30 | Winter 2018 Greensboro Day School has many ways of showing their faculty and employees that we are important, we matter, and we are valued. One way is by offering faculty the opportunity to dream big and become inspired via the Brooks Sabbatical. As a recipient of this wonderful award, I traveled to the majestic country of Guatemala with my family this past summer. The goal of my trip was to experience Guatemalan culture, enhance our cultural competence, and develop positive understandings and appreciation. After all, I believe that through intentional and direct encounters with people and customs different from our own, is how barriers become an issue of the past. I embarked on the journey to Guatemala with some anxiety, not certain if our travel plans would be free of unexpected surprises. On the plane trip there, I began to finally disconnect from my worries by reading my book on Guatemala and envisioning myself in “the land of eternal spring.” Before long, we had landed in Guatemala City and boarded a private taxi Guatemala Growing Awareness and Respect in BROOKS SABBATICAL By José Navarro, Middle School Spanish teacher s s s