As we sit on our balcony, feet up gazing across the horizon, lights twinkling, a sense of calm is not only within the air but within ourselves. We reflect upon not only the day’s experiences but those within our lives. An action that seems to be spurred by being immersed within the unexpected luxury found within the humbleness of the Nicaraguan culture. My name is Siedah Morrish and my name is Cassandra Gonzalez, both of us whom are from Berkeley High school in Berkeley, California. Today was the first day of our Community Action Project (CAP), and as what was said within the nightly meeting, one of the most challenging days yet.
We began the day with a morning wakeup call, bright and early as the sun rose over the mountains and sunny breakfast on the balcony. After breakfast we began our first CAP meeting which was slightly hard to work through as we were met with the challenges of making some hard decisions while keeping within our budget to complete this task. At first, the group seemed to lack motivation due to the various conflicting ideas within the group that were not in our control. After a long visit to the hardware store, we then arrived to the site of our CAP in San Ramon, Nicaragua. After a much needed and energizing lunch of chicken and rice plus veggies for the vegetarians, we set right to work. The hustle and bustle of all 21 glimpsers and help from many community members of all ages was evident throughout the small shop and the adjoining balcony in which we were building. It was inspiring to stand back and take in the vision that we once thought was impossible to fulfill, one that was finally beginning to build up. As the day came to a close, and we rode the bus home we were tired but filled with excitement because of how far we had come within a few short hours of work.
After a quick bite to eat, and much debate with our coordinators, we were able to venture out within the city and escape the busyness of the day for a while. While different groups headed to various locations around the city, we all had two things in mind: adding to our personal snack stash and rushing to the internet café to speak for a moment to our loved ones. All in all, though the day started off slightly rocky, we learned to persevere by working together as a unit and therefore not only strengthening our group but at the same time, ourselves.
