What’s up, my name is Chryston and I am the penultimate leader of the day! I’d like to give a shoutout to my mom for always pushing me to join outside programs that give me opportunities that most other teenagers don’t have.

As LDD, I was in charge of waking everyone up – however, I forgot about everybody who lived on the first floor so they had to rush getting ready today because of me and I feel bad because of that. Once we all were awake, we went to Buffet Esteli for breakfast and then returned to the hostal to reflect on our journey here in Nicaragua. For example, we filled out 3 charts based on things we will STOP, START and CONTINUE doing once we come back to the United States. Some that stood out to me was that we will STOP taking the things that we are blessed with for granted, START making people aware of lifestyles in foreign countries, and we will CONTINUE doing things that will force us out of our comfort zones. We also created maps of our Global Glimpse journey, starting with applying and getting accepted and ending with today. We wrote or drew about significant moments, what we’ve learned about ourselves and leadership and how this trip has impacted us. Then we shared our maps with each other in small groups.

In addition to reflection, I led a BIG LOVE ceremony in which all the glimpsers, GGLS and PCs wrote one thing that we either appreciated or enjoyed about our peers on a sheet of paper with our names on it. After we were done writing, we each took a few minutes to read the things that others had to say about us. I enjoyed seeing the expressions on my friends’ faces as they read their big love papers.

We ate lunch, and afterwards our GGL John asked us to write a letter to our future selves to make sure that we are applying what we’ve learned in our current lives. He said he will mail us the letters six months from now so we should be expecting them around Christmas. So just know if you get an envelope don’t expect money to be inside of it.

Afterwards, we had free time to pack, clean and bond with each other freely for one last time in Nicaragua. Today is a holiday in Esteli celebrating the Sandinista victories, so we were able to watch a large parade from my balcony which involved loud music, loud fireworks, and dancing horses!

  

For our Last Supper, we had delicious steak and chicken at one of our favorite restaurants: Coffee and Cocktails. We enjoyed eating together, and some of dressed up while others of us remained relaxed. We shared toasts to celebrate our experience together and all that we have learned and the friends we’ve made. Then we held our last nightly meeting where we prepared for our travel home to New York.

During this trip, I learned that we don’t have to have a really close connection with the people that surround us to show some type of appreciation or kindness for what they might offer. Everyone I’ve interacted with here in Nicaragua has shown me love and kindness and greeted me with big smiles, even if I only just met them for a short time.

To those who made it possible on behalf of all the Global Glimpsers, we are grateful for the opportunity to experience the different lifestyles of the people here in Nicaragua and the opportunity to become more enlightened about ourselves and what we are capable of.

Also – I really didn’t need my phone after all! That’s it, good night. NYC – see you manana!