Guatemala, wow! I know a fellow from Guatemala and he's pretty cool; he moved here with his mother when he was a teen and built up a great little business for himself. I read that Guatemalans are amoung the happiest people in the world. I'm thinking about scoping out Costa Rica as a place to escape the cold Canadian winters for a month or two. I don't know a lick of Spanish though.
I used to be nervous as hell while flying and drank to calm my nerves, so I know how you feel.
The Unknowns make life worth living! There are great Unknowns too, you know!