Hola from Pita Chip and DJ Callie! We’ve been on quite an adventure today, exploring and whatnot. You know, seeing the sights, wishing we could eat street food, and indulging in: caffeine. It was our last free day, and one of our last days, period. While we were all feeling slightly melancholy, that did not stop us from venturing out on our own in search of internet, sugar, and souvenirs.

DJ Callie: Morning arrived, as did gallo pinto, tortillas, and eggs. This is our traditional Nicaraguan breakfast, as my new Gallo Pinto shirt informs me. We started our day off eating and chatting, then we all went our separate ways to explore and have fun on our last day out and about. I was feeling particularly boring, so my morning explorations started with a nap while most others left in search of coffee. Afterwards, I went for ice cream and souvenirs with some close friends and our goofball of a leader, Hiu. The group came together again for a yummy lunch of chicken, potatoes, coleslaw, and rice (not gallo pinto! what!). My afternoon consisted of packing up an overwhelming amount of stuff, as well as coffee with another small group of people that I love dearly (I just love everyone here, to be honest). English tutoring came next, which I was unable to attend, so I napped some more. That was my day. While the events of my day may seem insignificant or boring, my day was dotted with wonderful conversations with people I am still getting to know, goofing off with one of my roommates while packing, and feeling the unity of our group as problems, sadness, and arguments occasionally arise. Sometimes being with 19 other teenagers is hard! Shoutout to my introverts out there. Despite the hard times, we all work to come together and make the most of our trip and our last bits of time together.

Big love to my family. I’m excited to see you soon!

Peter: Today was marred by my distress at the absence of my showering bucket as I have had to resort to conventional showering measures with a physical shower head. Despite my most laborious of efforts, no souvenir shop in Matagalpa sells good showering buckets. Still, today went by as any other day on this trip has; happy and fulfilling.  It was another great day to explore the city and engage in habit forming activities such as daily coffee runs and planning lessons like genuine professionals. While the end of the trip looms with promises of spreading our experiences, daily access to Wifi, and updates on the Bachelorette, it brings the impending threats of senior year and leaving a family it seems we have had for an eternity. It’s ironic how in retrospect the passage of time seems so long yet fleeting as I have lived here for both a day and a lifetime. Looking back on the itinerary of our trip, the concept of a home outside of this hostel and our newly adopted hostel mom seems nostalgic yet foreign. Before this entry gets too unbearably cheesy, I will say that I will miss living in such a vibrant city full of life, I will miss the freedom of living space we share in the hostel, and I will miss the flow of life in Matagalpa. Words do not do justice to the depth of this experience and the concept of coming home still feels a bit abstract. Still, tomorrow is another day to enjoy in our adopted home.

With much love from Matagalpa, Peter Kishler

Shout out to my family, I hope you guys didn’t move while I was gone.

Also shout out to Kevin Spacey again. Still haven’t heard back from him.