Well guys, I can finally share some photos with you today from my trip to Guatemala!
I was lucky enough to spend two weeks filming two documentary shorts for Good Neighbors USA, a humanitarian non-profit based in Los Angeles, CA, where I work as their social media and editorial coordinator. The trip was a whirlwind of back-to-back filming and photography assignments, and one of the very best parts of the experience was that I got to work with two amazing girls– videographer Kylie Turley and photographer Mimi Yip. Together, the three of us spent every day traveling to film the stories of children and families, from the heart of the city to the hills of the countryside. We witnessed the extreme poverty that some of these people live in, but we also met the wonderful staff of Good Neighbors Guatemala (our affiliate field office) and saw firsthand how hard they’re working to bring education, health care, and safe living standards to communities. The Los Angeles office I work in focuses on fundraising and marketing, so this was my first venture out to the community projects where I could truly see donors’ money being put to action. The kids, the schools, the families, and their everyday living conditions…it was eye-opening in every aspect.
But it wasn’t all about work! We got a weekend off in between shooting and headed out to Lake Atitlan to ride horses and cruise around the volcanoes, and then to Antigua to shop all of the handmade goods at the marketplace. It was an amazing, amazing trip overall and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to go and for the incredible people I got to spend all of that time with. I’m still pinching myself that all of that was considered “work”–wouldn’t mind doing this for a long, long time. :)
Here are some highlights from the trip…
Traveled with two of the coolest girls out there–videographer Kylie, left, and photographer Mimi, center.
Kylie & Mimi filming and taking photos of 8-year-old Maria as she made fresh tortillas in her home with her mother.
Kylie filming some adorable kids at an elementary school in Patzicia, Guatemala.
Students attending class at a Good Neighbors school in Patzicia, Guatemala.
Antigua
The volcanoes at Lake Atitlan…I could’ve stood from that point and just stared at them forever!
Horseback riding in San Pedro around Lake Atitlan
Some of the very sweet kids we met in Acatenango, a village about 1 hour away from Guatemala City
Kylie and Mimi back in action at a school in Patzicia
Filming an interview with the Capul Sian family in Loma Blanca
Bringing cookies and bread to a family in La Fragua
Beautiful Antigua
Two little boys play on a hill in Acatenango
Couldn’t have spent 24 hours/day with two cooler girls
Cutting cake for our last day of work…so many thanks to the staff at Good Neighbors Guatemala!
To see all of the photos from the trip (and learn more about the non-profit I work for, go here.
Have you guys been to Guatemala? Or done any traveling elsewhere lately? Now that I’m back, I’m already itching for another trip!
hooray! i love this post, celeste! you are so sweet. seriously – this trip was the best ever. so memorable and such a blast with such cool people! we really lucked out :) miss you girlie!