Preparing to leave for Guatemala has occurred during a whirlwind of schoolwork, wrapping up at my internship, and completing my comprehensive master’s exam and I am just beginning to fully realize how excited I am to be going.

I have been interning this semester at the Guatemala Human Rights Commission-USA, working on documentation and advocacy for human rights issues in Guatemala. Through my work at GHRC I learned much of the history of the thirty-six year internal conflict that ravaged the country, and the legacy of impunity that still prevails in Guatemala.

After working as a counterpart in the United States to many different human rights organizations in Guatemala, I am looking forward to working on the ground with the survivors of the massacres in Rabinal. ADIVIMA has accomplished so much, and I feel lucky to be able to work with the organization and learn from the people that have made it happen.

As I am counting down the days to leave, I am reminding myself to breathe and relax. I hope to organize the last details of my trip and be able to share in the excitement and anxiety that I am sure all of the fellows are feeling right now.

I may be finished with schoolwork and exams for the semester, but as a student of life, I am preparing to embark on perhaps the greatest lesson so far through the experience and opportunity afforded me by Advocacy Project and ADIVIMA. I hope that all of you reading will join me on the journey and continue to keep me in your thoughts throughout the summer!