The last time we visited Guatemala, our goddaughter Aracely expressed an interest in traveling with us. Traveling is so important in our lives that we wanted to give her and her siblings the opportunity to see some more of the world, learn about other cultures, and most importantly make new friends. We thought that it would be perfect to take them on a trip to Ecuador, to visit our compadres there. The flights aren't prohibitively long (the kids have never flown before), both countries speak Spanish, and they would be able to meet our other godchildren and their family. Both families are indigenous (Mayan and Kichwa), and could learn about one another's culture. There are seven kids in Guatemala, and obviously we couldn't take them all at once. Aracely and Eddy are our godchildren, but we didn't think that Eddy was old enough to appreciate the trip yet. We decided that the first batch of travelers would be Aracely and her two eldest sisters: Vanesa and Paola. We planned the trip for July, when Aracely would be on summer vacation. Vanesa had already graduated, so that worked for her. Unfortunately, Paola ended up not able to come at this time because she was finishing up high school and had a nursing practicum scheduled. But we are so proud of her and we promise that we will take her as soon as her schedule permits. So Humberto and Paulina took Aracely and Vanesa to Guatemala City to get their passport - how exciting! And we planned the trip, with some time in Guatemala with the family on each end!