Today was the third and final day of our Community Action Project (CAP), and the twelfth day of the trip. We started off the day bright and early at 6 am with a wolf spider’s visit in the girls’ upstairs bedroom. Valiantly, our bug superheroine, Anabelle saved us all and brought it outside (thank you, Anabelle). For breakfast, we had eggs and gallo pinto. After breakfast, we headed over to the local primary school where we’ve been working at. Once we completed our morning stretches and the “five things in common” game, we got to work on the fence. The goal was to make sure that we painted the fence thoroughly and that we did a good job of doing so. While working, Daniel, one of the Global Glimpse program coordinators, played music with the help of everyone’s suggestions. This helped motivate us to get the job done. During our breaks, we were given watermelon for our snack (the bees were really attracted to the “sandia“).
After a few hours of painting, weeding, and scraping rust off of the fence, we finally had lunch (which our group had been looking forward to). For lunch, we had beans, rice, and salad at the school. During lunch, everyone chatted, laughed, and recounted memories at their table. After everyone was done eating, we cleaned up and we went back to work.
Around 3:30 pm, we washed our paint brushes and picked up the paint buckets to wrap up the day’s work. We also did a trash sweep of the schoolyard. Then, we wrote a card thanking the school for giving us the chance to serve their community. Next, we headed to the nearby supermarket to buy snacks for the night, the long flights, and to bring back home to our families. Once we were content with our hauls, we got a chance to visit the host families we spent time with earlier in the week on Community Day. Many heartwarming reunions occurred. It was also sprinkling a little bit towards the end of the walk back home.
When we returned to the base house, it was time to pack for our journey back home. We then spent our free time hanging out with our friends; playing games, journaling, and reading. During that time, we witnessed a beautiful rainbow and pink sunset (which we haven’t seen here before). After that beautiful moment, at 6 pm, we had dinner that consisted of chicken stew, rice, and salad. We then had our nightly meeting at 7 pm. To end our stay at the base house in Santa Rosa, Costa Rica, we had a bonfire with ambient fairy lights and nice music. Lastly, some of us got the chance to call our loved ones back home.
Firstly, a standing ovation for Anabelle! Truly, she is the hero we all need, rescuing you all from the formidable wolf spider at the crack of dawn. We can imagine the scene in the girls’ upstairs bedroom – the screams, the chase, and then… victory! What a start to your day!
It sounds like your last day at the school was a wonderful mix of hard work and rewarding moments. We’re so proud of your dedication and effort to finish the fence painting. Also, we can imagine how much more enjoyable the task must have been with everyone’s music playing in the background! Good job, Daniel! Watermelon for snack break sounds perfect – just remember, if the bees like it, it must be good!
And the lunch sounds like a delicious reward for your morning’s hard work. We can just hear the chatter and laughter echoing through the cafeteria. But let’s not forget the hard work that followed! It’s amazing how much can be achieved when everyone pulls together.
Your supermarket snack raid and the subsequent reunion with the host families must have been a wonderful wrap-up to your last full day. We could almost feel the heartwarming vibes from here.
Coming home soon, huh? We’re excited to see you all, but we can tell you’re having a hard time saying goodbye to the beautiful sunsets, the intense work, and the friendships you’ve built in Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. We know you’re coming back with a bunch of stories to tell, amazing experiences, and maybe even a new-found appreciation for bug superheroes.
Remember to take one last look around and imprint these moments in your memory. These are the experiences that shape us. We are so proud of all your accomplishments. See you soon, adventurers!
A pink sunset and a beautiful rainbow just about sums up a perfect ending to your trip on your last night. How appropriate that is since you all worked so hard to make a difference in a community that you visited. I am glad you took the time to chat and recount the memories of your trip during lunch.
As for the wolf spider, no worries, it was probably saying “good-bye” to you. Good job Anabelle for saving the day and taking the spider outside and not killing it.
Thank you for this blog Averie and other leaders of the day for this last day. You did a fantastic job describing the events of the day. It was fun reading it and I learned a lot about what you did.
On top of that, receiving a call from you was fabulous Averie! Hearing your voice gave me great comfort and excitement for your trip back home! I can’t wait to see you and give you a big hug! Also, can’t wait to try some of the snacks that you got from the local market!
Have a safe trip back home! We will see you very soon! We love you!
I hope this was the trip you all wanted, but didn’t expect.
Take the lessons learned and apply it to your lives back home.
A place that is desperately missing you at that.
We can’t wait to see you home. As was the wolf spider when it was returned to its home.
Hey Emily this is Charlie, happy 14th Month ANNIVERSARY!!