First day in Esteli!

Hey everyone!

Today was our first full day in Nicaragua and our first day in Esteli! We got up this morning and headed to breakfast in Managua…our first taste of gallo pinto! (Some of us like it more than others). We then boarded the bus for Esteli, which took about 2.5 hours, but was a beautiful ride through the green Nicaraguan mountains.

When we arrived at our hostal in Esteli, we were so happy for a few minutes to relax and unpack! The rooms are spacious, there is a beautiful courtyard, and great views of the surrounding mountains. After settling in, we went for lunch at our soon-to-be regular restaurant. Lunch was great and then we set off on a tour of the city! Our in-country coordinators, Whitney and Javier, are amazing and taught us so much about the history of the city, the culture of the people here, and the beautiful murals that are all over Esteli.

After some more rest and some dinner (my favorite meal so far…gallo pinto, empanadas, and mashed potatoes) we had our first nightly meeting and self-reflection. Everyone seems to be settling in and opening up to each other. The first bouts of homesickness are setting in, but we’re all supporting each other and are looking forward to all the exciting days we have coming up!

Sheeva and I will post again for the next two days, then it’ll be the turn of our first Leader of the Day….Winnie!