Part 2

Hello, again! I'm sorry for the lack of a final post in December. Preparations for my departure got so hectic and I never ended up writing a post. My departure from Corinto was very bittersweet, and although it was difficult to leave without knowing the next time I would come back, I was so excited to return to the States. Our surprise excursion was to Isla de  Ometepe which is a beautiful island in Lake Nicaragua, where we spent several days relaxing, hiking, swimming, and doing some wrap up activities. We said our final goodbyes, complete with many hugs on December 15 in the airport in Managua, and went our separate ways. 

My last month here has been wonderful, and I was able to spend time with friends and family, relax, and enjoy some of the Western amenities I missed. Although I miss my friends in Nicaragua very much (both Nicaraguan and foreign), we've been keeping in very good contact, and I'm so excited to start something new. Today is January 16, which means that in a few hours I am embarking on that second adventure of my gap year! I will be spending the first week with my parents in Hyderabad and Chennai, visiting friends that they have there, and then we will go separate ways in Kochi, where I will make my way to the house in Kerala where I'll be staying with other volunteers for the next 6 weeks. The following 6 weeks I will be working in Chennai, and then in the last week of April, I'll be headed back for Rhode Island. 

My time in Nicaragua taught me so much about building relationships, adaptability, being open to change and new things, and how to effectively and positively impact a community with my actions, along with so many others things that I am sure will be so useful in India, and I do not doubt that I will learn even more there. I know very little of what lies ahead, and although this can be a bit nerve wracking when I think about it for too long, I am so excited to dive into India and begin my next adventure!