Stories by erin smith

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Erin Smith

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2 years 36 weeks ago

If I was pitching a movie about this morning's hike up Pacaya, it would be called, "Erin vs. Herself vs. The Volcano." Because not only did I have to keep up with the rest of the Wayfinders and scale a lava-filled mountain, I also had to make sure my own clumsiness didn't kill me along the way. Trying not to trip. The walk from our campsite to the crater surrounding Pacaya was… more

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Erin Smith

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2 years 36 weeks ago

Staying Warm On A Guatemalan Volcano: Not As Easy As You'd Think

I don't think I ever fully appreciated what a wonderful invention the tent is until this trip. Tents are amazing! They come in all sorts of different colors. They fold up into little bags that you can carry. And best of all, they can keep you from freezing to death when you're camping out on the top of a volcano in Guatemala. Me without a tent. I'm writing today's blog entry a day… more

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Erin Smith

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2 years 36 weeks ago

Shopping (And Filming) Till We Dropped In Chichicastenango

Waking up at 3:30 a.m. sucks, no matter where you are. Waking up at 3:30 a.m. to trudge out of your warm hotel, and into the cold, uninviting and pitch-black morning so you can watch one of the most famous open-air markets in Central America come to life also sucks, but only because I'm not a morning person. Besides, when's the next time I'm ever going to be in Chichicastenango… more

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Erin Smith

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2 years 36 weeks ago

Lake Atitlan Is For Leapers

C L I F F J U M P I N G ...is so much fun, it can only be exalted through the ever expressive medium of concrete poetry. O.K., I suppose I can be a bit more verbose about… more

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Erin Smith

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2 years 36 weeks ago

Young And Working In Guatemala

A trip to a world-famous lake like Atitlan conjures up images of sun bathing, hammock swinging and sailing around in circles just for the fun of it. Our visit couldn't have been more different. Instead of indulging ourselves in any resort-reserved hot rock rub downs, each of the Wayfinder cast members was given a challenge to be completed by the end of the day: go out and produce our very own… more

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Erin Smith

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2 years 37 weeks ago

From Breakfast To The Edge Of Lake Atitlan...

My favorite meal of the day is breakfast. So I feel well-qualified in declaring that Guatemalan cafes have the best breakfast food in the world. The entire world, you ask? What about Belgium? What about their famous waffles? Or Benedict Land where eggs benedict come from? Surly, a tiny country at the top of Central America can't claim to have the best meals of the morning out of every country… more

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Erin Smith

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2 years 37 weeks ago

Dirty Dancing: Guatemala Style!

Damn. That Martine sure knows how to move his hips! I like to think of myself as a very uninhibited and confident dancer. But during the salsa lesson we filmed tonight, I found keeping up with the 5'2" Guatemalan dancing machine quite the challenge. There we were, all lit up and on camera in the middle of a popular Antiguan club, trying to look natural while Martine marched us through a… more

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Erin Smith

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2 years 37 weeks ago

Welcome to Guatemala! Now Chill...

It's not the fact I'm in a country I've never stepped foot in before. It's not the fact everyone around me has brown hair and brown eyes, making me look like the exotic foreigner with my very blond hair and very blue eyes. It's not the fact I can't understand a word anybody was saying, nor can I read any of the signs surrounding me. From the moment we walked… more

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