What it is all about…  Guatemala is a small country located in Central America South of Mexico. It is an unstable country politically, economically and geologically.  The Third World is all around you.  Pickup trucks overloaded with people and produce are the main mode of local transportation.  Old American school buses cut down to size (to fit through the narrow streets) lumber along leaving a trail of black smog as it is also overloaded with way more passengers than would ever be permitted in the US.  Plus, I am pretty sure the goat tied to the roof would be a violation of some sort.

Thirty years of civil war encountered horrendous human rights violations with over 200,000 Mayans brutally massacred in attempted genocide.  Past corrupt governments have left the country devastated economically.  If you thought the government and economy were unstable, it is not uncommon to feel the ground shake under your feet or see the night sky aglow from lava spewing from one of the four active volcanoes.  For the time being the other 26 volcanoes lay dormant.

So what brings me back time and time again??  This country is rich.  It is rich in color, rich in culture, but mostly rich in the beauty of its people.

In ‘real life’ I am a nurse. My nursing background is in Trauma, Cardiac Care and Emergency. My first few trips to Guatemala was with a medical mission group providing medical care in various clinic settings. Being attracted to the beautiful handcrafts, I naturally bought a few items and adorned them to work. The girls in the Emergency Department had their orders in and ready before my next trip down. Thus Vida Dulce Imports was created…

I started Vida Dulce Imports, translated to mean ‘Sweet Life’ to offset costs of travel, living and purchasing supplies and medicines for the clinics in the area. Now, I am president of the Board of Directors of a nonprofit organization Pueblo A Pueblo to which a portion of proceeds are donated. Our mission is to empower and better the lives of the Mayans living in the Lake Atitlan Area. All items are handmade and fairly traded by the Mayan. Vida Dulce is my way of reminding us back home that no matter how hard things may seem, it is always the little things like a smile or a helping hand that makes it a sweet life…