Teaching Traveling: Welcome to Massachusetts teacher, Kate, who has taken some AMAZING international travel vacations during her summers.
Kate, tell us about yourself.
Kate: My name is Kate Baldwin and I am a 26-year old from the Boston area. This is my third year working as a speech-language pathologist in a public school. I love my position and I am also very grateful for the summer vacations we have… because these vacations have allowed me to travel!
The last two summers I have traveled to Antigua, Guatemala to volunteer and learn Spanish. I don’t remember why I felt specifically drawn to Guatemala. However, I am grateful that I followed that instinct because I have fallen in love the people, culture, and of course, the food!
TT: Awesome! Tell us more about your summer travels to Central America.
K: On my first trip to Guatemala, I lived with a family and volunteered at an after school program. Antigua is a hub for Spanish schools, so I also took language classes. However, I learned just as much at the dinner table as I did in my Spanish classes! The family I lived with was wonderful. They rented rooms to foreigners like me, as well as to Guatemalans that traveled to the city for the week to attend school and work.
Needless to say, it was an eclectic household and meals took part in two shifts. With renting a room, three meals a day were included, lunch being the most important. This was new for me, coming home midday to eat lunch… but always worth it. Frijoles negros (black beans) became one of my favorite foods, which was a good thing, because they were served with almost every meal!
In between enjoying meals, I went to Spanish class in the morning and then volunteered at an after school program in the afternoon. The program, Semilla de Esperanza y Amor, provided children from a poor community with tutoring and support in completing their homework.
They welcomed volunteers from all over the world. Volunteers pretty much just jumped in and helped with whatever the kids were working on.
Tutoring kids in math while speaking less than fluent Spanish is no small task! However, it was a wonderful experience and I can only say I wish I had more time to have spent there.
My experience in Guatemala was so fabulous that I went back the next summer! I lived with the same family, however, spent my time volunteering at a school for students who are deaf. The name of the school is LAVOSI: Las Voces del Silencio (The Voices of the Silent).
This time my Spanish was somewhat better, but I was faced with the challenge of explaining math in Guatemalan Sign Language! Spending time at this school was very special for me because the people there were so welcoming.
LAVOSI was opened in January 2010 and is one of the few schools in Guatemala that provides education to students who are deaf. The students and the staff are all amazing individuals. They, too, welcome volunteers from all over the world… whether or not you communicate in Sign Language!
TT: What a remarkable volunteer opportunity! How did you find this placement?
K: I initially had a friend from the U.S. who was living and working in Antigua and she was an incredibly helpful resource as I began to plan my first trip. She worked for a non-profit organization, CasaSito, which supports local education programs, and welcomed me to come and volunteer.
She also connected me with the family that I lived with during my stay. During my first trip to Guatemala, I was introduced to one of the founders of LAVOSI (where I volunteered on trip #2), who inspired me to return.
TT: How did you fund your summer travels in Guatemala?
K: My trip was funded by personal savings. Fortunately, once you get to Guatemala, the cost of living is very affordable. In addition, if you buy your plane ticket far enough in advance, it can be as low as $300-$400 round trip.
TT: Fantastic advice!
Tell us a powerful memory you have from your summers in Antigua.
K: Oh there are so many memories to choose from! Once while sitting at the kitchen table, playing scrabble in Spanish I felt proud that I could participate.
However, earning points for “ano” (thinking it’s the same as “año”- “year” in English) was only momentarily glorifying before learning I added “anus” to the board!
In terms of a proud moment, I would say my favorite was when working with a student who is deaf and she did not understand the concept of “borrowing” in subtraction. I was having difficulty explaining it in Guatemalan Sign Language and I think there was a moment where we both felt a little doubtful of our own abilities.
However, with some creative examples and some help with the translation… she got it! For me it was poignant because we both overcame our own challenge; something that seemed too hard, but in reality was doable.
TT: So wonderful! Tell us how your travels have changed you as a teacher.
K: My travels have impacted me as a teacher because I am now able to better communicate with the parents of my Spanish speaking students. I work in a predominantly Latino community, therefore, this is incredibly important to me. In addition, as a speech-language pathologist, I have a dream of one day being able to provide therapy in Spanish.
TT: How have your travels changed you as a person?
K: My travels have impacted me as a person because I have learned that there are many aspects of the Latino culture that I appreciate, for example, the warmth and generosity of the people and the closeness of the family structure. My travels have also made me feel fortunate for many things in my life that I had taken for granted, such as access to education and having a job I love that allows me to support myself.
TT: What advice do you have for aspiring Teacher-Travelers?
K: My advice to those who are dreaming of traveling is to not be afraid of the unknown. If you have a gut instinct, listen to it. There are so many opportunities, places to see, and people to meet!
The barriers of time and money often stand in our way, but, there are lots of people doing it and many different ways to go about it. It’s often not a matter of “if” it is possible, simply a matter of “how.” If you have a dream that excites you, I suggest playing with the idea of, “What if it wasn’t impossible?”
TT: Thanks so much, Kate! Readers, what questions or comments do you have for Kate?

The author, Lillie Marshall, is a 6-foot-tall National Board Certified Teacher of English from Boston who has been a public school educator since 2003. She launched TeachingTraveling.com in 2010 to share expert global education resources, and over 1.6 million readers have visited over the past decade. Lillie also runs AroundTheWorld L.com Travel and Life Blog, and DrawingsOf.com for educational art. Do stay in touch via subscribing to her monthly newsletter, and following @WorldLillie on social media!
luis f
Wednesday 4th of June 2014
hi kate i am inerest this lavosi i want to know how i can there for Volunteer i was born guatemala but i moved to usa since in 1979. and i want help work with volunteer but i have family there guatemala also my wife is deaf too i have 4 children please email me about how we can there thank you kate .
Paige Zappitella
Tuesday 25th of September 2012
Hey Kate! I am so excited to hear about your experience in Guatemala! I was so blessed to have been able to live there this past summer and absolutely loved it! I actually was working at an orphanage and a little boy there was hearing but he had had a surgery when he was young and the physician damaged his diaphragm by mistake. This left his speaking abilities limited and almost non-existent. I have had experience with ASL but I wanted to learn Guatemalan Sign and possibly teach him Lord willing :) Did you learn Guatemalan Sign language before you went to work with LAVOSI or did you learn in Guatemala? I am very interested in learning as Lord willing, I would love to return to the orphanage I worked with this past summer and I am very interested in future possibilities with LAVOSI!
Amy Bernstein
Sunday 22nd of April 2012
This is a great story, Kate! When I saw your name I knew that I recognized it somehow, then I pieced it all together since you've talked about how much you love Guatemala! This was a great read, thanks so much for writing it! See you at the next meet plan go meetup!
Kate
Sunday 13th of May 2012
Thanks, Amy! Our paths keep crossing! Hope to see you soon, and chat about both of our next grand adventures!
Geri Bargar
Thursday 19th of April 2012
Hello Kate, I am exploring opportunities for this coming summer. Is there an opportunity in Guatemala for 2012?
Kate
Sunday 13th of May 2012
Hi Geri,
I apologize for the slow reply. I didn't get a notification that you had written! I know that CasaSito and LAVOSI are always welcoming new volunteers, and they are pretty flexible with your timeframe. You can find CasaSito's info online, as for LAVOSI- I can email you the director's contact info if you would like! Thanks for writing!
Lillie of TeachingTraveling.com
Thursday 19th of April 2012
I'll be curious to see what Kate says! You can also contact the organization directly, and also check out these opportunities: https://teachingtraveling.mystagingwebsite.com/?s=guatemala&searchsubmit=