After a demanding career and a period of personal transition, Clarke T. decided it was time to trade the office for the outdoors. Seeking adventure and a deep dive into the Spanish language, Clarke joined us at Maximo Nivel. Here is the story of that journey—from the halls of the language school to the summit of a volcano.
I was in my late 50s and rebounding from a difficult marriage and career burnout. I was looking for some adventure and “me time.” I found it first in a year with Habitat for Humanity, and then in satisfying a long-held desire to learn Spanish and spend time in Central America. Maximo Nivel provided a perfect vehicle for this as they provide everything one needs to learn Spanish and experience the culture: intensive Spanish language instruction (my teacher was excellent), local homestays where your host likely doesn’t speak English, and “tandem learning” where you are paired with a local person who is studying English so you can take turns speaking in each language.
One of the great resources at the school is other students who come cycling through at different intervals (some students there just a week, and others up to a year). Talking to them about which touring company to use to climb Volcán Acatenango, or which lavandería is the best, or which restaurant serves the best lunch is really invaluable, and I found that even at my age (59) it’s really easy to make friends there. Speaking of ages, I found that there is a great spread. One of my friends there was 19, and another was 68.
My climb up Acatenango was the most memorable thing I did there (other than advancing in Spanish). On top of the inactive volcano, you get a front-row seat to the active Volcán de Fuego, which blows its top every 20 minutes or so. It’s incredible! Getting to know locals and shopping at the very large outdoor market on the west side of town made me feel as much a part of the culture as I possibly could under the circumstances.
The most amazing thing for me was advancing in Spanish. Having the culture right there in my face all the time was really motivating, and I found the learning process really incredible.
Maximo Nivel helped me on several occasions when I needed to change minor things in my circumstances there (changing homestay, changing my class time), and there was a time when I was moving when someone from the school called me to make sure that the transition was working out well. I felt really supported by the school and appreciated it. I will definitely be using Maximo Nivel again in the future.
