Hi, my name is Thuy Vi Nguyen, and I was El Lider Del Dia for Fun Day! I am from San Jose, California, and I go to Andrew Hill High School. Being able to take part in Global Glimpse is one of the greatest opportunities bestowed upon me, and being in Nicaragua at this moment is so surreal. Global Glimpse is a program that exposes a group of adolescents to new challenges and encounters in a different environment; with this in mind, I wanted to develop how I deal with difficult situations and gain leadership skills as I overcome obstacles in a developing country. Furthermore, I aspired to meet a fresh, diverse group of people and learn the various cultures hidden among them.

On another note, our delegation, E1B, had the chance to enjoy a day of fun and adventure. After 4 consecutive days of nonstop work and education, as a group, we had a chance to explore the different types of tourism available in Nicaragua. “You gotta be in the NOW to create and experience the WOW!” With this quote in mind, we were all hyped up and stoked to experience a day of absolute FUN! Although I had to wake the Glimpsers up at 4:45am, everyone had the chance to sleep on the bus as the ride there was three hours long.

Our first destination was Volcano Masaya, where we learned about how Somoza, a dictator of Nicaragua, had his political rivals thrown into the volcano. During the Spanish conquest and prior to the 16^th century it was a symbol of fear for Nicaraguans. Seeing the smoke omitting from the volcano was beautiful. Even though we were drenched in the rain, we had great times taking amusing photos with one another. It was difficult to get everyone to the next destination, since they were having so much fun taking pictures; alas, we had to leave the volcano and head to Laguna de Apoyo, a crater lake.

The whole group at the edge of the mouth of Volcan Mayasa

Who stole my camera to take selfies? I think it was Grace, Spencer, Persis, Solana and Tiffany

A cross atop a moutain next to Volcan Mayasa. The cross was placed on top of the mountain by Spanish missionaries in order to ward off bad spirits.

At the lagoon, all of us had the chance to go swimming, kayaking, and hanging out on the shore. I was personally afraid of the water, but everyone was so encouraging and inspirational, which pushed me to go into the water. A lot of people had their kayak capsized, but even so, laughter and smiles filled the air and warmed my heart. We ended our experience at the lagoon and the Monkey Hut resort by jumping off the floating dock together, hand in hand.

Anureet, Spencer and Persis kickin back with some pina coladas (non-alcoholic of course)!

We saw out to these docks at the Monkey Hut and jumped in! Fun times!

My experience as El Lider Del Dia is definitely unforgettable. Although I had a difficult time getting everyone’s attention and my message across, it was, without a doubt, a heart-warming and meaningful experience; we share our difficult times together, but undeniably, we continue to share our happiness as one.