Leaving a community feeling prouder

Hello again!

After an awesome weekend exploring areas outside of Monteverde, today we finally made our return to Colegio. Matt, Ellie, and I began our day with a brisk three-hour period of shoveling dirt out of old garden plots, which quickly got us back into the spirit of volunteering with the students. As we were working with the cooking class that we’d met the previous week, we were all quick to become friends again and work cooperatively.

When it was almost time for lunch, we were invited to watch a quick match of intramural soccer, which was exciting despite the fact that the odds were heavily stacked in the older team’s favor. Following lunch, we joined students from another class in transporting garbage both large and small from the main level of the school to a “dump” area behind the gym. This is how we spent much of the rest of our day, and at the end of it all, we were just as dirty and sweaty as ever. That counts as a successful day in my book.

A side-striped palm pit viper we saw on our night nature hike

Later in the evening, we took our second night tour at the Santa María forest area. Our guide was both witty and intelligent and this made for a night of laughs and more interesting animal sightings with good friends. Hungry and exhausted, Matt and I had no choice but to ravage a large pizza before heading back to the inn.

A mama and baby sloth cuddling

Only three days remain in our journey and the time has absolutely flown by. I’m anxious for when we will have to leave our new friends, but I only hope that we leave them feeling prouder than ever about their school and their community.

Entry submitted by: Justin

Message of the Day – Maggie: “You give little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.” – Kahlil Gibran