I finished emergency residency on June 31, 2011. Some of my co-residents started their jobs the next day and accordingly began earning a salary immediately. Even with the the looming student loan payments, I needed a rest.
I chose to go to San Marcos La Laguna in Guatemala. My initial travel plan was to go to San Marcos for medical spanish lessons, then Antigua, then Copan Ruins in Honduras, and lastly spend four days getting scuba certified in Utila, Honduras.
Once I got into the small town by Lake Atitlan via shuttle & tuk-tuk, I realized that I could not leave San Marcos quite yet. I decided to change my entire travel plans and stay in one spot.
San Marcos is special because there is a tranquil energy vortex here. There are also a number of healers and wise people in this spot. They use massage, Reiki energy healing, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, cranial-sacral massage, crystals, meditation, yoga, and the Mayan Calendar.
It was definitely a change of pace from allopathic medicine. I used this time to rejuvenate myself from the twelve years of training to be an emergency physician. It was a pleasure to interact with people of the San Marcos community and take time to slowly enjoy each moment. Some days, I would simply lay in a hammock and stare into the clouds or watch the hummingbirds.
I learned many things about myself, my path in life, and the importance of balance in life. When I came back to LAX a few days ago, I was saddened about what I had left behind. But I also realized that I can create my own balanced life by planting the seed of tranquility. As my friend says, "Creer es crear." Thank you, San Marcos La Laguna.
