Hannah Hobus

I thought going into this trip that I would take the best photos of my life. I did not. I didn’t get as many opportunities as I would have liked to take photos because my entire story team got covid, which left me alone, as the only negativo, with these major stories. Then I got sick. Whether its some cruel twist of fate, God trying to teach me something, or my body saying f*ck you, I am most thankful for the people that I already knew and the people that I met.

I flew thousands of miles away to get to know people that live 5 minutes away from me at Bethel. The people I met in Guatemala were so willing to share their stories and give what they could. They made me want to be a better journalist. The people who went on Textura make me want to be a better journalist. Whether I take an amazing photo or a trashy one, I want to know that the way that I do journalism is not transactional but relational. I think I needed to slow down to see this.

I like this photo because it isn’t perfect, but it was the first day I got to leave the hotel after I got sick. The red glowing lava and street lights are the best parts of the photo and I like it. It represents my time in Guatemala and what I learned really well.

Thanks Guatemala! Thanks Scott, Paige, and whoever else is reading. Textura has been unlike anything I have ever done before and it made me want to experience many more new things again.