Antigua, Guatemala

I love to travel and lately I've been interested in giving back to the countries I visit. In 2020 I was an English tutor in Honduras through another agency, and I got hooked! Since that agency isn't taking volunteers due to Covid, I found that IVHQ was, so in February I started the application process and paid my fees. By March I had a position in Antigua, Guatemala, caring for horses. I fell in love with them, even though it was hot outside and could be hard manual labor grooming them. The exercise was good for me and I also did a ton of walking. My house mom was gracious and welcomed me in. My house mates were equally gracious. The local people were welcoming. I had to speak Spanish most places, and that was fine. It was good for me. The food, volcanos and other activities were worth the time and money. I cried my last day because I knew I'd miss the horses and the stable hands I worked with. I am very tempted to go back doing the same thing sometime soon, but I also want to see other countries. I can't do everything. IVHQ and their partner company Maximo Nivel worked very well together. The logistics were smooth. I had no trouble assimilating. I will use IVHQ again. I'm just not sure if my next application will be working with horses or another country.