Day 2: A Memorable First Day of Activities

By Clem Mohun, Grade 10
Today we visited the Escuela Baru where we helped the school staff paint their classrooms, played with the children and did simple gardening tasks. The children were very excited to see us and receive the school supplies and small gifts we had brought to them, and we tried our best to bond with them despite the language barrier. My favorite part was enjoying the day with my classmates, as well as meeting a few of the wonderful school teachers. I hope to continue to step out of my comfort zone and bond with my peers over the course of the next week.

By Owen Akel, Grade 10
Today we took a bus to a stable and quickly learned about horseback riding. After that, half of the group, myself included, took a bus ride to a waterfall. The other half rode the horses. When we reached the waterfall we took turns climbing up and jumping off. Then, my half of the group rode the horses to lunch, where we had amazing rice beans and chicken before finishing the remainder of the path back to the stables. Overall, it was a pretty amazing day. The activities my group participated in allowed me and my classmates to venture outside of our comfort zones and try new and interesting things. Additionally, this feeling of uncomfortableness allowed us to look to new people to rely on for support, resulting in many new friendships, especially because groups are assigned randomly.