Hello families and friends! I’m sorry I couldn’t have posted on the night of June 30 because there were some issues with the blog! But now I can talk about our second-to-last night in Nicaragua!
We started the morning by waking up at 7 for a breakfast of fruit loops and bananas at Buffet Esteli. Once we came back, we had to finish our last minute packing and bring down all of our belongings before our final program seminar. There we reflected upon our journeys leading up to Global Glimpse til then, shared something we wanted to start, stopped, and continued when we’d come home, and wrote Big Love shout-outs to each member of the team. As a group we reflected on what we had accomplished and learned throughout the last two weeks and evaluated the Global Glimpse Program. We were then able to receive our Letter of Appreciation drafts and wrote our final letter! After writing our letters, we donated the chairs, whiteboard, and markers to Vida Joven, who graciously let us use their facilities for English tutoring. We then ate our final meal of chicken or beef with rice, pasta, tajadas, and salad with Jamaica (hibiscus) juice at Buffet Esteli and thanked them for all the delicious meals! It was then time to say bye to Mama Elena, Papa Poncho, and the rest of the Hostel Tomabu staff, whom had been part of our family over the past two weeks. It was sad to leave our new found home and friends in Esteli, but we continued our journey onward to Managua.
After a fun two and a half hour bus drive, a majority of the group got situated in Hotel El Gueguense, which happened to be in close proximity to the President’s home, so we saw many members of the security patrol on the street. We ate our final Nicaraguan dinner of either chicken or steak with fries and more hibiscus juice at Comedor Marlena and drove back to the hotel for our final nightly meeting. Most people shared how sad it was that it was our last night together in Nicaragua, but we were all ready to come home the following day. To pass on the torch of ELDD, I challenged my roommate, Carla, to either break dance with someone of her choice or to rap for 30 seconds. She chose the latter and was pretty raw because she’s a thug. We all shared hugs and took some pictures before Angelic, Rocio, Renee, Bryan, and I headed over to stay at Hotel Morgut to get an early night’s rest before waking up to leave at 4 AM for the airport!
Thank you to everyone who has and had been reading our blog posts! It meant so much to us that you took the time to see all the new adventures and things we discovered! I also give a HUGE shout-out to all of my #E2A15 family members because I miss you all so much!!! Thanks for reading!
Ally Ko
We’ve waited patiently to read each blog, gleaning for information that would connect us to your daily experiences. And even though The Global Glimpse trip may have concluded and we can ask directly about your day, every blog deserves a comment or two to acknowledge that you are heard and thought about. The Global Glimpse experience has certainly made a significant impact in your life, right at the cusp of venturing out into the world on your own path beyond the senior year. Cling on to these life teachings, cherish your connections and friendships that were built in those precious three weeks, take this glimpse of Nicaragua and make an impact in your community. We are so happy that you are home, but are also very proud of the steps of faith you each took to grow individually and collectively, to make and be a difference in the lives of others. We’re excited to see how you will continue to grow as the leaders of the future. Great job, Ally. Continue to keep your gaze and focus on the One who directs your path as you trek forward in life.
Okay Glimpsers, go forth and make a difference. Remember how life without technology in your hands allow you to cast your eyes to your real surroundings, the gateway to the globe. Now get out of bed, teenagers, and make it happen!