Hi There! I’m Sophie and I was the LDD (Leader of the Day) by myself for the last night/day in Aquiaires. It was a very busy packing and traveling day full of sweet and sour moments.

We started off our day with breakfast at 8:30 am followed by our final recap of the whole trip. We started off with some writing in our journals, then moved to some more heartfelt activities. Many tears were shed — some happy and some sad, but overall a wonderful way to end our time at Casa Aquiaires. We had a quick lunch and birthday cake for my two amazing roommates Sheny and Rama!

Then we headed down to the elementary school to give our final goodbyes to the kids we had bonded with over our time there. Again, a very bittersweet moment, but a moment we will all always have forever. Shortly after that, we headed back up to the base house to gather our belongings before heading back to San José for the night. Our day concluded with a very emotional final nightly meeting where we reflected on our trip and the new bonds created within the group.

Today was an extremely emotional day for the entire group, but one that will stay with me forever. Today made me realize that even in two weeks, you can form bonds that last a lifetime. Sharing an experience like this with people you’ve connected deeply with is something irreplaceable. We will see you all shortly, I know I can’t wait to see my family again!

Your LDD,
Sophie