Tomorrow we’re checking our bags and our sweet 85 pound Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy and flying south to Guatemala. For four months we’ll be living in the land of forests and volcanoes, farming and textiles, open roads and warm tortillas. I keep pinching myself. Is this really happening? And how did I marry a man who is up for this?
I’ve always had a love affair for travel, particularly to the places off the beaten track, where things are still being done by hand, the hole in the wall discoveries, the chaos and calm of third-world countries. For me, this kind of travel is endless curiosity. Somehow I found a man who felt the same way, especially if it includes opportunities for dirt bike rides. I don’t want to be overly dramatic here, but the first moment we set foot in Guatemala last year was a stepping-into-Narnia moment. A place we had hardly heard about, despite being only a few flying hours away, yet we discovered a land of regal volcanoes and lush jungles, deep teal lakes and open (really good) roads, incredible food and rich local coffee, intricate Mayan weaving and people quick to smile. We started talking about coming back to Guatemala for a longer free domestic shipping on orders $150 or more period of time. We couldn’t stop talking about it. I began designing with some weaving cooperatives I met during my trip, we started looking for rentals, we got our dog a pet passport (yes, it’s a real thing). And, in three days, we’re boarding that plane.
To me, this move means immersion in a country and culture that I have fallen in love with this year. This is the place where Ara Collective was born, conceived from the discovery of Mayan craftsmanship and random meetings with traditional weavers eager to work together in a new way. Four months isn’t a long time but being in Guatemala for this uninterrupted time means I get to build relationships with the artisans I’m partnering with, discover more of their designs and craft, understand their process and their challenges with more depth, and get my Spanish-speaking skills back up to par. It means I get to experience this land, culture, history and development beyond being a tourist or a business partner 3,000 miles away.
