A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Heads Back to Guatemala

Chris Mullen lives in Maryland with his wife and daughter. From 2006 to 2008 he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala.

Mullen and I served in the same town during the same years. He’s a dear friend who recently returned from a visit to the country — his first time back.

This interview has been edited lightly.

Would you tell me a little bit about your recent visit to Guatemala?

My wife, Hilda, nine-month-old daughter, Heidi, and I flew to Guatemala City on a 7am departing flight Sunday morning, and came home Thursday night the following week. We stayed in Antigua for a few days, Santa Cruz la Laguna for three days, Santa Maria Nebaj (Nebaj) for a couple of days, and went back to Antigua for a day until our return flight.

We took shuttles mostly, but also rode in a couple boats (lanchas) at the lake, and hired a private car to take us from Panajachel to Nebaj and then back to Antigua.

This was your first visit since leaving the Peace Corps. What motivated you to take this trip at this time?

I’ve been trying to get my wife to go to Guatemala with me for years, and every year something came up that prevented us from going. This year, for whatever reason, there wasn’t anything preventing us…