A couple of weeks before the end of our trip–we’re home now–my laptop died. No screeching, or scratching, or warning of any kind. It just died in its sleep. I’ll admit to being more attached to my laptop than most, so I felt like I had lost a good friend. (Is it a Mac thing?)

But in practical terms what I lost was a couple months of emails and photos, and the ability to update this blog. That is bad enough, but at least I had a backup on an external drive at home. So that is what I am running on now, until I can get a new laptop (It will be another Mac, of course.)

But that isn’t what anybody is interested in, right? What about the trip? Well, the rest of it was pretty uneventful. We spent the last two weeks back in Panajachel, on Lake Atitlan, in the same small traveler’s motel we usually stay at (in fact, in the same room we usually stay in when we’re there.) Being in familiar territory among friends and acquaintances can be nice. But we wished we had spent an extra week in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico instead.

I’m going to wrap up with a report on my godchildren, for those who have been following their progress over the years.

By the time we got back from Mexico, they were all back in school and seemed excited to tell us about their classes. All four seem to embrace their studies with an enthusiasm I don’t recall experiencing. And their ambitions continue to exceed my expectations.

Angelina, Yessica and Winston

The oldest, Angelina, who is 20, is in her first year of med school, with the intent of becoming a doctor. Her sister, Yessica, 16, plans to follow in her footsteps, and is already taking pre-med courses. Winston, in between the two girls, has decided to become an orthodontist. (I took the photo to the right of the three of them 11 years ago, in their home village.)

Sarita

Sarita, who is 14, has not decided on a career path yet. From the time she was born she has had an independent spirit, so it will be interesting to see where she chooses to go. For now she is interested in music, dance and theatre.

It has been very rewarding to see what they have accomplished with just a little help. They are remarkable kids, but I suspect they are not unique. Nearly every time we are in Guatemala someone asks us to find someone to help their children with school expenses.

I’m not in the charity business, and I have mixed feelings about much of what is done down there. But I think giving a young person the opportunity to fulfill their own dreams is a good thing. If anyone is interested in getting involved, let me know.

So, that is the trip for this year. Unlike last year, I am going to try to shift gears and keep writing between now and next year’s trip (SE Asia, we think…) Stay tuned.