As I sit in the Houston airport looking through the photos taken over the last week in Guatemala I feel a mix of joy, exhaustion, and nostalgia. Perhaps the strongest emotion of them all, though, is thankfulness. The opportunity to provide PT services to underserved communities alongside my classmates, alums, and professors that I admire, is one I am truly thankful for. But in addition to the trip being an awesome opportunity professionally, it has been equally so culturally, spiritually, and mentally. This trip has reminded me of just how fortunate I am to be able to go to school, have clean water to drink, and a roof over my head; while at the same time reminding me that materialism has little to do with happiness. I think I speak for the group when I say that I was blown away by the generosity and kindness displayed by the people we worked with in Guatemala--from the HIM staff, the patients who shared their stories with us and who put up with my terrible Spanglish, to the women across the street from our pop-up clinic who invited us into their home for lunch. All I can say is I thank you Hearts in Motion and Guatemala, hasta luego! -KM
