When I returned home, I was excited to see my family, friends, and my dogs. If you know me, you know it hard for me to be away from them, especially Gabby.
The next day, family and friends came over to welcome me home. It was great to share some of my memories from Guatemala.
But as soon as I returned home, it was time to hit the ground running.
I gave myself approximately two weeks to spend quality time with family, friends, and exercise of course. We had a welcome home/happy birthday party for me and it was great to see everyone.
The weeks flew by and then I started to work.
Workaholic
Throughout the summer, I had two jobs!
My first job started at the beginning of July. I worked in the same restaurant that I was in the previous two summers. It was good to see the staff again and make new friendships.
I started my second job in the middle of July. I worked in a physical therapy clinic in my hometown and it was great to learn the field. The job was fun and I made new relationships and friendships with the staff.
From the middle of July until the middle of October, I worked every day by choice. I continued my exercise routine and I don’t know how I did it. It was difficult and tiring, but it kept me distracted because I genuinely missed my friends in Guatemala.
What pushed me to work every day was knowing that my friends in Guatemala would love to have the opportunity to work in the United States. No matter what their job or title would be, they would give 100% effort. And that kept me going every day.
But I also worked hard to achieve my goals and dreams. I knew where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do with my life… and unfortunately that was not in the United States.
Family
Since I was home for a short period of time, I wanted to spend as much time with my family, especially my parents.
You know, because they sacrificed everything for me. From adopting me and bringing me to the U.S, providing me with the proper childhood and education, and then taking me back to Guatemala in 2018… With none of us knowing that I would fall in love with the country.
I am sure the initial thought of me wanting to return to Guatemala was hard for them. But there was not much they could do other than support me and that is exactly what they did. Throughout the eight months, I talked to them every day and they saw how happy I was in Guatemala. And that is all that a parent wants for their child, to be happy!
So when I was not working, I spent as much time with my family. I wanted to live in the moment, celebrate the good times, and create new memories.
Because we all knew what was going to be ahead of us coming late October.
See You Later
During my time in the U.S, I was offered a position to serve with the ministry of Sin Limites. I volunteered with them for about six months and fell in love with the kids, staff, and volunteers. I happily accepted the position and that meant I would officially move to Guatemala.
Before the move, it was necessary to spend as much time with the people I loved… because there was no telling when I would be home for an extended amount of time again.
The last few days before leaving were busy to say the least, but everything was bittersweet! I said “see you later” to my friends, family, and whoever else supported me throughout this journey.
In my next blog post, I will discuss what I thought the plan was for my life.
XOXO,
Madison Archer
