in Antigua, Guatemala
April 22, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Life List, Round the World, travel

Life List #21: Learn a new language. (Aprender un nuevo idioma.)

¡Hola! Yo quise aprender un otro idioma por mucho tiempo. Yo estudie francés en escuela pero yo no aprende nada. Muchas personas yo conozco saben muchas idiomas. A veces yo estoy celosa. Yo aborrezco hablar en inglés solamente. Cuando yo decide viajar en centroamérica yo...

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Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua, Guatemala
April 19, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

A (real) walking tour of Antigua, Guatemala

There's a lot to see and do in Antigua. But, to be honest, after studying for four hours each morning, I kind of wanted to do nothing many afternoons. One day, determined to see as much as humanely possible, my friend Charlotte took some of...

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Kids Restaurant in Antigua, Guatemala
April 15, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, food, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, restaurants, Round the World, travel

Kids Restaurant

KIDS Restaurant is a restaurant on the outskirts of Antigua staffed almost entirely by children. The kids shop for food, cook, serve, and entertain. In Americaland we'd probably call it a sweatshop. But here, it's called a charity. Kidding aside, it's actually a wonderful project. Kids...

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Bicycle Tour in Antigua, Guatemala
April 14, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

That time I biked for 2 hours and totally regretted it 2 minutes in.

See how I felt walking up a volcano. Add cobblestone and aching ladyparts and that's how I felt after a bike tour. If I ever decide that taking a bicycle tour is a good idea again, slap me please. It will be less painful....

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Macadamia Nut Farm in Antigua, Guatemala
April 13, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

Sometimes you feel like a nut

One afternoon we visited a macadamia nut farm. It was not that exciting. And the trees were imported from California....

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Volcan Pacaya
April 11, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, travel

A Field Trip to Volcan Pacaya

Remember those bus-safety drills we used to have to do as children? The ones where they'd pile us all onto a bright yellow schoolbus one afternoon a year and we'd have to practice hopping off through the back door in case we ever rolled off...

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Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala
April 3, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, Easter, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, Semana Santa, travel

Semana Santa Processions in Antigua, Guatemala

"This reminds me of a music festival," my friend Charlotte said to me as we sat on a color-stained curb with four brochures outlining the day's Semana Santa procession routes open in front of us. "We need to figure out where each procession will be...

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Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala
April 1, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, Semana Santa, travel

Alfombras de Semana Santa en Antigua, Guatemala

Throughout Lent, and throughout Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Antigua, the streets would be covered in elaborate alfombras carpets, made out of colored sawdust, fruits, vegetables, and a wide range of other materials. Some were quickly thrown together. Some took hours upon hours of work....

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Alfombra: Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala
March 27, 2013
in Antigua, Central America, Guatemala, Latin American Adventure, Round the World, Semana Santa, travel

La alfombra. Creating an alfombra for Semana Santa in Guatemala.

Horns were bellowing a death march. A loud drum kept the beat. Boom. Boom. Boom. It was an eerie orchestration that had been the soundtrack to Antigua, Guatemala, throughout lent, throughout Semana Santa. If you weren't hearing the deific tones from one of the frequent...

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Hi, I’m Val. I spent most of my 20s in a standstill, unable to pick which path in life I wanted to take. I wanted the nomadic life of a traveler but also wanted the husband, the condo, and the teal couch. Unable to decide which life I wanted more, I did nothing. I lived my life in limbo. When I turned 30 I’d had enough of putting my life on hold and decided to start “choosing my figs.” So, I quit my job and bought a one-way ticket to Europe. After 3 years on the road I’m back in Chicago, exploring the city, learning guitar, decorating my apartment in too much teal, cuddling my cats, and planning my next adventures.

            

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?


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2006 –

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WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR LIFE?


Feeling stuck? Sick of living your life in limbo? Want to finally do all those things you always say you're going to do? Sign up for the Choosing Figs newsletter now to get a FREE e-book with tips on starting your own life list, inspiration for things to do in life, and worksheets to get your life goals out of your head and into action!


Your information will be used to send you our Life List e-book and subscribe you to our bi-monthly newsletter. View our full Privacy Policy.



            


MEOW | Is Val in Chicago?

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