Brave New Travelers: Eyes Opened, Thankful, and Eager to Return Raylene Lopez

Raylene Lopez

My name is Raylene Lopez. we am 17 years aged as well as we attend Phillip as well as Sala Burton High School in San Francisco.

This summer we longed for to knowledge something different for a change. we didnt want to waste a summer during home not doing anything productive. we was introduced to a event of roving to Nicaragua with a youth transport module called Global Glimpse. Right when we perceived a duplicate we was so vehement which we filled it out yet asking my parents. Once we was notified which we perceived a roving grant from Matador as well as which Global Glimpse supposed me in to a program, we told my parents. we was propitious which they didnt need most convincing.

What felt similar to a year later, we found myself waiting in a San Francisco airport. we was a initial a single from a organisation of sixteen students which were starting to transport with me to get to a airport. So we waited with a single of a chaperones. To be honest, a usually thing we was nervous about was not meaningful who we was starting to lay subsequent to upon a 7 hour craft ride. Other than which we was unequivocally vehement to get out of a city to douse myself in a enlightenment which we hardly knew.

Raylene Lopez

After a 7 hour craft ride, we were in El Salvador where we met a second chaperone who flew in from New Jersey. We boarded an additional craft which would take us to Managua, a capital of Nicaragua. It was usually a 30-minute craft ride.

Before stepping out of a airport we were greeted by 3 Nicaraguans who were starting to be a chaperones/ guides for a trip. They warned us which we should mislay any extra layers of clothing since it was starting to be unequivocally hot outside. Stepping outward everyones init! ial gree ting was Woah its hot! Getting upon a train yet air conditioning everyones greeting was Ahhh its even hotter in here!

After we got adjusted to a heat we was able to unequivocally demeanour around as well as soak in which we was essentially in Nicaragua. The city of Managua was unequivocally unwashed with domestic wall scrawl almost upon each wall. There wasnt most starting upon there. we was kind of fearful which a tiny city of Leon where we would be spending a 3 weeks was starting to be similar to which too. After removing a short tour of Managua as well as a story of Nicaragua we hopped upon a train for an hour as well as thirty minute drive to Leon.

Staring out a window we beheld an immediate change. Once we left Managua a sky was so clear. There werent most houses as well as there were only fields as well as cows. Then it changed behind to a city as well as we were eventually in Leon.

When we arrived in Leon we listened song in a streets, we smelled a aroma from a transport vendors foods as well as we saw groups of students in unvaried upon foot down a streets smiling during us in a bus. we could discuss it which it was starting to be a unequivocally engaging as well as fun 3 weeks of my summer.

We were staying in a lodging place in Leon called Sonati. The people who worked there were unequivocally welcoming as well as a random travelers who stayed in a alternative room during a lodging place were unequivocally engaging as well as nice. The initial night which we had to explore a city upon a own was a single of a best nights of a total trip. The total organisation of students as well as we went out to get a little ice cream as well as we sat in front of a Cathedral. One of a students brought his soccer ball as well as we started to play. Then a big organisation of Nicaraguan kids came out of nowhere as well as asked if they could fool around too. We separate up in to teams as well as it finished up being a Nicaraguan kids contra a American kids. Our game lasted for about a! n hour a s well as a kids which we were personification with were unequivocally droll as well as friendly.

The funniest moments in Nicaragua either happened during a prolonged train rides or during a giveaway time shopping experiences. Whenever we went out shopping with a tiny organisation of students, we always had to translate for them. So a single day we decided to force a alternative students to try as well as communicate with a dealers by themselves. Most of them struggled yet they finished up bargaining upon their own.

During a prolonged train rides we always tried to pass a time away by sharing jokes or droll past experiences. Whenever a train motorist would turn upon a radio, often all a stations played Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga or a World Cup songs. All of a students sitting during a behind of a train would all sing a songs together as well as we would only have a fun time; even a chaperones from Nicaragua would join in.

I found it pretty engaging how a single of a chaperones declared Morena, favourite a same sort of song as well as knew a lyrics to all a songs which we liked. we was astounded during how most a American enlightenment influences Nicaraguas culture, not usually with song yet also in a approach they dress. we counted during slightest 13 stores which sole Hollister as well as Abercrombie as well as Fitch clothing.

The most memorable moments in Nicaragua were during a English classes. Two alternative students as well as we had a category of 25 Nicaraguan locals, who were a age as well as older, which longed for to sense English. Our classes were 2 hours prolonged for dual weeks. Being a teachers of a category was challenging since we had to come up with a own doctrine plans, yet thats what finished them fun. One of my favorite classes with a students was when we had them fool around Simon Says as well as Head, Shoulders, Knees, as well as Toes. They ! had fun personification those games as well as we laughed a lot which day. On a final day of category a single of a students, Elle, told me which a English classes were helping him sense English some-more than his clergyman during his university was. That finished me happy since he proved to me which a time with them had finished a difference.

One of a most challenging days for me in Nicaragua was Poverty Day. We had to spend a total day yet electricity as well as running water. It was hard for most of a students as well as we to perform a unchanging routines yet any lights. All we ate which day was rice as well as water. That day finished me feel thankful for what we have during home.

The fun partial of a day was when they took us to a tiny locale in Nicaragua where we had to spend a day with a family. we got to cling to out with a man declared Tyler who is a member of a Peace Corps as well as his host family. They showed me what they similar to to do for fun. We chased iguanas, played futbol, swung upon a tree swing, climbed trees to get grapefruit, as well as pulled H2O out of a well by running down a highway with a wire tied around us. we even got to make use of a machete to cut weeds in a fields. That day we schooled which people can still suffer themselves yet having any electricity, running water, as well as having tiny rations of food.

One of a biggest lessons we schooled upon this outing was how critical it is for a village of people to safety their culture. In Nicaragua theres a tiny locale in Leon which has left up a tamarind tree which is unequivocally sacred for their community. The Indian king who founded which locale was hung upon a single of a branches from which tree by a Spaniard soldier. So which village until this day has preserved a definition of which tree as well as they wont let anyone touch it since a essence of a king lies within it. They were since ! a reason to respect a inlet which was left around them despite a unwashed conditions of their tiny town. The same story has been upheld upon by generations as well as a tamarind tree is still there.

One of a biggest lessons we schooled upon this outing was how critical it is for a village of people to safety their culture.

When a organisation of people safety their enlightenment or even partial of their culture, it gives which organisation a reason to get along since they have something which ties them together. Preserving ones enlightenment in a city similar to San Francisco can be formidable since there are a lot of cultures influencing your own, yet it can be finished by doing stuff similar to a Nicaraguans with a tamarind tree, as well as by passing down stories or legends with ethics as well as by cherishing something associated to your culture.

Another big doctrine which we schooled upon this outing was how most meaningful a second language, generally English, is critical for most Nicaraguans. Here in a States we beheld which most people take a resources which we have to sense alternative languages for granted. In Nicaragua, meaningful how to verbalise English can stand in your salary.

Many of a Nicaraguans we met upon this outing dont have a same easy access to programs or giveaway denunciation classes similar to we do, yet they unequivocally longed for a event to sense English. They attended each giveaway English category which we had to suggest even yet it was during night as well as a little of a students had to transport opposite a city to get to a classes. That unequivocally astounded me since we didnt think which they would essentially want to go out of their approach as well as take time out of their giveaway time to come to a classes, yet they did. They unequivocally showed me how most we need to take value of what we have here in a US as well as to work hard in all my classes even yet a little of them during a time seem invalid since for someone else in an additional country, ! what we sense can be unequivocally critical to better their life.

Now which Im behind from which extraordinary life-changing trip, we unequivocally want to share my knowledge with alternative students during my tall school, not only by telling them about my outing yet also helping send students to Nicaragua as well. Im perplexing to get a Global Glimpse roving module during my tall propagandize so which future students can knowledge a same things which we did so they can see what people have to go by to get a good preparation in Nicaragua, so which they can take their preparation some-more seriously, which is how this total outing finished me feel.

You cant sense as well as knowledge a things we had by a textbook or from a Internet. Its only not a same.

Leaving Nicaragua was a hardest partial of a total journey. we knew which we was starting to miss everything as well as everyone which we encountered during those 3 weeks. we experienced so most as well as schooled approach some-more about a nation than we would have if we stayed home.

You cant sense as well as knowledge a things we had by a textbook or from a Internet. Its only not a same. we unequivocally want to go behind to Leon as well as Im perplexing to plan a short outing to go during a single of my breaks from school. Now which Im behind in a city of San Francisco we notice so most things which we take for granted. we also notice so most things which we can live without.

Im so thankful for a event which we had to travel, learn, as well as knowledge all which we had in Nicaragua. Without a transport grant we wouldnt have been able to sense about a new enlightenment while enjoying a people as well as a places which we have seen. Thank you, Matador, for a transport scholarship.