Hello again, dear readers! My travel blog is back, this time with a mission to further connect me to Latin America. I have been to Mexico and Brazil and nowhere in between, so this trip to Nicaragua is going to fix that. Actually, I completely failed at blogging Brazil. I almost filled a notebook of my thoughts and observations when I was able to spend three weeks in that incredible and fascinating country on Carleton's winter break program, but alas, I have not translated those musings into intelligible thoughts and photos in blog format. My apologies, I want to get on that, but more pressing is this next upcoming adventure: Central America.
My church has gone to Haiti many a time but never done a trip to Central America that I know of. This intended to be a youth trip, however, by chance of who was able to go, St. Luke's will be represented by six youth accompanied by six chaperones on a two-week delegation with Project Minnesota/León (check out http://www.mn-leon.org/!). I think a few church members have wondered if I would be considered a "youth" or a chaperone, but at 22, I am happy to help bridge the age gap between the parental generation and the high schoolers. I jumped at the chance to be put on the possible chaperone list when I first heard inklings about the trip, and I am so looking forward to getting to know our youth better, especially since I have been away at college and to the opportunity to experience Central America firsthand. What will be really cool about this trip is that it has a cultural exchange focus, so we will be investing ourselves in the cultural experience, serving the community-building projects and art fairs if we can be of service, and hopefully extending a positive, constructive image of estadounidenses, United Statesians.
For the next two weeks, the list of possible events includes a variety talent show, a climb up to the mountains where we'll sleep overnight in hammocks, exploring the city of León, and oh yea, a day with our host families! All the St. Lukers will be staying with Nicaraguan host families in a humble town just outside of the city of León, which will be a wonderful, albeit intimidating, way to get some Spanish immersion, something my school-learned Spanish can definitely use. Most of us are with young families, and mine is apparently comprised of a young couple with three boys under the age of five - coloring books and crayons are definitely coming along! It's time to cometer some errores en español, bailar some salsa, comer some gallo pinto (their rice and beans dish), and intercambiar some cosas culturales with the wonderful people of Nicaragua!
With a 6:30am flight first to Miami (which I am wholeheartedly excited to see, also - I have heard the Miami airport is a fascinating place), we will be forced to function before the coffeeshops open, so you know it's early. I myself am going the short-nap-at-night-and-sleep-on-the-plane route since I would get antsy with anticipation and not sleep well anyways. I'll tire myself out tonight and then conk out, hopefully awaking next in Managua!
¡Ya vamos!
Until I can get internet and update you on nuestras aventuras, ¡cuídense, take care!
No comments:
Post a Comment