“The Wifi won’t work”, “My water is warm”, “I’m sweating a lot right now”. These expressions used to show discomfort wouldn’t even run through the head of one of the Quinchos. As we rode away from the kids today, I looked through the back window of our bus to see all of the children waving a sad goodbye as we left them for the final time. Today’s beach trip was a highlight of the trip if not the best part altogether. While we dove into waves with the children riding on our backs, and as the children hunted for shells in the sand, it became clear that our trip was about to come to a close. During our weeklong trip, there were ups and downs, and along with these came some complaints and inversely lots of happy moments. As we left the beach today, we came to the realization that our complaints were not even comparable to the discomforts that the Quinchos have felt in their lives. This past week has definitely been a life changing expirience. I didnt realize how strong of a connection I made with the kids until we finally left the beach. Once saying goodbye I found myself in tears. However, those tears were connected to the fun soccer games, laughs, and jokes made and shared during the week. It was both an empowering but yet humbling expirience. I definitely would want to comeback to los Quinchos again and also just to explore Nicaragua and Central America becuase it has so much to offer. I know that the next time I read a newspaper article or hear a news report involving human rights, I will now see it in a different light. This trip helped me to realize that everybody is human and therefore connected in someway. When you become vulnerable and open yourself up to others, you can create a bond with someone who may be completely different than you. This is the most important thing I’ve learned during this trip.
EJ and Nicky
nicacollegiate 