Today  was  very  touching  and  memorable   for   us  glimpsers because  we  were  all  able  to  reflect  on  our  experience  in  Matagalpa,  Nicaragua  as  a  family  now.   Everyone  had  mixed  emotions  today:  there  was  sadness , people  feeling  upset  about  the  fact  that  this  is  our  last  day  here; while we are all also excited to see our family and friends back home.  We’ve bonded to the point where this will not be the end of us being a family; it’s only the beginning.  Everyone hopes to reunite again soon.  We have 3 glimpsers from other states: California, Massachusetts, and Washington state.  It’s going to be kind of tough for them but they are willing to keep in contact with the rest of us.  Whenever they come to NYC, they have 14 people to stay with!

My top 5 moments in Nicaragua were:

1. Visiting the dump on poverty day because I was able to see the way that people lived.  I felt bad for them because they don’t have the things they need to survive.  It made me realize that I should never take things for granted.  I will always try to give, not just receive.
2. Working on the CAP project at Escuela de Amistad- a school for children with special needs.  I really enjoyed painting the benches and the walls because I felt that I really helped to make the school brighter.  And now they’ll think of us as role models.
3.  We stayed in Hostel del Castillo.  It was a nice place with a few different areas that we used to eat and have meetings.  Our favorite place to hang out was on the couch on the 2nd floor. We liked it there because it was big enough for all of us to sit and talk.  That’s where we got to know each other better and laughed.
4. Dona Sonia was a special guest speaker.  Her sharing her story about fighting for the freedom of her people even though she went through difficult obstacles.  Her life story taught me to always be brave and to believe in myself.
5. A few days ago, we went to Catarina where there is an old volcanic pit where there is a nice lagoon. The place was called The Monkey Hut.  I liked it there because I love to swim.  We got to play and enjoy ourselves.  The water was great!  It was very blue, clean and warm.  The view was beautiful.  It was just mountains all around.  There was a board that we swam to out in the lagoon.  We started pushing each other off into the water (we all wore life vests). It was fun.

I’ve learned that being a leader takes courage, commitment, setting the example for others and you have to show a positive attitude towards the group.  I wasn’t always positive.  I don’t know why but I’ve realized that negativity can spread throughout the group if I don’t show my enthusiasm and bring the right energy to make a team effort.  Denis, Janice, Avi and Subha helped me realize that when they took me out for a meeting.  I’m not perfect yet but I will improve the way I act as a person.

A person who inspired me was Subha, one of the GG leaders, because of the stories she told the groups.  She talked about having multiple jobs and I know it wasn’t easy for her when she was growing up.  She also taught us a lot about the history of our country and other cultures I never learned about.  One quote I remember is when she said, “hard work beats talent”.  I will always keep that in mind, because if you don’t put your effort into what you want to do, you won’t be the successful person you want to be.