Today was such a bittersweet ending to this experience. We started off the day with a walk around Cerro Punta early in the morning. The Cerro Punta group and I walked up a hill, and we saw such a beautiful view. Jane and I really didn’t want to say goodbye to our host mom, mama Nely, and we kind of held it off till the last minute. I think one of the best parts of this trip was mama Nely, she was the cutest! I think I will forever hold her in my heart. The goodbyes in general reminded everyone of how impactful these connections we made here in Panama were.

              Later, we finally met up with the Guadalupe group to get on with our next project. We drove over to the recycling center in Volcan to help with picking up trash and other things to help the community. Even though it was very tiring it still ended up making me feel like I had accomplished something and just that feeling of helping others makes me have a feeling of success.

              Once we finished up at the recycling center, we were all drained and ready for AC. After about a 2-hour drive, we got to our Hostal in David and settled into our rooms, and I might say it was very very refreshing. If anything, I learned a lot about how stepping out of your comfort zone promotes being open to growth and understanding others more.

              This trip has taught me to be open to others around me, and I think I’ve been able to connect more with my peers mostly because I put all my pride aside and just went for it. A big take away is you always meet great people when you least expect it and there is always good wherever you go, no matter where you are in the world.

              Even though I am very excited to see my friends and family again I will always cherish these 10 days in my heart. I think this was just a trip I really needed now. So, thank you Regis and Amigos for this amazing experience and I hope that future kids can experience this as well!