We went to Guatemala to learn Spanish. We came home with so much more.

Twenty-four years after our first visit, we returned to Antigua, Guatemala.

This time with our 18-year-old twin boys, hoping to immerse ourselves once again in the language, the culture, and the adventure.

Six hours of private Spanish lessons each day, six days a week, living with local host families, joining the local gym and meeting travellers from around the world.

We absolutely loved throwing ourselves completely into everyday life in Antigua.

Our boys, who each had their own teachers and host family, embraced the experience just as much as we did.

It is so special to be dropped into a completely different world and learning how to navigate it together.

One of the things I enjoy most about learning a language is that it strips communication back to its essentials.

When expressing yourself suddenly becomes difficult, you become surprisingly creative.

You use hand gestures, facial expressions, drawings, different ways of saying things, and whatever else you can think of to get your message across.

It's challenging at times, but also strangely freeing. You stop focusing on saying things perfectly and start focusing on genuinely connecting.

You listen more carefully, you become more present, and you pay more attention to what isn't being said.

And once again, I was reminded that meaningful connection has very little to do with speaking a language fluently and everything to do with making another person feel seen, heard, and valued.

That reminder took an unexpected turn in our final week.

During a conversation with Lety, one of our teachers, we spoke about how I help people and businesses grow.

I shared how I combine strategic guidance with deeper transformation to create greater clarity, confidence, and decision-making, and how many of the things that keep us stuck are often driven by subconscious patterns we don't even realise are there.

When we identify and release those patterns, everything starts flowing again. Decisions become easier, confidence and energy return, and sometimes even physical discomfort disappears.

Lety was fascinated and asked if I would guide her through one of my transformational sessions.

Of course, I loved the idea. Not only because I enjoy this work so much, but also because it would give me a wonderful opportunity to practise my Spanish in a completely different way.

Little did I know that one conversation with Lety would become the start of many more.

Word travelled quickly through the school and before I knew it, teachers started approaching me one after another, curious to experience it for themselves.

I did as many sessions as I could. All in Spanish, which was both challenging and deeply rewarding.

Once again, I realised that language is about so much more than words.

These teachers trusted me with stories they had never shared before. They spoke about fears, doubts, and dreams.

I listened, I guided them, I laughed and I cried with them.

And I had the privilege of watching them reconnect with themselves and move forward with renewed clarity and confidence.

What touched me most was how universal it all felt. The content of our stories might be different, the context is always the same.

We all experience similar insecurities and challenges. No matter who we are, what we do, or where we live, we are far more alike than we think.

Tulio brought me to tears.

Despite a successful career and years working for major banks, he had spent much of his life questioning himself and doubting his own worth. During our session he had a real breakthrough.

Over the following days he started making important life and work decisions that he had been avoiding for years, finally allowing himself to step into a new sense of confidence and self-acceptance.

It showed me again that when we have the courage to look beneath the surface and address what's really holding us back, positive change can happen far more quickly than we expect.

Sandra touched me in a completely different way.

Like me, she has followed a wonderfully unconventional path through life. She has worked across different industries, lived in different countries, and never quite fitted into a traditional box.

During our conversation she released emotional weight she had been carrying for a very long time, creating space for a completely different conversation about what she wanted her future to look like.

It was a beautiful reminder that strategy becomes far more effective when we first clear what is standing in the way.

Perhaps what made the entire experience even more interesting was watching it unfold through Arjen's eyes.

Anyone who knows Arjen knows he is incredibly logical, analytical, practical, and strategic.

In many ways he is exactly like many of the business owners and leaders I work with. He likes evidence, he likes facts and he likes understanding how things work.

Throughout that final week he watched teacher after teacher return with fresh insights, greater clarity, renewed energy, and important decisions they had finally found the courage to make.

More than once he looked at me and said, "This is remarkable."

I loved that because, like him, I am also logical and strategic by nature. That's my education, my career, and a big part of who I am.

Yet this deeper layer of understanding ourselves and releasing what silently holds us back continues to surprise me in the best possible way.

As our final day approached, I found myself feeling incredibly grateful for this enriching experience.

To all our teachers, our host families, our fellow students, and especially the wonderful team at Antigüeña Spanish Academy, thank you.

You gave us far more than Spanish lessons.

You gave us friendships, unforgettable conversations, beautiful insights, and a powerful reminder that underneath our different languages, cultures, and life experiences, we are all far more alike than we think.

And that is something I will carry with me long after leaving Guatemala.

A question for you: What is a travel experience that has stayed with you and changed the way you see the world?

Sonja 💛

Helping people and businesses grow with greater clarity, confidence and ease by combining strategic guidance with deep transformation.