Hi everyone, I’m Elly Walker, one of the leaders for this Global Glimpse trip. I’m blogging today, but you can expect to hear from the students in a few days!

Today was another hot and humid day in Leon, but regardless, there were many smiles and lots of laughs coming from the students. They’re bonding, making new friends, and enjoying this time together.

We started off the morning with an academic seminar discussing the history and politics of Nicaragua. We then took a walking tour around Leon – we were able to walk to the top of Basilica Catedral de la Asuncion for an incredible view of the city. Around noon the plaza was bustling with locals and students out of school for the day. Leon is crisscrossed with narrow streets lined with colorful adobe walls and constant sounds of horns, the rut-tuh-tuh of motorcycles, and excited voices of 22 students!

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Later in the day we heard from a guest speaker who was a Revolutionary Fighter in Nicaraguan military. He shared his story and how the corruption of Nicaraguan politics has shaped him today. One takeaway from his presentation was on the strength it took him to reconcile in peace by not reconciling at all – a very powerful lesson everyone appreciated hearing.

Tomorrow we’ll discuss culture, both Nicaraguan culture and American culture, as well as participate in a few local traditions. Stay tuned!