Bonnaca

​ I’ve spent a total of two weeks of my life in Guanaja and the first day I was here it was so obvious that the people here are so much happier than anyone that I know back in the states.

I’m comparing and contrasting America and Guanaja. It’s more of a contrast however, most people here live completely different lives from the average American. That’s not necessarily bad though, it’s more good than bad. The people here don’t have the technology or the money that most of the people in America have. You would think that’d make them upset or angry, but no. I’ve spent a total of two weeks of my life in Guanaja and the first day I was here it was so obvious that the people here are so much happier than anyone that I know back in the states. It’s really interesting to look at that fact too. People in the U.S. are hell bent on material possessions and always having the newest things to avoid being judged. Here if it works who’s going to judge you? Everything in the U.S. is so blown out of proportion that after a while we think it’s important. Mental illness is also a big issue back home. It’s somewhat normal for someone that you know to commit suicide sometime in your life. The last person in Guanaja to commit suicide was 24 years ago, and the people here remember every single detail about it because it shook the community. 

It’s just something about this place, it’s so crazy going from what I’m used to, to here. Last year I asked my guide Pablo had he ever thought about moving from Guanaja and he said “no man, why would I need to, we have the best food, the best people, the best fishing, and the most amazing views” and he made such a great point. From someone that doesn’t have the things that I do, he’s happier than a lot of the people I know. Possessions don’t make people happy, they’re happy to just be here and breathing.

Jacob Parris Guanaja Week 3 ​