I never did write what happened once I settlled down in CA. Guatemala, as many wouldve predicted was the chosen country for me to spend a long time working and enjoying the towns. I thought to myself, now Im living and working here, who'd be interested in my life or blog cus Im living a parallel life, just in a hot, and developing country. A normal day is very normal. get up, go to work, finish, socialise. Do it again the next day. But it seems since I have been back in England, people were waiting for the next chapter and I let you all down with my silence. Time to finish before part 2 kicks off on Weds.

Antigua - I began working as a volunteer receptionist/bartender at The Terrace Hostel (La Terraza). It had only been open 3 months when I arrived, but we had a few locals who came by most days to the bar, but it was pretty low key at the time. We had close to 30 in capacity in the hostel, and I lived in the store room. Yes there were mice back then, a problem which we solved within a few weeks of me living in there! Had a bed and it was ok, for the fact I automatically became night guard. People would come after the reception and doors had closed and knock to come in or drunks would knock as they stumble by. I had to get up from my slumbers every night,( over xmas and New Years too) and answer the door as i was near it. Annoying. Luckily after a month or so of being in there, Harry an ex-pat offered me a room in his beautiful colonial house across town for free. Took pity on a tiring person. I moved in and had a nice room with a huge bed, entrance to the garden, large en suite bathroom with shower n bath and an open fireplace. Harry had one room, I had another and the third, an English guy called James (posh, eton boy) moved into the third. The weirdest bunch to live together i reckon!

Christmas Day I was sat on the Terrace having a few drinks in the sun, looking out to the volcanoes which surround Antigua, one of which Fuego performed and gave us a few lava spews and puffs of smoke. Huge celebrations happen at midnight on the cusp of xmas day, thats when they have their fireworks, dinner and open their presents. Xmas day is the holy day, but still with fireworks again! We held a Christmas Dinner at 6 at the Terrace, which to our surprise was filled with guests of the hostel and non guests who just wanted their xmas dinner! 40 people ate and many more were just drinking and joining in the festivities. It was really great.

After Christmas I was promoted as general manager of The Terrace. I had been told of the position when I first got there but we decided we would give it a couple weeks to see whether I liked it and whether they liked me. I already knew one of the owners Shelby from my time hanging out in the Irish bar Reillys over the summer. Brant her boyfriend and I got on really well too and it all fell into place and I was really happy there. I took the role until May 2012.

I began to take control of the hostel runnings, and Brant focussed on the bar. Shelby got herself a job in Antigua as she wanted to step away from the hostel for a while for a break. I took on the bookings, online management, all things employee wise with both chosing the volunteers and managing the local staff. One thing I was really focussed on was networking to grow our hostel so when it came to low season, we were full still. I contacted other hostel owners and managers around Guatemala, and I visited. Whenever they came to Antigua, I took the host role on, and soon became to know the best hostels in Guatemala, and they recommended and advertised us. Our team and our popularity grew so quickly, it was crazy. We were becoming well known all over Central America as a great hostel, with great bar and people. We went from having myself brant shelby and a local guy Nery working reception and 2 girls who did cooking and cleaning in December, to having around 12members of staff, including bartenders. maybe more. Surely more now. I focussed on getting good reviews online on sites like hostelworld and trip advisor and we were the number one choice for a few months. I loved the job.

In March, I moved in to a big house in a gated community ( a secured area with guard on the gate, checking who enters and leaves are the residents). There were about 7 other houses and ours. I shared a room with another English girl called Fritha. By chance when we had signed for the rental lease, mid feb, Fritha had come into the Terrace and asked how much we would charge for 2 and a half months in a dorm for her, as she had to move out and was going back to England in May. She seemed so friendly so I told her about the house and that we were looking for roomies, and she went to look and fell in love with the house too. Britini, Shelbys sister also moved in and a crazy psycho girl called Avery also moved in. Avery didnt like us and we didnt like her, although we did try she would leave the room whenever us 3 came in to it. it was awkward. She only lasted a month living in the maids quaters of the house to avoid us lol! There was a nasty letter calling us many names under the sun which finished that attempt at a friendship off! Me and Fritha got on so well. She became my best friend and we used to hang out after work.

I worked a lot but i also solcialised after work a lot too. Had a great work life balance and being a manager meant I only had to go on reception if we had no staff to cover it, which was only a few hours a week. Id spend my days sitting in the bar on the hostel laptop,building the website, reviews, emails, and designing adverts for events. It meant i hung out with guests and staff in the bar all the time.

I also took a trip to Mexico in March to reset my visa and visit Kerry just before she flew back to England after her years travelling. Oaxaca was cool, nice beaches, nice food, wouldve liked more time to chill there really. but i was on 10 days off from the hostel and had to promised to deliver hostel posters around hotspots in guatemala before returning. Posters advertising the hostel which i am on, quite silly really, but no budget for models and a tight timescale meant me and the volunteer at the time Christina, donned our swimwear got a beer and sat facing the volcano to advertise our hostel, Corona Styley.

Things changed when I got back. I met Chris, an English guy who owned the most popular hostel in Guatemala and maybe even Central America. Didnt even realise who he was to begin with cus he came with his business partner Thomas to the bar one night to meet another hostel owner Rusty. I already knew Thomas and Rusty from previous visits, but didnt know who Chris was and he was so quiet. After a couple drinks Chris began chatting a bit more. After a few more meetings we exchanged numbers and hit it off. I went to visit their hostel a couple times and he came to stay with me in Antigua as well, and we kinda got fed up of the distance after a couple months. I wanted to move on and was torn between the offer of working in Zephyr for Chris and Thomas or going to El Salvador. It had only been 2 months that Id been with Chris but it was going so well, I chose Zephyr.

A week before I was due to go to Zephyr, they had a big fire and 3 of their buildings (dorms and private rooms) burnt to the ground. Obv it affected a lot of people, and Chris decided to get a couple of puppies which he would get trained to be guard dogs. He set me on the task for him. I found 3 German Shepherd puppies 20mins from Antigua, so we went to see them, tested them for jumpyness and reactions, saw the parents and he bought 2 of them, the two I chose. They were 6 weeks old. They came to live with me while Chris went back to Lanquin to assess the destruction. I carried the 2 tiny babies around in a hammock type thing meant for babies, and got some funny looks. Dogs out there arent seen the way we see them! They got on well with the hostel puppy we also had in the house Moza. The female puppy was fiesty and attacked moza a couple times! They followed me everywhere and although hadnt been named, they answered to my calls and were always at my feet. i loved being a mummy of doggies!

I left Antigua 14th May, and headed up with to Lanquin with the new manager of Zephyr Luis in the car. After running last minute errands in the city we got on the road for the 7 hour journey. Despite being in the car for the best part of 10 hours later we arrived to our new home.

The Terrace was probably best job Ive ever had and in hindsight i wish i had never left when I did. I got itchy feet and had a new man and 2 puppies in my life, I couldnt let that opportunity go to waste. Id have been mad!