My name is Toke Adewale and I am sixteen years old. I was born in Nigeria, lived in Atlanta, GA, and now I reside in Hayward, CA. This past summer I received the biggest, most wonderful, and most life-changing experience of my life. I received the blessing of traveling to the beautiful country of Nicaragua. With a scholarship from the MatadorNetwork and through the hard-working organization named Global Glimpse we were able to expand our minds as travelers and individuals.

The one thing that motivated me to take this trip was my curiosity of what it would be like if I wasn’t living in California and I was in another country. I wanted to leave what I was so accustomed to and face different challenges than the ones I face everyday.

On July 23rd, 2009 at 10pm at the San Francisco International Airport, I waited nervously for the trip I was getting ready to throw myself into. I stood with my uncle, who brought me, and began contemplating whether I wanted to go. I told him to just take me back home and we could escape without anyone seeing us. He then reminded me of the long journey I had already taken just to be standing in that airport and going on this trip. That was enough reassurance to bring me back and to also bring back my excitement. Our good-byes were sad, but also full of hope and expectations of the three week adventure we had gotten ourselves into.

On the plane I sat next to one of my closest friends, LaTasha. We were both speechless because we had never done anything like this before. It was even her very first time on a plane. The plane ride from San Francisco to El Salvador and El Salvador to Nicaragua was a long one, but anticipation made it even longer for all of us.

When we first arrived in the capital, Managua, we were all attacked by a sudden heat we weren’t used to, and to our surprise it started pouring rain as we entered our second home – our very own school bus. This was the bus that we would be riding in for the next three weeks. I sat on the bus looking out the window as we rode through Managua.

I don’t know what it was, but so many emotions ran through my body and mind. Fear, sadness, pain, happiness, joy, and anger all suffocated me at once. As I dazed out the window I was hit by not only the beauty of the city, but also the poverty and the struggle. One minute I would see colorful billboards and then I would see the dirty face a child begging. This is why I had so many emotions.

After spending all day in Managua we took a two-hour drive to our first home in the heart warming city of Matagalpa. This was the city that put smiles on our faces, tears in our eyes, and made a difference in our lives. We went from teaching English to locals to looking into the teary faces of children whose hopes seemed to have been lost.

Nicaragua exposed me to so many things. I will never forget the day that we visited the city dump. The realities of watching people, who aren’t any different from me fight animals for food that others have thrown away. That could have been me and my family fighting only to survive. They weren’t any different from me; they just don’t have the same opportunities I once took for granted. The one thing that made my fiery heart cool was the fact that they still had joy. Watching the smiles on their faces as we played and spent time with them in the filthy horror that they call home, really touched me.

I will never forget the days we taught English two days a week. My student’s name was Mary and she was 20 years old. I would say honestly that she improved so much since the day I first said hello to her. The children in Nicaragua take school so seriously and that made me appreciate school more. This experience even motivated me to taking Spanish 3 this year. Before I traveled I didn’t want to take the class simply because I heard it was hard. Thankfully, my idea changed.

I will definitely not forget all the time I spent with the people I now call my second family. We all got so close and I am so thankful that we crossed paths and I can now say they will all continue to be a part of my life. We were all very much like family because like most families we fought, we laughed, we cried, and we challenged and pushed one another. I couldn’t imagine even being on the trip with another group of people.

Honestly speaking, I would have to say that I had some challenges on the trip and also some accomplishments. Some challenges were missing my family at home, getting used to the different emotions I faced everyday, and the tiring travel and transitions everyday. Even though these things were challenging, they helped me grow as an individual. My main accomplishments were facing new challenges, getting rid of my habit of judging others so easily, and being able to appreciate what I have and the people who are in my life.

This trip mainly taught me about the world and what real life is like. I experienced being in a different place and getting used to it because it was my home. I am now more thankful for my life and I do honestly take it more seriously because it is precious and short. That is why I feel like every human being should have an opportunity like this because it is necessary to be in another environment. It helps you realize who you are and the world you live in. I would recommend this to not only people my age, but anyone and everyone.

Being back at home was more relieving than I thought. At times I did feel out of place, but it’s okay because I now feel like I know my self more and I feel more confident in myself and those around me. This trip was life changing and I will share this experience with anyone and everyone who I come across in my life.

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My name is Jennifer Lee and I’m a senior at Balboa High School. I was born and raised in San Francisco and have never lived permanently anywhere else. I’ve visited Canada and China, but only as a small child with my grandparents. During the summer of 2009, I took a trip to New Zealand for seven weeks. The trip was made possible by a scholarship I received from MatadorTravel.com that was given to 11 alumni of the Coro Exploring Leadership Program.

To be awarded the scholarship I had to write three essays about why I wanted to travel. I was lucky enough to receive the scholarship and I was also required to raise $500 on my own. I am incredibly appreciative of the opportunity provided by Coro and Matador and all of the people who donated to my trip.

Before I left for New Zealand, I was feeling very nervous about it. At times I actually viewed it as more of a burden than a fantastic opportunity to get away. I had a lot of baggage in San Francisco, and so I felt like I was leaving at a very inconvenient time. Little did I know that New Zealand was going to change my life for the better.

My trip was organized by AFS (a non-profit international exchange program) and I arrived to Los Angeles with eight other American teenagers that I would travel to New Zealand with. When we got to New Zealand we camped together for three weeks and went our separate ways to our host families for the remainder of the four weeks. I learned and grew so much from the group that I traveled with for those first three weeks.

“We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere,” said Tim McGraw. Today, I am missing them so much. I met such amazing and influential people and I only wish that I could go back and change things. I wish that I was able to fully let loose, be myself, and sincerely enjoy my experience during my time with them.

During the three weeks in which I spent with the other American teenagers, we went skiing, canoeing, bungee-jumping, sky-diving, camping, snow caving, bush-whacking, and so much more.

I remember canoeing to be the scariest experience for me in New Zealand. My canoe partner and I flipped over twice on the last day of our four-day canoe trip. We were going through the rapids and as much and as hard as we paddled, we were thrown into the water. I remember the initial feeling of falling in. It was so scary! My friend said that she saw my face turn completely white and I was barely able to talk during and after the situation. However, I know that I have grown stronger from that because the second time my canoe partner and I flipped over again, we were so much more confident and knowledgeable in what we were doing.

Coming back to America, I was in such a culture shock. I remember riding the bus with my friend the second day I got back and saying, “Oh, my goodness! It’s so diverse here… I really can’t believe it!” My friend looked at me like I was crazy. Being one of the few Asians in New Plymouth, the New Zealand city I lived in for four weeks, was a strange experience for me.

I found students at the high school I volunteered at to be surprised by the fact that I was from America and not countries like Thailand and China (I’m Chinese-American). Being in that type of environment made me so grateful to be in the very diverse America today, where it’s not so surprising that different ethnic groups co-exist with one another.

I’ve changed so much since I came back. In the New Zealand airport, I bought this necklace that had a pendant representing new beginnings. I told myself that I’m going to come back to America with a new outlook on life, people, and myself. I really didn’t expect this to happen and I feel as though I was scared of letting change take its course. I thought I was content with my life before New Zealand, but I really wasn’t.

I never had a close relationship with my mom, but being away from her for seven weeks really made me realize how much I miss all the little things I did with her. I used to be angry at her for taking me places or wanting to spend time with me, but in New Zealand, I was craving all those moments I used to hate. Now, I’m a lot more open-minded with her and willing to make positive changes in our relationship.

There’s a quote by T.S. Eliot, which said, “It is worth dying to find out what life is.” I definitely didn’t die, but the trip was a serious challenge for me. Like I said, I was battling with some baggage at home. However, going through the whole experience and making it out alive and better than ever, I found the beauty of life.

I remember sitting in the Cancer Society office, the place where I volunteered in New Zealand, having an epiphany. Like a creep, I was grinning from ear to ear. I was just so happy! It didn’t matter where I was or what I was doing. I was free and independent and that was all that mattered to me. I didn’t care or worry about the unnecessary baggage left at home. I didn’t need anyone or anything to make me happy. I knew that happiness is a choice that I have to make myself.

I definitely recommend a trip like this to other students my age. Independence is a really big factor in trips that foreign exchange programs offer. It doesn’t matter whether or not teenagers are independent or not before the trip because they are able to grow so much afterwards. If they were never independent before, they definitely will be once the trip ends.

Everyday, teenagers are in their comfort zones, fulfilling all the basic requirements. We are rarely put in very challenging situations that help us grow, develop, and learn about ourselves and other people. Traveling provides an opportunity for teenagers to clear their minds and experience something totally new. It was truly a life-changing and unforgettable journey.

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TRAVELING to Nicaragua this past summer was a life-changing experience for me. Although I had always wanted to do something like travel to another country, I never thought I would ever get the chance to actually do it.

My experience in Nicaragua was a one of a kind learning experience. I was challenged in so many ways and I grew so much from it. I had never been away from home for more than a few days, so being in whole different country without my family and friends for three weeks was hard for me.

I learned how to deal with homesickness and learned how to adjust to a new environment. I got to see so many things that I could’ve never seen back in San Francisco. I was able to see poverty with my own eyes. I saw little children beg for food and money. It broke my heart to see all the hardships that people in other countries had to go through.

It made me more aware of the problems that exist in our world. I also learned a lot about Nicaraguan culture, politics, and history.

We visited many different places, including a volcanic lagoon, the mayor’s office, nearby schools, a farm, and even a chocolate factory. Two times a week, we would teach English to locals.

We had nightly meetings every night to discuss what we took away from each day. At the end of the trip, we even raised over $500 to donate to organizations and we donated clothing, school supplies, and more.

Going on this trip to Nicaragua has really made me appreciate the things that I have at home. I realize how many opportunities are available to me and I feel very lucky to be able to

go to school and get an education. However, it also makes me want to give back to the world and to use the resources that are available to me to help fight poverty in countries around the world.

I am currently working on a project to raise money and collect used clothing and shoes to give back to Nicaragua. I feel as if my project is a way to give back to Nicaragua and what it has taught me about life.

Community Connection

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Before leaving San Francisco, I felt extremely excited and lucky to begin my summer on this adventure. My initial motivation for taking the trip was to gain a new cultural perspective on my daily life and experience the world outside of my neighborhood. I also wanted to travel so that I may build my leadership skills and sense of direction in life.

To my surprise, I got to do all of those things and so much more. I made close friendships with my three indescribable roommates, students, and neighbors. I created some of the most incredible memories in a completely different country with some people that I have only known for three weeks.

I turned seventeen years old on the third day in Nicaragua. I celebrated my most memorable birthday with a whole new family. I was surprised with two birthday cakes, a special dinner made by our wonderful chef, Norman, and a lively Mariachi band.

Going to Nicaragua, I was looking forward to doing community service abroad. Every Tuesday and Thursday after dinner at the Comedor de Los Angeles, the group would head over to the community center and give English lessons to anyone who wanted to learn. In my beginner group, I had bright students. They were all so eager to learn at every lesson.

There were days when we took time to draw pictures for each other. At our last lesson, we exchanged our goodbye gifts: beautiful Nicaraguan key chains, notebooks, and stickers. We handed our students their diplomas for attending classes for nine weeks and awaited our night surprise.

After the graduation ceremony, we had a talent show where our Global Glimpse group and the students participated in skits, dances, and poetry that in someway reflected how the three weeks had impacted us. We gave our hugs and kisses and departed ways for the night. Who knew that we would see our students once more the next morning when they dropped by our hotel to see us off.

Over the three weeks, I learned to step out of my comfort zone. I spoke more often that I expected myself to. I did not feel dependent on my people from Coro (our leadership program) to take me places or to be with me 24/7. I learned to speak up more and opinionate my thoughts.

My biggest challenge was taking more initiative in creating stronger networks with our courageous guest speakers and dealing with the daily comments on my ethnicity made by everyday people everywhere I went.

My biggest accomplishment however, was really getting out in Nicaragua and exploring the different communities and meeting the children of poor neighborhoods. This opened my eyes more than any other experience I’ve had.

On this trip, I learned that in any society, ignorance is a dangerous state. Being ignorant only harms and changes should and can be made. The world and I have to work together. I learned that I have to be open to the new and I must be aware of the world inside and out.

Upon returning, I have been more aware of my actions and the actions of others. I have been more appreciative of what I have and of those I care about. I have been thinking a lot and have many ideas that still float in my head on what I want to do for the children I met in Nicaragua.

I really recommend traveling to other students my age because wherever they may go in the world, they will learn much about a different culture’s history, it’s challenges, accomplishments, and most importantly, about themselves. In their experiences, they will carefully see the impacts of things that take place before their eyes in the U.S. and be inspired to do something about it.

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BORN INTO a typical Asian immigrant family, I haven’t lived the most interesting life. I never had many of the luxuries that my friends enjoyed or owned the newest, biggest, most colorful toys.

All my parents ever talked of was earning straight A’s, winning awards, getting me into college, then finding me a successful job as a rich doctor or lawyer. In order to persuade me to do well, my parents would scare me by saying, “If you don’t earn good grades, you’ll end up like the people in Latin American countries: poor, mosquito-bitten, and without a future.”

Until very recently, that image had always popped into my mind whenever someone brought up the name of a Latin American country. Only until I visited Nicaragua did my perception change, permanently.

Nicaragua. Before participating on this trip, all I ever heard about Nicaragua was of the violent Contra affair through my U.S. History class. Of course, I was slightly nervous to be going to such a foreign country, away from the protective, American security I had grown accustomed to my whole life. My worst nightmare was getting kidnapped in the middle of my sleep and held hostage just because I was an American, a foreigner.

It took me only about 3 hours to lose my uneasiness, when the first kid on the street offered me a handmade cricket, skillfully created from a leaf of a nearby tree. From that point on, I began to view Nicaragua as less of a foreign country, but more of a unique place with its own special qualities and culture to be discovered. Every new day would be a new experience, and as a traveler, I aspired to live each experience to its fullest.

Our first lesson in Nicaragua was to learn and understand both the history of Nicaraguan culture, and the amount of U.S. involvement in Nicaragua. By the end of the first day, I was amazed at how much of a role America has played in Nicaragua. It was after these lessons that I realized how important traveling to a foreign country really is. I got to learn a different side of an argument than my textbook taught me. I learned how the Sandinista Revolution affected local Nicaraguans, not Americans. I learned how much horror Nicaragua had gone through to maintain their independence.

By the end of the first week, I felt pretty comfortable living at my hostel in the middle of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. I had befriended some locals, eaten over ten Nicaraguan meals, and visited countless different organizations and neighborhoods. Of course, speaking absolutely no Spanish hindered my exploration a bit, but my elaborate sign language helped me get my message through. I also relied heavily on the native Spanish speakers in our 26-person group, but even they encountered obstacles.

Apparently, Nicaraguan Spanish differed from the Mexican Spanish my travel mates were used to. However, regardless of all of the obstacles, we still managed to make friends, interview locals, and enjoy our time in Nicaragua.

Traveling to Nicaragua allowed me to take advantage of countless opportunities I never thought I’d get the chance to have. Over the course of the three weeks I stayed in Nicaragua, I hiked a huge volcano, flipped my canoe into a Nicaragua lake, cannonballed into a Nicaraguan lagoon, partied at a Nicaraguan club, and played a game of Connect 4 with a local.

I am not only grateful for all of the opportunities I enjoyed, but for all of the friends I made and all of the fond memories I can cherish for the rest of my life.

When I returned home, I began to see things in a different perspective. My firsthand look at poverty and inequality made me question my own materialistic values. I realized that I am extremely lucky to live in such a comfortable life that I do, and that I should live the rest of my life benefitting others, and helping others reach the level of comfort that I enjoy on a daily basis. My trip to Nicaragua helped me grow as a leader and as a more caring and compassionate person. However, my BIGGEST takeaway is that even though our world is divided into over 200 countries and countless languages, we are all humans.

We all know how to love, laugh, and enjoy life. No matter how different we are on the outside, we are more similar than anyone can ever believe.

Community Connection:

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Just two months after my eighteenth birthday I began my six-week summer journey to Cambodia. In the months before my departure the idea of traveling to Cambodia felt so surreal, and even when the day of my departure arrived I still could not believe it.

In a desperate attempt to gather all my gear and say good-bye to my family, I almost missed my flight to Los Angeles. Luckily, I arrived at the airport just in time for departure. Unfortunately, my luggage did not arrive on time and would come on the next flight.

Once in Los Angeles I met 11 other unique individuals who I’d be traveling with in Cambodia and who were just as eager and excited as I was. (I was relieved to know that I wasn’t the only fanatic about traveling) After I was able to pick up my delayed luggage we began our journey to Beijing. There we picked up one more member of our adventures group and got on the flight to Phnom Pehn.

Little did I know how much this six-week trip would change me.

My pursuit to challenge myself did not begin there. It had started two years ago during my sophomore year of high school. I was looking to step out of my comfort zone and I applied and was accepted to the Coro Exploring Leadership Program, a youth leadership program that trains high school students to become change makers in their school and neighborhood communities.

In the program I was challenged to try new things and my leadership skills increased through the activities and action that we took to address social justice issues in our schools and communities.

One day during the program Ben Polansky, the Youth Program Manager, told us that we could apply for a scholarship to travel abroad that summer. I could not believe my ears when I heard this.

This opportunity sounded too good to be true. I would finally be able to achieve my goal of going to a completely foreign country. After I was chosen for a scholarship I decided upon traveling to Cambodia. (How cool is that? Who else can say they have been to Cambodia by the age of 18?)

Out of all the amazing things I experienced in Cambodia the one thing that sticks out in my mind is my home stay. That one week alone made my trip an unforgettable summer. I, despite being born and raised in a big city, quickly adjusted and learned to love the simple rural life of a small village such as Prek Pdao.

Napping in a hammock under the stilt house and hanging out with my host brother throughout the village, I felt I was living life at its purest.

Back in San Francisco I felt I was always living a routine and did not take time to appreciate what was around me. Prek Pdao was much more of a calm environment. It allowed me to stop and reflect on the beauty and nature around me. With no outside distractions, I was finally living in the present.

What struck me the most about the home stay was the humility and generosity of the local people, especially my host family. My host family would always put my needs ahead of their own. They did whatever they could to make my stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. Towards the beginning of my trip I causally mentioned I enjoy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

From then on I was given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich everyday as an afternoon snack known as “supper”. In such a little time they taught me so much about compassion and generosity. I was very inspired by their tremendous compassion to offer me the little that they had. I hope to continue to use the lessons they taught me for the rest of my life.

I also had the opportunity to teach English to classes of students at a school. Coming to Cambodia I had never thought about standing in front of a classroom and teaching a group of students. When I was asked by one of the teachers I hesitantly agreed. I was open to the new experience but did not think I would make a very good teacher.

Looking back now I can honestly say it was one of my highlights of the trip. The students were all very motivated to learn as much English from me as they could. They perfectly followed along with the dialogue and quickly mastered the grammar rules I taught. They did not hesitate to ask questions and were very attentive. Teaching, something totally new to me, felt so natural.

The hours I spent teaching flew by. The teacher then asked me to teach other classes, and I agreed without hesitation. I happily spent the next few days teaching other classes. Sure, I might have helped the students learn the English language but I think the students taught me something much more important. They taught me to not give up on my goals no matter the situation.

These students have to overcome tremendous difficulties and challenges to get a good education and be successful. Despite all the odds against them they continue to pursue an education. They gave me the hope that I can accomplish my hopes and dream no matter the difficulties I face.

Returning back home was definitely difficult for me. It seemed that the community that I had spent my whole life in had changed when in actuality it was me who had changed. Looking at it from an outside perspective I finally saw exactly how much excess material possessions we in the United States posses. I got to better understand the blessings I have living in this country.

Now I no longer take things such as a flushing the toilet and a refrigerator for granted. I am much more aware of what we posses compared to other countries. Now I try to live more of a life of solidarity rather than a life of material excess like before.

I definitely recommend traveling to high school students. In my opinion traveling is the best way to deepen your understanding of the world. I found my experience to be life changing and I’m sure the other students in my group would say the same.

Honesty, I can know say there is no better way to spend you summ3er than traveling abroad. It doesn’t matter where you travel or who you are, with so many fun and new experiences when visiting a new country, I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Community Connection

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WHILE traveling out of the country I was very scared because I never experienced other countries. I went out there with an organization called Global Glimpse with help from the Matador Travel Scholarship. Global Glimpse gives students the opportunity to travel abroad.

I got to travel with 8 other students from my Leadership Program called Coro Exploring Leadership. My reason for traveling was to soak up Nicaraguan culture and bring it back to my country to share with my community and also to give Nicaraguans a taste of my culture.

When I arrived to Managua, which is Nicaragua’s capital, it was hot and my first reaction was this is going to be a tough trip that I had to get used to for three weeks with other students I didn’t know.

I have a lot of memories from my once in a lifetime trip. My first memory would be meeting a student who attends William C. Overfelt High School in San Jose. Her name was Shelby Hope and I didn’t even know that she would be my roommate while on the trip. It was the first time I’ve ever lived with someone that I didn’t know.

My second memory is of having to live off $1 a day for a full day. I really enjoyed that because I got the chance to walk in another person’s shoes that has to overcome so many obstacles to eat everyday. This was really eye opening for me. I realized how hard it is survive of a $1 a day. My third memory was taking a trip to Matagalpa’s city dump, which was very sad to me because I’ve never seen so much trash and animals as long as I’ve been living.

Being there at that moment of time made me think of how much I complain to my parents about the smallest things I don’t have and honestly I don’t need them. The citizens of that developing country would love to have half the things people in the states have.

There were a lot of situations that I was put in during this trip that forced me to step out my comfort zone. There was a time when every student had to be a “Student Leader” for the day and they had major responsibilities.

When I got the chance to be the student leader I was nervous because it was my job to put my peers to sleep, tell them all the time frames of events, and lead them to lunch and dinner for a whole day, which I never did before.

I had a few challenges to face and my biggest ones were meeting new people, rooming with girls I didn’t know, and not being able to call home to talk to my family. I’m very close with my mother and this was the longest I’d ever be away from her.

My major accomplishments were meeting locals in Nicaragua and gaining more and more knowledge from interviews from local organizations and guest speakers. From time to time I thought about what lessons were learned and I’ve learned to not judge a book by its cover no matter what because you may assume the wrong thing about others.

Now I see the world as being a big diverse map of life full of changing experiences and full of surprises and that’s why I’m so thankful for this opportunity. I see the world in a different way now.

Back at home I really missed being in Nicaragua because I met so many new people that were different from me and had all sorts of different backgrounds and personalities. Even after a week back home, I wasn’t used to the weather in Oakland because it wasn’t anything close to Nicaragua’s climate. I had to get used to what was going on in my hometown.

Also I brought back souvenirs from Nicaragua to give to my family and I explained to them what each one meant and stood for.

As a high school senior, the trip has made me a whole new person. When I got home I called a lot of my friends and family to tell them about my trip. Every last person told me that I sound more mature and I use different words and have bigger ideas.

I would like to tell other youth that haven’t had the opportunity to travel to not
let people tell you that you can’t make it or pursue your dreams because all you have to do is make a plan and go forward and you’ll make it.

Community Connection

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THIS SUMMER I went to Matagalpa, Nicaragua for 3 weeks. It was a scary experience for me at first because in all my 17 years of living I have never left my home of Oakland.

Before I left to go on my trip I was nervous because I have never rode on an airplane before, and I have never been away from my grandmother for that long. In fact, she was one of the main reasons why I went. She motivated me to step out of my comfort zone and experience new and exciting things. I’m glad she gave me that push because If she hadn’t I don’t think I would be as open and appreciative like I am now.

Traveling with Global Glimpse was a fun experience for me because I had the opportunity to make new friends and make old friendships stronger. When I first arrived to Nicaragua I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect and it made me kind of scared because I don’t like being in the clouds.

But as the day went on I felt more at ease because all the people who surrounded me came with nothing but love and positive things. From that day on, every day was an adventure in itself.

My three most memorable experiences were teaching English classes, visiting the dump and having nightly self-reflections with my group. These things are most memorable to me because they helped change me for the better from how I think to me being more open to others.

The biggest lesson I learned while in Nicaragua was you can’t have everything you want, and the stuff you do have is a blessing because most people don’t have what we have.

Since coming home I found myself being more conscious of the little things, such as not getting more food than I’m going to eat, valuing my education more and helping more out around the house. People always ask me would I recommend traveling to other students and I say YES because it’s a fun and exciting experience that challenges you to step out of your comfort zone while having fun and making new friends.

Community Connection

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I AM 17 and I have never been out of California except for China. Going there, I thought it was just going to be like any vacation trip, in a country but just examining it. With Global Glimpse, I was not only examining a culture but also actually experiencing it – from talking to the locals to playing soccer in a muddy yard of a small school.

You may or may not know that Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America. Knowing that, you would expect the place to be dirty, trashy, and for the people to be absolutely miserable. Assumptions should stay at the airport.

I had thought the same thing, but actually, the people in Nicaragua are some of the happiest I have ever seen. It is true that a lot of people live in poverty, but what is shocking is that they enjoy life and are happy with what they have.

It really makes you reflect on how you are living your life. Personally, I take a lot of things for granted and this trip made me realize how much more grateful I am. I had some experiences I have never had before such as going to a Coffee Farm, swimming in a Volcanic Lagoon, visiting the American Embassy, taking Salsa Lessons, and climbing up one giant mountain where you can see all of Matagalpa. A challenge I thought I would have was the language barrier but many people know broken English in Nicaragua.

This trip has not just provided experiences and moments in my life I will remember forever, but also lifelong friends. I am a lot more respectful to the things I have and appreciate my parents so much more. Global Glimpse helped me widen my cultural experiences considerably and inspired me to do more traveling in the future.

I actually plan to visit Nicaragua after I graduate with some of the people I had met in the Global Glimpse program. This summer was absolutely one of the best summers I have ever had in my life. I can’t thank Matador enough for giving me a chance to go on such an amazing journey.

Community Connection

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Learn more about the Matador Youth Scholarship Fund.

IT WAS THE END of the school year and I heard about a non-profit organization called Global Glimpse was giving me an opportunity to travel abroad to keep me busy during summer vacation. I realized this is a once in a lifetime chance and that I should take advantage of the scholarship that Matador is providing.

My main motivation to go on this trip was that I would learn so much about a new culture that would help me become a better leader with a better understanding of other perspectives. All I had to do was raise $800 and prepare myself mentally to go on the trip. I’m really close to my family and I had never been far from home for too long, so I was scared to be away from home for such a long time.

Before getting there, and while we were preparing ourselves for the trip, I had many assumptions and inferences about Nicaragua that would be proved or debunked during the trip. I was ready to see poverty, but I didn’t know to what extent I would see it or experience it. I also knew we would interview community leaders, visit non-government organizations and learn about the Nicaraguan culture, so I was really excited and thought I would probably be distracted enough to forget about getting homesick.

On a summer night of my junior year, July 24th, 2009, I was on my way to the airport in San Francisco with all my bags packed with three weeks worth of clothes. Along with 24 other juniors from San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and San Jose, and six adult chaperones, I boarded the plane to El Salvador, where I would board another plane to go to Managua, Nicaragua.

After we got to Managua, we got on a bus to Matagalpa, where we would spend three weeks of our summer together to develop our leadership skills and learn about Nicaragua.

There were so many stories that I can tell about the trip, but I will tell you about my three most memorable moments while I was in Matagalpa. The first one was an eye-opening experience that I’m sure impacted every one of us that was there. We went to the municipal dump where all the trash is piled up after it is picked up from the homes of Matagalpa.

When we got there, we saw trucks coming in and out of this big landfill and countless amount of kids walking on these piles of trash looking to find something they thought was valuable. They had to look for food and fight with cows that were there in order to get fed. These children looked like they were seven or eight years old, but when we asked them how old they were, they said they were twelve or thirteen.

This experience taught me to appreciate every bite of food I get and I appreciated the fact that in our country we could afford to go to school instead of having to go to work like these kids were doing.

A good memory I have is when our group had different “Leaders of the Day”. We had to select a student from our group to step up and lead the group the through the entire day. Before we switched leaders, we had to make the new leader do something funny or embarrassing. That’s were I was introduced to the VEGGIE-OFF! Someone would call out a vegetable and two other people had to act and sound like that veggie.

It was funny watching them try to make sounds we don’t usually hear vegetables make. It was also a good experience in having to organize a group of students and step up as a leader of the group even you’re uncomfortable at first.

English class was also fun! We made new friends from Nicaragua and taught them English, which they were very excited to learn. Being a Spanish speaker, I had no trouble communicating with my students, but I saw that there were other Global Glimpsers that barely knew how to say their name in Spanish who were actually having a whole conversation with their students. I was so impressed with how quickly they were learning English and how much effort everyone was putting into communicating.

Although the trip was lots of fun and interesting, there were also some moments when I was challenged to step outside my comfort zone, but it was for my own good. I have stage fright and I get really shy talking to people I don’t know.

Global Glimpse gave everyone the opportunity to speak up and be the leader of the whole group for a day. That’s where I had to lead the group on a hike up beautiful Cerro Apante. I think that was my biggest challenge and I overcame it and my fears, which made it my biggest accomplishment.

While we were in Nicaragua, I donated my time, clothes and money to help the less fortunate. I also learned to appreciate everything more, including my house, bed, food, family and friends.

In Nicaragua, I learned more about my passion for helping others. I always wanted to give back to my community for everything it has helped me with, but I didn’t really know how.

Now I have a better idea of how to help communities like the ones we stayed in. I learned that there is a whole world around us that we could help improve, little by little.

While we were in Nicaragua, I donated my time, clothes and money to help the less fortunate. I also learned to appreciate everything more, including my house, bed, food, family and friends.

This trip, and I’m sure I can speak for most of us, has taught us all valuable life lessons that we will never forget and will always take into consideration when making important decisions.

I would most definitely recommend traveling to students my age, especially if they go to a third world country. I think they can benefit from having a new kind of perspective and learning with other students their age. They will be amazed by how much they can learn from other cultures and themselves just by being away from home.

Community Connection

Do you remember your very first travel experience? Share your reflections with our Brave New Travelers in the comment section below.

Learn more about the Matador Youth Scholarship Fund.