Kellyann Reflects on her Trip to Nicaragua!
Throughout my journey to Nicaragua with Global works, there was never a moment that we weren’t being challenged and inspired. There were an endless amount of once-in-a-lifetime adventures that made this trip truly unforgettable.
Our first destination was at a quiet hostel on Laguna de Apoyo in Managua. As the group and I were released from our morning activities and ventured into the warm, blue lake, we pretty much immediately became friends. Together we smiled and splashed in amazement of the natural beauty in Nicaragua. The worry-free atmosphere surrounded us and kept the group close for the duration of the trip.
I quickly fell in love with Nicaragua. Passing through small local towns, ordering delicious Mangos at street stands, arriving at another resort on the beach that had the most astounding view of the endless horizon I had ever seen- every moment was filled with happiness. But the best part of Nicaragua was the people.
Nicaragua is home to the most cheerful and amiable people I have ever met. When we first arrived at the clinics in Matagalpa, the local children loved to smile at everything. There were times when we would be doing our community service around the clinic and the children would ask to help just to be around us and laugh. Even the adults in the community tried to make small talk while we were in the doctor’s office waiting for the doctor to write a prescription. Everyone made us feel like family.
This family-feeling became even stronger at our last destination, Peñas Blancas. Our homestay experience was much different from our days at Managua. At Managua, we were taken on excursions to visit a landfill that saw an extensive change after a 35 million dollar donation was made by the vice president to clean up the area or ventured to the top of Volcan Masaya, the first national park in Nicaragua and an active volcano. But at Peñas Blancas, we lived like locals. We stayed in their houses and they treated us like sons and daughters. We returned some of the kindness while helping to construct a volcanic compostable toilet at a local farm. We were also able to assist dentists during their annual visit to Peñas Blancas by cleaning the tools used to extract teeth and setting up the seats for the next patient.
Saying goodbye to Nicaragua was one of the saddest moments of the whole trip, but I came home from this Global Works trip with a new understanding and sensitivity to the issues facing Nicaragua and its neighbors today. I had a sense of confidence in my ability to adapt to new environments. And I felt more inspired to promote cultural appreciation and social change back in my U.S. community. This trip was truly such an amazing experience and I would definitely do something like it again in a heartbeat.
