Amanda Zanola
As this amazing trip comes to a close, I wanted to share a quick recap of our experience! The first two days we mainly focused on sustainable agriculture when we visited Don Henry’s dairy farm. We learned about different grasses for feed, production and delivery of milk, and Don Henry’s personal experiences. This was the first farm we visited, and it was interesting comparing the United States and the Nicaraguan diary industries.
The next big event of our trip was staying at the homestay with host families. It was an eye opening experience, and most of us were out of our comfort zones. I, along with other students, grew very close to the parents and children of the families. Since the majority of the class did not speak Spanish, there was a language barrier; however, our families used hand motions and pointing to communicate with us. I think the whole group will always appreciate how kind and welcoming the people in the community were, and in general the people of Nicaragua.
We ended our trip with some sight seeing and swimming! It was great getting to experience the market, lake Nicaragua, and seeing a volcano. But overall, this trip was a great way to learn about environmental sustainability and a fun way to make amazing friends that have the same interests. I hope some day I can return to Nicaragua 🇳🇮
Hannah Farr
After an awesome night out, everyone was awake by 4:30 am to begin our journey back to the United States. Despite the fact that we were all exhausted, everyone had a smile on their face knowing we were going home. At the same time, we were sad to leave this beautiful country that taught us so much. The week was filled with educational tours, difficult situations, and pure fun.
We are all leaving with a better appreciation of agriculture, sustainability, and life in general. I think each and every student on this trip was inspired by someone at sometime throughout the week. I have no doubt that we will use these newly-learned skills, take them back to our communities, and make a difference in someone’s life. I know for a fact that everyone made multiple new friends this week, friends that will last a lifetime. It was so special to share this experience with such great people, and I know the memories will last forever.
We enjoyed a relaxing flight from Nicaragua to Atlanta by watching movies and/or sleeping. The anticipation to get home to our families is definitely present, but we will all miss Nicaragua and the people that made it such a memorable and life-changing experience.