by Morgan Sherwood
From the mountain biking tracks of Guatemala to the pages of fantasy books, it’s clear Taytem Kowalchuk has a thirst for adventure.
When she was in 7th grade, her family (dad Illya, mom Sarah, and brother Boone) packed up their house and moved to Guatemala. There was initial culture shock at the varying economic situations of people there, which was especially stark when they hired a house cleaner. She came three times a week and cleaned the house and occasionally cooked the family traditional Guatemalan meals. She charged only 150 Quetzales a day which is about $20 US.
Taytem was also surprised at the lack of stop lights in major intersections. The most harrowing example she gave was an intersection on the way to school. It was a large, multi-way intersection that didn’t have any stop lights. You just had to drive through very fast and assume other people would stop.
One of Taytem’s favorite parts of Guatemala was a mountain bike park she and her brother often went to. The trails were marked green, blue, and black like ski runs and a truck would take them to the top of the two mile long runs. It was there that she and her dad made many friends and even joined a group chat with them.
Another of Taytem’s favorite places was Hobbitenago. Nestled in the mountains of Guatemala, Hobbitenango is a Lord of the Rings themed hostel comprised of hobbit holes situated in the hillside. She described it as a hang out for Lord of the Rings nerds to meet up and talk about all things hobbit. She and her dad had a lot of fun there.
Taytem’s thirst for adventure and trying new things didn’t end when she left Guatemala. Her room is evidence of this. On her wall is a dream catcher that she wove herself from sinew and beeswax. Recently, she has taken an interest in witchcraft and she has homemade salt and cinnamon jars by her bed, one for motivation and one for self love. She loves to read, and her bookshelf is overflowing. Her favorite is the Divergent series, a dystopian young adult trilogy where everyone is divided into factions and the heroes have to fight to break the system.
Taytem grew up in the Fellowship and is currently an active member of our high school youth group. In addition, she attends Cornerstone youth group which is a progressive faith group in Boulder that combines Christian and Jewish theology. She describes both youth groups as being very open to a variety of identities, and places where you can bring your whole self. For her, they play complementary roles. At the Fellowship she explores who she is individually as well as in relation to others, while Cornerstone explores her relationship to God.
Taytem’s adventurous personality has led her to some amazing places and hobbies. She has some great stories to tell, and I would encourage you to strike up a conversation with her!
Published December 29, 2020
