Hello again, Latin America

By Davi Briggs

Guatemala smells like Latin America. The air is a mix of car exhaust and humid earth and something else I can’t quite place. To me, it smells welcoming; it makes me nostalgic for past visits to the region.

We arrived in Guatemala City on Monday night and drove directly to Antigua. Antigua’s old town is comprised of colorful buildings with large wooden doors, tile roofs and cobblestone streets. It is picturesque. However, when you move just outside the old town, this image starts to change. Houses become lower, roads are unpaved and unmanaged waste is more visible.

The homes in these areas are wanting. Families of ten share one room houses. They have dirt floors, unventilated kitchens and often no water or electric access. Despite these challenges however, Guatemalans report high levels of happiness. That is not to say that those who live in poverty are content to remain as such, rather, priorities are different here. Graduating high school is an amazing accomplishment, being able to afford electricity in your home or having consistent access to safe drinking water all raise happiness exponentially. Here the goal is not to have the biggest house but rather to have the capacity to support your family and feel welcomed in your community.

It is certainly a lesson to remember when evaluating my own happiness.