My Summer Trip

This summer I traveled to Matagalpa, Nicaragua. It’s a small town located about 3 hours away from Managua, the country’s capital. I was able to travel there because of an organization called Global Glimpse. This organization gave me chance to explore another country, culture, and helped me learn more about myself for 3 and a half weeks.

Flags. 2016

There were 20 of us who were participating in this amazing program. I only knew 2 of them because they go to GCE, so it was pretty nice seeing familiar faces, but at the same time I challenged myself to reach out to make new friendships. I’m not going to lie and say it was easy, because being in a unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people can be kind of scary, but that’s where I had to step up and get out of my comfort zone. I’m so glad I did too because I made so many connections.

Managua Airport. 2016

While we were in this beautiful country, we were able to explore the bustling streets of Matagalpa, visit a monkey hut resort, and visit a chocolate factory. All those things sound fun, but one important point about this trip is that it’s not a vacation.

Apart from those things, we worked and lived like a local for a day, which involved a day of waking up at 5 am and showering with cold water everyday. We had a day dedicated to the history of Nicaragua, so we had a guest speaker who really touched the hearts of many of us. There was a day dedicated to education, and each person shadowed a student in high school. It was really fun and interesting making new friends, as well as seeing how different school is in a different country. We also had the chance to become tutors by teaching some English to people from the town. I had the duty of teaching kids, so it was really fun, but also stressful.

History Day. 2016

One day that I won’t ever forget is poverty day. That day we traveled to the city dump, where we learned and saw that people actually go there to find resources. It was very heartbreaking to see the conditions of this place where so many children and people spend their time at. My group was also assigned a community action project. We were assigned to help build a wall, a door, a ceiling, and a mural for a organization called Infancia Sin Fronteras. I helped with the building of the wall. The wall was put into place because there was nothing separating the classroom from the doctor office in the facility, which meant that it was really easy for a disease to pass. The ceiling was built to prevent the heat from bothering the young children who were sitting in the classroom. The door was put into place to prevent break ins. Finally the mural was installed to give the building a splash of color, and to also bring something positive to the community.

I won’t ever forget this amazing trip. Even the little things, like late night card games, late night convos and reading nights with the ladies of room 9. Every little thing made this trip unforgettable. I encourage others to take opportunities like this. I promise you won’t regret it!