Hello everyone, my name is Jessica and to become El Lider Del Dia, I had to be the first one on the dance floor for our night out last night. It was actually funny and we all enjoyed the rest of our nights. It was then quite hard to wake everyone up in the morning but we were able to make it through.

Our day began with the typical Nica breakfast, gallo pinto and eggs. We then had some time to begin packing our bags. Some of us struggled a little bit to fit everything we now have in our luggage but we made it work. We had our very last seminar which was a long but emotional final reflection seminar. We were able to reflect from the time even before the trip. We reflected on being accepted, our expectations, adventures on the trip, and impacting moments. This was a significant seminar because it was the last of many and we also shared our deepest thoughts. We gave each other nice words anonymously on a piece of paper and it made us realize just how much we got to know one another and become so close compared to the awkward first meeting at the airport. We have become a family now after spending all day, everyday with each other. We seen each other at our worse and best moments. We laughed and cried. We had each other’s back through the whole trip and there’s not one person that can’t agree about it. We left our families for over 2weeks but we made a family of our own. We all agreed that we were probably the best delegation as a whole. We shared all of that in our last seminar and got personal. We pledged to take many things back home and not stop what we’ve done because the trip has ended. This trip was a beginning to so much more for all of us.

When our seminar ended, we had our last Estelí meal at El Chico and then made sure we had all our things together and were ready to go. We said some final goodbyes to staff and good friends then made our way to Managua on a long bus ride. Seeing the last of Estelí as we drove along was interesting, and we finally arrived to our destination (which is actually a hotel across the street from where Nicaragua’s president lives). It’s a very secured place which is cool, and the hotel is very artsy. There are many murals and each room is decorated with the theme of a state in Nicaragua. We finally have some warm water too! Which is probably kind of weird to be excited about but it really is exciting after so many cold showers.

After getting our new roommates and settling in, we were surprised by going out to the mall. We had dinner at the mall which was pizza hut or subway and most of us chose pizza. After eating at the food court we were allowed to look around the mall or get ice cream. Going to the mall made us feel like we were almost home because it was just like malls in the states. Except that it was so much more expensive here and a lot of us were surprised by that. We all bonded together and then made our way back to the hotel. When we arrived, we had one last nightly meeting in Nicaragua. We are now enjoying our last moments with one another and preparing to go home. It’s a bittersweet feeling because some of us are excited to go home but don’t want to stop the adventures/ bonding we’ve had as a new family. We can’t wait to see you all at the airport and personally express what our adventures were like at Nicaragua.