Quote of the Day:
“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” – Bob Dylan
Question of the Day: What does “responsibility” mean to you?
Hey, all! Today was (unsurprisingly) fun! We woke up at 7:00 in the morning to prepare for the long day ahead of us. After breakfast at 7:30, we moved on to a quick mental warm-up where we discussed the quote and question of the day, as well as the importance of sustainability. At 8:30, we boarded our bus and headed for our first stop, Las Trillizas waterfall!
After a nice and safe ride to Las Trillizas—thanks to our kind driver, Alexis—we began our hike to the waterfall. The hike down was a bit difficult given the humidity and tricky footing, but after some 20 minutes, we arrived at a breathtaking sight. The waterfall seemed so much more grand than in pictures, and the spray of mist coming from the crashing waters cooled us down in a soothing breeze. All the water in the area near the foot of the water was freezing cold, but that didn’t stop us from hopping in for a splash. Pretty much everyone minus the leaders hopped in and got wet. Many pictures were taken that hour, and many more memories were made. After drying off and changing back into dry clothes, we took a group picture, and then we wrapped up our time at the waterfall, but not before taking a group picture. The hike back up would now begin, and the tricky footing from the hike down would seem like nothing in comparison to the hike back up. Put simply, our legs were very sore afterward. After the grueling hike up we were all very eager to eat lunch. Luckily, Maria and Alejandro had taken our orders this morning and were quickly able to get our huge group of 20 Glimpsers lunch within half an hour while we all freshened up before eating.—big love to them!
After finishing our meal at Las Trillizas restaurant, we boarded the bus and Alexis took us to our next stop; the cheese fair! It was pretty and lively, and lots of people were attending the fair. Artisan vendors were selling all sorts of things as costumed dancers added to the festive atmosphere. Coffee stores, trinket sellers, food vendors, and many more little shops were strewn throughout the fair. We were then given our time to explore the fair and purchase anything we liked (appropriate things, of course). The Glimpsers were given an hour to explore the fair and return to the bus afterward; it was a large act of trust the program coordinators had entrusted to us, and it was up to us to fulfill this act of trust. Glimpsers formed small groups and then explored the fair; some ate food, some ordered coffee, many window-shopped at the stands, and some took a walk in the park next to the fair. We—Sebastian and Angel—are very proud to say that the glimpsers did not disappoint. Contrary to our concerns that not everyone would arrive at the bus on time, absolutely everyone did! This reminded me of the quote of the day, and how everyone acted accordingly with it. People were given freedom to explore, and they were exceedingly responsible with their given freedom. I’m proud of everyone here.
—Àngel Barahona
A short bus ride back to the hostel later everyone was still very energetic due to the sugar and coffee most people enjoyed at the cheese fair, despite the spike in energy everyone remained holding what had been expected of them and even exceeding expectations. Many people offered help when arriving at the Bed and Breakfast carrying water back up to the kitchen which was a light struggle but the group helping and cooperating made it an easy feat. Once at our base house (~3:30) we had 2 and a half hours of downtime in which many of us went to the pool to enjoy some games and a nice swim while others indulged themselves in card games, naps, or just some snacks and journaling. The pool group played games such as volleyball and some jumping into the pool, safely of course, and the card games included Speed, Blackjack (21), Uno, and Spoons. Downtime for everyone is very enjoyable and refreshing because we use this time for ourselves to make sure we are rejuvenated and prepared for the rest of the day as well as just having fun with friends.
At 6:00, Dinner was ready and we enjoyed, as always, a very delicious meal of cottage pie served with a side of salad and some very savory iced tea. Most people finished dinner within 30 minutes and continued on with games previously played while awaiting the start of our nightly meeting. As per usual we addressed the quote and question of the day, during which many people expressed how today helped them more in the understanding of the quote and question and also expanded their knowledge on respect and freedom, then having our great leaders of tomorrow display their talents and explaining the upcoming day. After the nightly meeting, however, we had a “family meeting.” The family meeting occurs to address any conflicts within the community in which people may express their feelings; hopefully deepening the bond between our group and crushing any possible tension or animosity between each other. Some people even realized that they may have accidentally wronged another person and got up and hugged someone they may have wronged or later personally apologized for any accidental wrongdoing. (Personally I was very touched by this and as a leader of the day, this made me very happy to see everyone holding themselves accountable for something they did, even if accidentally, and making amends with one another) After this meeting it felt almost as if a new group arose from the room with a deeper understanding of each other and bonds that had repaired or straightened.
After the “family meeting,” we put these things to rest in a game of Blind Karaoke. Blind Karaoke is a game in which a person or two, can only hear the beat of the song while trying to think of the lyrics on the spot and sing while the audience views the lyrics and gives them a grade depending on accuracy and entertainability. There were many rounds played and the audience was loud with excitement quickly growing very fond of the game enjoying each other’s company and singing. (Seeing this occur directly after the “family meeting” had shown me that, as a leader, everyone had been able to put it behind them and happily enjoy a game together with friendly competition occurring.) Right after the game of Blind Karaoke, it was lights out and everyone headed back to the cabin (~10:00) showering or going to bed.
Fun Day was a success with everyone seeming to have enjoyed the very eventful yet FUN day. Finally, as a leader of the day it was great seeing everyone being responsible for taking care of one another at both the cheese fair and waterfall and then the group repairing any conflict, it was really an experience watching everyone end the day with new understandings and becoming closer with one another, I was truly proud of the group and was very pleased by the accountability everyone displayed today.
-Sebastian Castro
